Home   News   Article The owner of a Stansted tourist attraction that was the butt of a joke by comedian Dom Joly says he is not amused Jeremy Goldsmith told the Indie: “He never came in so how can he judge Mountfitchet Castle and House on the Hill Toy Museum featured on a Facebook video posted by the TV prankster-turned-travel writer who is currently on a nationwide tour with his comedy stage show Dom Joly – The Conspiracy Tour Dom played to an almost sell-out audience at Bishop’s Stortford’s South Mill Arts on Saturday night (Oct 12) – ironically the venue where Mountfitchet Castle founder Alan Goldsmith, Jeremy’s father, hosted music legends such as Stevie Wonder The Who and Rod Stewart as a pop promoter during the 1960s Dom was driven to the Lower Street tourist attraction with a view to going in but instead filmed a rant from the back seat of his car about the castle that was more of a “very small cottage surrounded by a wall” Having established the entry fee was £17 for the castle and toy museum he conceded it was cheaper than Warwick Castle which charges visitors £39 and which he had boycotted during an earlier tour stop What’s wrong with this country?” His post declared that this was now part of a new series entitled ‘Dom Joly Slags Off Castles!” with the hashtags #ripoffbritain #bishopsstortford #castles and #costoflivingcrisis There’s a whole medieval village behind that wall” and “That’s my local castle Jeremy was dismissive of the joke and entry price criticism off the back of their most successful year yet “And to think he’s standing where Dad started it all How much were Dom Joly’s tickets?” he said “I suppose what annoys me is the fact that he never came in We’ve been open for 40 years and are one of the most popular tourist attractions in this area “And it’s a really hard decision to put the admission price up but sometimes these things are out of our hands – we get taxed more more insurance and in the end it has to come from somewhere Jeremy said they were currently hosting a visit from 200 schoolchildren while a woman with her grandchildren had been five times this year Their season is drawing to a close with the popular Hallowe;en special and pumpkin trail running in half-term week from Saturday October 26 to Sunday November 3 Joly is an award-winning comedian best known as the star of Trigger Happy TV in the early 2000s the hidden camera prank show which went on to be broadcast in over 70 countries complimentary about the dressing room at South Mill Arts rating it as “the best dressing room on tour so far – comfy sofa Haven’t laughed so much for a very long time Very gracious at the end of the night with signings and selfies.” His South Mill Arts show tickets cost £27.50 – #valueformoney Your guide to London's culture and transport news and events taking place across the city Published on 4th September 2024 by ianVisits in Transport News have been shortlisted for the next expansion of London-style contactless payments The inclusion of Stansted Airport’s railway station was already expected to happen eventually but it is notable because of the large number of passengers who have tried to use contactless payments there assuming it already worked and have been caught out it’s easy to understand why people assume London Stansted accepts London-style travel payments The transport watchdog London TravelWatch had previously said that in 2019 some 16,000 people had been handed penalty fares at the airport’s railway station after arriving without a paper ticket They said that this was a similar situation to the one at Gatwick Airport before Oyster/Contactless acceptance was expanded south of London Since then there have been attempts to reduce accidental travel without a paper ticket such as large warning signs by the ticket barrier at Liverpool Street station and plenty of audio announcements on the trains Now, the Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed that Stansted Airport station will be included in the next phase of its Project Oval expansion of contactless payments in the southeast of England is being funded by the DfT and carried out by TfL with in-station validation equipment carried out by Cubic Transportation Systems The expansion will not include Oyster cards as the Oyster technology is now too old just the newer bank card-based contactless payments That mirrors how the Elizabeth line was extended to Reading with Oyster only working as far as the edge of Zone 6 after which only bank card contactless will work 230 stations across the southeast will accept contactless payments of which 47 stations will go live later this month for which the DfT has shortlisted 45 stations contactless payments won’t accept concession fares or railcards The list of the next 45 stations to be included in the rollout: Some stations are served by multiple operators — have listed them by GTR management This website has been running now for over a decade, and while advertising revenue contributes to funding the website, it doesn't cover the costs. That is why I have set up a facility with DonorBox where you can contribute to the costs of the website and time invested in writing and research for the news articles It's very similar to the way The Guardian and many smaller websites are now seeking to generate an income in the face of rising costs and declining advertising Whether it's a one-off donation or