BELL RINGING

Every ringable tower in the South-East is asked to ring a quarter peal - at least 1,260 changes, following a certain pattern.

Last Friday, the bell ringers were successful in their attempt, with the help of a couple of Tillingham ringers. Since the Tillingham bells are at present at the Whitechapel bell foundry, we cannot reciprocate and help ring a quarter there, so it is hoped to ring the Tillingham contribution in Bradwell tomorrow evening.

Residents may have noticed that over the past few weeks, alternate Fridays have been bell-free (as opposed to the Fridays in between, which have been belfry ones).

This is because the bell ringers have been practising at Tillingham on alternate Wednesdays, which is their normal practice night.

Whilst the Tillingham bells are silenced, it is hoped to continue the pattern of alternate Wednesday and Friday practices in Bradwell, so you will be able to hear them tonight, but on Friday this week.

CARAVANNERS

Sixteen units from the 77 Club in Suffolk enjoyed a quiet and relaxing weekend on our village hall field the weekend before last. The thought the field was beautifully mown and kept and were full of praise for the whole area.

PARISH COUNCIL

At the last meeting of the council on April 21, which was also its AGM, the meeting opened with a public forum at which four speakers were present, two from the Bradwell Reactor Site, Oly Serrano, Site Director, and John Grierson, Deputy Site Manager.

Representing the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority the council was pleased to welcome, Richard Mrowicki, Head of Business Plan and Strategy Coordination together with Clive Woods, Bradwell site programme manager.

These four spoke most frankly about the changing plans for completion of the decommissioning process and were open to questioning both from council members and also some of the members of the public which were present.

One of the main problems which is responsible for the apparent delay in completion of this project, is the financial demand being made on the Authority by Sellafield and Doureay which they admitted had been underestimated when government funding was originally requested.

Bradwell was told at the inception of decommissioning that it would take 100 years for the area to be returned to a green field site but hopes were raised well into the work by information given, that the time factor would be much less - namely 25/35 years.

It is only fairly recently that it has been realised that the demands from Sellafield and Dunwoody have made this estimate totally unrealistic.

The scale of problems at Sellafield is still not known with different things being uncovered all the time, and the struggle continues to get it into a state of stability.

There is only so much finance available, and Bradwell, together with other Magnox stations, have had to slip down the priority list.

The disappointment felt by all involved is great, not only by the residents of this village, and the officials present at this meeting were sincere in their apologies for the present situation which is sadly out of their hands.

There is a major technical challenge facing all decommissioning power stations not only in this country but throughout the world including France and Japan, and that is the long term storage of graphite and the finding of a suitable repository, and in this country the subsequent funding available, but due to the hazard represented by this commodity, discussion, regarding funding, has now opened up.

It is anticipated that once the front end' is completed in 2027 the work will then continue as originally planned. The meeting was assured that all the public views expressed in answers to the questionnaire would be taken into account.

The four officials were thanked for their time in attending the meeting and after they had left the normal format continued.

Chairman, Jean Allen, presented her annual report covering most the year's activities and including the financial situation. This latter at the moment is in a healthy state and it had already been decided that the precept this year of £12,500 need not be raised. The question of providing Steve Dewick with a new mower to continue cutting the grass in the children's playground was raised. Steve has been using his own mower - but it was agreed that mower replacement be put on the agenda for the next meeting.

Various items of planning were approved by Maldon apart from a leisure plot where it had been decided to uphold an enforcement order.

It was reported that the matter of the extra speed bump material for the car park was still in hand. A re-siting problem had arisen concerning the cub shed after an official visit from a council representative so it was back to the drawing board. A lot of research had been carried out into the provision of an extra slab' to accommodate 2 names only recently come to light, for the airfield memorial.

Finally agreed that the Southminster firm be taken up on their offer to visit the site. Mayflower Nursery are not happy with one of the rose beds they had generously supplied and planted.

They were keeping an eye on it and will replace the plants if it becomes necessary. Regarding planning on a site in Waterside Road the owners involved said that Maldon District Council is fully in the picture and hopefully more information could be given at the next meeting after it had been put on the Agenda.

Concerning the silver birch trees in the churchyard about which there had been a complaint from an owner in Caidge Row regarding light deprivation.

The tree specialist had visited and that the shade caused by these trees was minimal/insignificant.

The council is to reply to the complainant.

The recycling meeting originally due to be held on April 21, has now been re-scheduled for June.

CHURCH SERVICES

Sunday May 4 Parish Communion at 10.0 am St Thomas's Church.

Evening Service at Downhall Residential Home 6.30.