Stock Parish Council held its first monthly meeting of 2025, at which parking, road safety and village security were all discussed, on Tuesday 21 January.
The meeting began with a presentation from S-Type Security, which provides comprehensive mobile security services to the Parish Council. S-Type explained how, with car thefts and burglaries prevalent, high-visibility patrol vehicles are visiting the village regularly to deter criminals and help residents feel safer. S-Type have requested that residents share information with them whenever they see something suspicious to assist them and Essex Police in detecting criminal and antisocial activity.
Cllr John Pye gave a detailed update on parking and road safety matters.
Starting with parking, Cllr Pye explained that the Parish Council’s application submitted for double yellow lines to be installed at dangerous road junctions and a limited number of other locations in the village is now in the hands of the South Essex Parking Partnership (SEPP).
A 21-day consultation period is set to begin in the final week of February with a notice posted in the Essex Chronicle, letters sent to local residents and businesses, and notices posted on lampposts in relevant areas. Following the consultation period, anyone who has objected will be contacted by SEPP. A committee report will be put before a public meeting in Chelmsford, where residents/businesses will again have an opportunity to share their views. On-street parking restrictions, should they be implemented, will be regularly patrolled.
SEPP has also worked closely with Stock School and launched the 3PR scheme to encourage responsible, safe parking in January.
With regard to speeding and road safety, over 1,500 people have signed a ‘Stock Against Speeding’ campaign petition, calling for a lower speed limit and average speed cameras to be installed in Stock Road/High Street. The petition can be signed in local shops and pubs, and also online at https://www.stockagainstspeeding.org.uk/, and will be delivered to Essex County Council in February.
Parish Councillors will also meet with Lee Scott, Chair of Essex Safer Roads Partnership (SERP) and ECC Cabinet Member, and recently elected ECC Stock division County Councillor Sue Dobson in February with a view to enacting the Local Highways Panel (LHP) Applications made by the Parish Council but so far not acted upon.
For background, since November 2023, the Parish Council has submitted nine Local Highways Panel (LHP) applications requesting speed reductions, average speed cameras and improvements to pedestrian crossings, but these applications have been met with very limited positive results.
The Parish Council has committed nearly £10,000 to carry out speed surveys in the village, but Essex Highways deemed the results of these surveys showing good compliance with limits and that reductions are not justified, despite thousands of vehicles being found to be speeding every week. As a result, no speed limits have been reduced, but the Parish Council is hopeful this situation will change.
In a positive move, the Parish Council will soon take delivery of three vehicle activated speed awareness signs to be installed in Stock Road and Mill Road, which will alert motorists that they are breaking the existing 30mph speed limit.
The volunteer-led Community Speedwatch team have now caught more than 400 speeding motorists during their patrols in the village since March 2024. Following consultation with Maldon Council, the Parish Council has commissioned a trial of the TruCAM speed detection system, which is operated by Police trained users and captures footage of speeding motorists, who are then prosecuted and receive fines and penalty points issued.
Cllr Pye also explained that plans are being progressed to replace the Village Gateways to make them more visible and make it clearer to motorists that they are entering a village.
Continuing with highways and street care matters, the Parish Council has reported potholes to Highways, requested that the road markings in The Square are repainted, and organized for gravel to be replaced on the path outside The Hoop and the roadside gutters in Stock Road to be cleared of leaves and other debris. The bench in Back Lane and bus stop on Stock Road opposite The Hoop will also be refurbished.
Moving onto the Common Tree Survey, Drainage and Car Park Project, the Parish Council have been told work can be resumed and work to extend the car park from seven to 15 spaces is scheduled to begin on Monday 27 January. When works on the car park are complete, the stones laid as a temporary measure along the edge of Common Road will be removed and the verge reconstituted. The wooden posts will be moved nearer to the road and gabion baskets will be covered over with turf. Drainage work on the Common will be completed as advised.
Dead trees throughout village have been inspected and a local tree surgeon has removed four dead trees with dangerous branches on the bend on Common Road. These trees will be replaced. Plans are underway to cut down a dead sycamore tree in Birch Lane, and to pollard willow trees on Mill Lane. Following consultation with CHP, hedges are to be planted in Dakyn Drive.
Regarding flooding, the Parish Council has been working with Essex Flood Assets to assess flood risks in the village. Smallgains Lane remains the major outstanding flooding issue. Resolution has been found with Essex Highways, EFA and local residents to clear the blockages by removing blockages from ditches, the brook and the culvert under the roadway.
Councillors agreed the precept for the 2025/26 financial year, which will total £52,929.28
The meeting closed with Vice-Chair Mark Rolph thanking Tom Allison for a donation of £300 to charity in memory of late Stock division Essex County Councillor and Chelmsford City Councillor Ian Grundy, who passed away in October 2024.
The Parish Council’s second monthly meeting of 2025 will be held at Stock Cricket Club pavilion on Tuesday 11 February at 7.30pm.