a regular giver every additional support goes a long way to covering the running costs of this website and keeping you regularly topped up doses of Londony news and facts If you like what you read on here, then please support the website here I got caught out by this rushing for a train £50 fine and they made a massive fuss out of it They had laminated cards showing the signs at Liverpool St (ok but obviously I didn’t see them did I?) I wish they would have just charged me the ticket price rather than hitting me for £50 Will the London & SE Rail Map or the TfL Rail and Tube Map show the expanded contactless areas At the moment it seems you have to go operator by operator to check and even then their maps aren’t up to date That should take 10 minutes out of a journey to Stansted unless they decide to still check every persons ticket in person at the airport That always feels like a total overkill and borderline harassment Hopefully they’ll expand contactless payments to support the entire former ‘Network SouthEast’ area though they might then have to work out how it can work for those with a Network Railcard Using the same area covered by the Network Railcard would exclude Peterborough This might frustrate some Thameslink customers though at I suspect LNER would quite like that station not to accept contactless payments I’ve found it frustratingly difficult to find out what stations accept contactless It’s not on the National Rail station page or the rail company station page Links from the latter often go to generic TFL pages or to PDF maps that aren’t mobile friendly There’s a map and list of contactless stations at the National Rail website – search for pay as you go with contactless Very annoyingly they have excluded the Braintree branch line from Witham in this project considering there’s only 4 stations this makes zero sense Where have you read that those four stations have been excluded from Project Oval which now covers some stations (like Gatwick) and not others does feel like an increasing mess for those travelling with children who don’t have banking facilities of their own paper tickets will likely become a rare thing (facilities to buy them are increasingly rare and neglected in London) – so some equivalent of the childs oyster pass (which provides concessionary travel but can currently be loaded with money to travel to selected places like Gatwick outside zone 6) that works on the growing contactless national rail payment system seems to be needed and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" and the latest news published on ianVisits You can unsubscribe at any time from my weekly emails © ianVisits A call has gone out for volunteers to help improve Stansted Mountfitchet railway station that train operator Greater Anglia has singled out for help under its Station Adoption scheme “It makes such a positive difference when the community is actively involved in their local station,” said Alan Neville “​​​​​Station adoption creates mutually beneficial relationships and dialogue to help us understand what improvements are important to local people and promotes civic pride and wellbeing by bringing people together and enhancing public spaces “I would love to see these stations – some of which have never been adopted before – benefit from the additional focus and care that the scheme provides.” Anyone interested in adopting their station should email StationAdopters@GreaterAnglia.co.uk Published on 14th May 2024 by ianVisits in Day trips from London Not far from London is a small village old enough to appear in the Doomsday book that’s now far better known for the airport that stole its name it has a heck of a lot to see on a day trip Right in the centre of the village is a full-size replica of a Norman motte and bailey castle that opened 40 years ago this month – in May 1984 as it’s on the site of the actual Norman castle that stood here (and the use of the site as a fortification dates back to the Iron Age) and I was very pleasantly surprised with my visit based on the website and the copious fun-fair style signs around the entrance It’s a good reinterpretation of a Norman-era castle with lots of suitable buildings showing off how trades were performed from the baking Climb up a number of towers for great views and play with the swords and helmets There’s a nod to fun with a range of “horrible history” style displays from peacocks with their loud cries audible through most of the village to deer and loads of rabbits Most are what a Norman would have expected to see (and eat) decide that where I was standing was the exact spot they wanted to eat the grass Website Sitting next to the castle is the toy museum which is included in the castle entry price — as both are owned by the same person This claims, probably correctly, to be one of the largest toy museums in Europe, and if you like the Museum of Brands in London Based on a private collection that grew too large this is effectively a large house that’s been taken over by loads of glass cases filled with everything from old tin soldiers to lots of Star Wars some military memorabilia and a vast collection of fairground coin machines There’s also an incredibly cheesy and wonderfully fun haunted mansion to visit which is very much what they have as a ghost ride in funfairs it’s really good fun to add to the visit I initially thought the Star Wars cases