Stock Parish Council held its October monthly meeting, at which a number of issues affecting the village were discussed at length.
Top of the agenda was road safety, with Cllr John Pye giving two detailed reports to councillors and villagers in attendance regarding speed management and parking.
Starting with speed management, following the results of a road safety survey carried out at the start of the year and with concerns continually raised over the issue vehicles driving at excess speed through the village, Cllr Pye explained that the Parish Council has nine Local Highways Panel (LHP) Requests outstanding that are at various stages of consideration by Essex Highways.
The Parish Council has agreed to release funding for the installation of average speed cameras in Stock Road/B1007, but have now been informed by Essex Highways that this scheme cannot progress until guidance from the Department for Transport has been received.
In the meantime, the Parish Council has agreed to fund Vehicle Activated Signs which inform drivers of their speed by flashing their speed in red or green, and will progress towards the purchase and installation of these signs.
The volunteer-led Community Speedwatch scheme continues to catch dozens of speeding motorists in the High Street and Mill Road. More than 300 speeding vehicles have been detected since March 2024, with their details passed to Essex Police. Should you wish to join the Speedwatch team, please email clerk@stock-pc.gov.uk
The Parish Council had previously been told that conversion of the Zebra Crossing outside Budgen’s into a signal-controlled Puffin Crossing was justified. However, a technical inspection has since been completed and a Puffin Crossing cannot be installed. Instead, the Zebra Crossing will be upgraded, but this will not take place until 2025 due to a funding shortage.
The Parish Council is still awaiting validation on the moving of the bus stop outside the Bishop’s House towards the village. Until this has been validated, the Parish Council’s LHP application for a pedestrian crossing at that end of the High Street cannot progress.
Moving away from the High Street, the Parish Council has agreed to release funding for Essex Highways to conduct 12 Average Traffic Counts (ATCs) on the surrounding roads, with a view to introducing a 20mph speed limit.
The Parish Council has been informed that the results of speed surveys carried out on Downham Road and on the B1007 to the north of the village do not justify the reduction of speed limits from 60mph to 40mph on those two roads.
Moving onto parking, Stock Parish Council continues to work with South Essex Parking Partnership (SEPP) – a partnership between Essex County Council and Chelmsford City Council and other local authorities – and Essex County Council’s Traffic Regulations Orders (TRO) team regarding the potential for introducing Double Yellow Lines, and the enforcement of those parking restrictions.
All Double Yellow Lines introduced will be in accordance with Rule 243 of the The Highway Code – ‘DO NOT stop or park opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised parking space’. These will be legally enforceable, with all proposals intended for the safety of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, and parking enforcement officers will visit the village regularly.
Site visits were held at junctions identified where physical and visual obstructions occur in Mill Road, The Square, Back Lane, Cambridge Close and Austen Drive, as well as the blind bend in Mill Road. Many of the roads in question have no pavements for pedestrians.
As was explained at the October monthly meeting, the Double Yellow Lines will not cover the village centre, but be painted only in places deemed appropriate by SEPP.
SEPP has informed the Parish Council that the parking restrictions can be introduced subject to public consultation with village residents, businesses and other stakeholders and a meeting being held at County Hall in Chelmsford. All interested parties will have the opportunity to express support or raise objections to the proposals and a consultation meeting will be held if required.
However, Stock Parish Council has been informed that due to available funding, this will not progress until 2025.
It will be SEPP who will make the ultimate decision as to whether the Double Yellow Lines are introduced, and not Stock Parish Council.
The Parish Council has been and will continue to hold discussions with residents, including Blue Badge Holders, and business owners to try to alleviate concerns.
Should the scheme be accepted and, if necessary, adjusted, the necessary legal documents will be completed, and the Double Yellow Lines painted and enforced to improve road safety.
The Parish Council remains committed to making the village a safer place for all villagers and appreciates villagers’ patience while all the above projects continue.
Onto other business and the Parish Council has requested that the pavement and kerb outside the Village Shop be repaired.
A refuse bin has been ordered for the newly refurbished bus stop opposite The Ship, and overgrown foliage has been removed from several public footpaths in and around the village.
The kissing gate at the end of Mill Walk has been reconstructed to a very high standard by Harry’s & Son, while work to the gravel path from The Square to The Lattices, including repairing of potholes and replacing of missing white posts, has been agreed.
At the October monthly meeting, the Parish Council voted to conduct improvement works to the car park and to install drainage channels on the Common.
The Parish Council has made changes to its banking arrangements to safeguard public money, with funds now split between Barclays Bank and Unity Trust Bank, which provides specialist business banking services to organisations such as charities and parish councils.
Villagers can inform the Parish Council of any further improvement works required by email to clerk@stock-pc.gov.uk
The annual Christmas Craft Fayre will be held on the Common on Saturday 30 November from 12noon-4pm. A limited number of stalls remain and if you are interested in taking one, please email clerk@stock-pc.gov.uk
The Parish Council will hold its next monthly meeting on Tuesday 12 November at 7.30pm at Stock Cricket Club.
