The expansion of government funded free childcare for two-year-olds started in April and it will be rolled out to younger children over the coming year. This will be a big help to many families in Chelmsford. I visited one of Chelmsford’s Outstanding nurseries and was enormously impressed by how happy the children were. Like many other nurseries they are looking to expand so they can take on more children.
I have had very senior level meetings with Essex County Council on improving services for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). There has been a great increase in the level of need, with more children presenting with SEND than ever before. Government funding to meet SEND needs has increased by 60% over the past five years, and now is around £10.5 billion each year.
In Essex, the number of children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) is more than double previous levels. Around 400 new EHCP applications are received each month which has resulted in a backlog. The council has recruited 46 members of staff and plan further steps to significantly increase capacity and reduce the backlog.
Four new state funded Special “Free” Schools are being built in Essex, including two in Chelmsford. The Government has allocated Essex a further £20 million of capital funding which can be used to build more specialist hubs in mainstream schools.
On the subject of building works, the construction of Beaulieu Park Station is progressing well and it remains on track to open next year. Once open, fewer cars will need to drive into central Chelmsford to access the main station. This project is funded using part of a £250 million grant which I worked to secure from Government. Also underway is the new Army and Navy junction which is going through planning, and a new North East Bypass.
Local GPs have told me how the new online appointment booking service and new “Pharmacy First” service are both helping patients. 15 Chelmsford pharmacies have signed up to the scheme, including all pharmacies in the Moulsham area which means you can now go direct to your pharmacy for a range of common conditions. In the Chelmsford constituency, there are 40 more full-time-equivalent direct patient care staff working in general practice than pre pandemic. Waiting times at Broomfield and other local hospitals have also decreased considerably compared to 12 months ago.
I have been working with our Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Roger Hirst, on tackling the organised criminal car theft gangs active in Essex. Fords and Range Rovers are particular targets. From April 1, car theft is a specific priority crime for Essex Police with a new dedicated serious crime unit and a stolen vehicle intelligence unit. Essex Police have successfully recovered over 650 stolen vehicles worth over £14 million in the past six months and made many arrests.
The following measures can deter car thieves: De-activate passive entry systems, keep keys in a Faraday bag or tin, lock gates or bollards, use a “sleeping fob” battery or park a more valuable car behind a less valuable car. Please do report all suspicious behaviour or theft immediately as this makes a significant difference to disrupting gangs and making arrests.