looked a bit average but wait until you get deeper into the museum with more Action Men than I knew ever existed and enough Teddy Bears to give Jesus a hard time feeding a picnic Outside the toy museum is also a dinosaur park with some of them moving as well – quite fun My one annoyance about both the castle and the museum is the huge number of warning notices everywhere The many warning signs in the museum about CCTV and alarms also add a sour note to a visit People will assume you’d have alarms so there’s no need to put so many signs in so many places A visit to the castle and museum is £17 for adults and £13.50 for children – not the cheapest day out for a family Website On the edge of the village is a large windmill built nearly 240 years ago which is still a dominant landmark in the area and the windmill is open to the public roughly once a month and not on the day I visited Website About 15-20 minutes walk from the train station is the village’s oldest church built 900 years ago and likely marooned in the countryside when the village developed further to the west I knew it was here and is now looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust, but I didn’t know it’s now open every day from 11am to 3pm to go inside. It’s also a church you can sleep in if you fancy camping in a church overnight It’s also a surprisingly large church for such a small village having been expanded and rebuilt a few times Next to the altar is an exceptionally large memorial to former Lord Mayor of London Sir Thomas Myddelton which still brings fresh water into the city volunteers were busy gardening to clear overgrown graves as part of a project to identify the people buried there and tell their stories It’s very much worth the walk to visit Right in the centre of the village is another church which is also open (on my visit at least) to go inside it’s a church that’s vastly more impressive from the outside it looks as if someone had taken a piece off the Palace of Westminster and dropped it in the centre of the village as the decoration is exceptional and very detailed The church was actually built as a chapel for St Mary’s but St John’s has now displaced St Mary as the village’s main church and what a sign inside indicates should be a church filled with stained glass windows is mainly plain glass instead There are still puginesque influences here particularly in the choir stalls and pulpit and some of the stone decorative figures as you can admire the amazing tower decorations There’s a nice stone obelisk in the recreation ground and the village itself has a number of charmingly old buildings to see you might want to stop for a tea and cake in the corner shops or one of the couple of pubs It’s very easy to get from London as it’s just one stop before Stansted Airport so just catch the Stansted Express from Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale stations The journey from Liverpool Street to Stansted Mountfitchet station takes about 50 minutes and trains run roughly every half-hour at weekends and every 15 minutes during the week Stanstead Mountfitchet station is very close to the castle It’s a wonderful place with or without kids I haven’t been for years but I’ll go again soon Train passengers at 19 Greater Anglia stations including Bishop’s Stortford Sawbridgeworth and Stansted Mountfitchet will be able to use tap-in tap-out technology from next year meaning smoother journeys from train to plane for international passengers They are among 45 stations operated by the Greater Anglia Chiltern and GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway) train companies that will benefit from the rollout thanks to nearly £27 million of Government funding They follow 47 previously announced stations across the South East that are getting tap-in tap-out this month The announcement was made on Tuesday (September 3) as Transport Secretary Louise Haigh “fired the starting gun” on the Labour Government’s rail reform ushering in a new era which “prioritises passengers over private companies and reverses decades of delays cancellations and unreliable services on Britain’s railways” It also saw the launch of Shadow Great British Railways (Shadow GBR) which will set in motion a huge overhaul of the running of the rail network bringing together leaders from the Department for Transport (DfT) Shadow GBR will pave the way for Great British Railways arm’s-length body responsible for bringing track and train back together by overseeing services and infrastructure The announcement came as the Government’s Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill continues its passage through the Commons I am firing the starting gun on the biggest reforms to our railways in a generation delay and disruption faced by people on train journeys every day “Establishing Shadow Great British Railways marks a significant step towards delivering a unified railway with passengers at its heart by bringing together track and train and by progressing the Passenger Railways Services Bill we’re one step closer to public ownership which will help put our railways back on track “This Government will direct every penny into creating a stronger more reliable rail network that works for everyone “This is about making the railways work for the people that use them – putting passengers first and driving up performance.” Further measures set out by the Secretary of State include a new Rail Sale early next year to tie in with celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of Britain’s passenger railways The sale will aim to encourage more people onto trains by offering up to 50% off tickets for a specific time period A consultation event is being held in Bishop’s Stortford later this week over plans for a major housing development that would effectively join the villages of Stansted Mountfitchet and Birchanger Stansted-based developer City & Country is to unveil plans for a “sensitive landscape-led” development in the Green Belt of an unspecified number of hundreds of “much-needed including a significant amount of affordable homes” The developer is looking to get the agricultural site included in Uttlesford District Council’s Draft Local Plan It says: “Given the increasing housing needs in Uttlesford it represents area for growth in between Stansted Mountfitchet and Birchanger creating a logical extension to these settlements with existing infrastructure and services capable of supporting growth without significant additional investment it will soften the plans for homes and build a buffer between the homes and each surrounding settlement to prevent one larger settlement being formed.” City & Country says the proposals are at “very early stages” and adds: “It is envisaged that the development could commence at some point in 2026 though more precise timings will be known once planning permission has been secured.” The site is bordered by Forest Hall Road in Stansted to the north and Birchanger to the south and by Tot Lane – a single-track road linking Forest Hall Road and Birchanger Lane – to the west and the M11 to the east It also includes a single field just north of the A120 bypass bordered by the B1383 and the foot of Birchanger Lane Land immediately to the south of Forest Hall School allocated for future expansion of the Stansted secondary lies within the site City & Country’s scheme also includes public open green space “The development will benefit both new residents and those already living in the nearby villages,” it says the developer says: “The scheme will promote cycling and walking as the primary modes of travel and integrate into the existing footpath infrastructure in addition to enhancing the existing public right of way routes “A comprehensive Travel Plan will be included as part of a future planning application to identify the measures that will be taken to encourage new residents and those working at the development to travel by means other than the private car “Detailed traffic analysis will be undertaken as part of the outline planning application to identify the likely constraints and impacts on local roads near to the development as well as the impact on the strategic highway network including Junction 8 of the M11 “The transport assessment will also consider the implications on public transport services and how to maximise the opportunity of sustainable travel from the development to Stansted Airport for its employment uses or for onward travel.” The public consultation event takes place at Bishop’s Stortford Football Club’s RDA Stadium on the Woodside industrial estate The developer says: “This is your opportunity to help shape these proposals by providing your views on how the housing green spaces and infrastructure could benefit the people of Stansted Mountfitchet and Birchanger.” City & Country claims to be the UK’s leading heritage developer with “a growing reputation of making new places for communities to live and enjoy” It says: “We cherish the past and wish to use our skill in making better places for the future that serve society needs sustainably.” Its head offices have been in Stansted for more than 20 years and before that it was based in Hatfield Heath for 30-plus years “Our larger schemes to date have been in east Essex although historically we have done smaller new-build schemes within 20 miles of Stansted [We] have always been very local to the area and our aim is to leave a positive lasting legacy in the region.” It is a long-time supporter of conservation charity the Essex Wildlife Trust it won the Evening Standard’s Best Out of London Home award it won WhatHouse?’s Housebuilder of the Year 2024 Bishop’s Stortford Town Council has voiced concerns about a 1,050-home development proposed in its “back yard” The chair of the planning and development committee has written to City & Country about the estate it wants to build between Stansted Mountfitchet and Birchanger The Stansted-based company wants to construct “a wide range of high-quality new homes to help alleviate growing housing pressure” It has earmarked 178 acres of agricultural land – on the southern fringe of Stansted Mountfitchet, to the west of Stansted Airport and north and north-west of Birchanger – for the project City & Country is banking on the Labour Government changing planning rules to allow “grey belt” development The developer promises: “The scheme will be designed sensitively around the existing important and historic woodlands and the introduction of new landscape features and species-rich plants will enhance the biodiversity value of the site and provide improved green spaces for the community to promote healthy lifestyles and nurture wellbeing the site has the potential to create an exciting new hub of residential and leisure opportunities while respecting the landscape character of the local area.” That infrastructure is at the heart of the town council’s concerns Cllr Bower said: “While this development sits outside our parish boundaries it will be very close to Bishop’s Stortford – at some points less than two miles – so clearly has an impact on our community.” He said the land formed part of the Green Belt around the town and argued: “We cannot see how in any circumstances these fields could be described as ‘grey belt’ as defined by the Government.” He stressed: “Our primary concern is the impact on the civic infrastructure of Bishop’s Stortford “The new residents coming to these developments will need doctors and will look to the nearest town – Bishop’s Stortford – for their provision “It is not clear from your proposals whether any of these facilities will be delivered as part of this development – your website simply refers to ‘a sustainable location which is close to surrounding services such as a primary school and a village hall’ “Any assessment of the impact of this development needs to include the availability of GP appointments school places and other services in Stortford Cllr Bower pointed out that Bishop’s Stortford was already dealing with pressure from the developments of St Michael’s Hurst as a town council we are not opposed to development… But we have to consider the impact of large-scale development in our back yard on the already pressurised public infrastructure in our town.” Stansted and Birchanger parish councils have voiced concerns about the estate which they fear will merge the two villages A man was hit and killed by a train at Stansted Mountfitchet railway station on Tuesday morning (May 21) The incident happened shortly before 6am and involved a Cambridge-bound service from London Liverpool Street British Transport Police (BTP) officers and Network Rail response units rushed to the scene A spokesperson for BTP said: “Officers were called to the line near Stansted Mountfitchet railway station at 5.55am today (21 May) following reports of a casualty on the tracks “The incident is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.” Greater Anglia’s West Anglia line between the capital and Cambridge was blocked in both directions for more than two-and-a-half hours and services were cancelled A couple celebrating 60 years of marriage were treated to a romantic meal for two by staff at the Stansted care home where they live met at a youth club on the tennis courts of the former RAF Cottesmore in Rutland in 1959 and have been together ever since They now reside at Mountfitchet House Care Home in Coltsfield where they enjoyed a three-course diamond anniversary lunch at the home’s own ‘pub’ complete with heart-shaped decorations and a party with family and friends said their favourite memory from their marriage – so far – is a tour of Ireland in the 1980s when they watched the sun go down in Galway Bay Catherine added: “It’s about respecting your friendship and loving each other through the good and bad.” Catherine revealed that her initial impression of Brian when they first met was that he was “a very nice man” Brian won him over and the couple were married at a church in Ilford on September 12 Home manager Joanna Duke said: “We were honoured to share this momentous occasion with Brian and Catherine we know how important it is to celebrate all life’s milestones “This was a very special day for Brian and Catherine and we loved raising a glass to their long and happy marriage – 60 years is a huge amount of time and there’s lots we can learn from them about building a successful relationship.” Dunmow and Saffron Walden are set to benefit from exciting new attractions a state-of-the-art indoor cycling studio and virtual reality (VR) games area are planned Mountfitchet Romeera Leisure Centre in the grounds of Forest Hall School in Stansted has submitted an application to Uttlesford District Council (UDC) which owns the district’s three centres operated by 1Life to turn disused tennis courts into three glass-enclosed padel courts Described as one of the fastest-growing sports in the world padel is a racket sport usually played in doubles and scores similarly to tennis although the ball can be played off walls which surround the court Romeera Leisure Centre will work in partnership with Padel United at the pay-and-play courts where coaching sessions will be provided for juniors and adults Padel United currently runs eight venues with 26 courts across the country New all-weather tennis and netball courts are also proposed on an adjacent area next to the padel courts Stansted Parish Council considered the scheme at its latest meeting and welcomed it as a “good community asset” a £90,000 investment will see one of two existing squash courts converted into a state-of-the-art indoor cycling studio And at Lord Butler Leisure Centre in Saffron Walden one of three squash courts will become home to an active virtual reality experience aimed at driving activity in the younger generation and an experience that families of all ages can enjoy together A council spokesperson said: “Squash is one of many sports and forms of exercise that will continue to be offered at the leisure centres but with demand dropping in recent years both locally and nationally and the courts significantly underused this is a fantastic opportunity to enhance the centre’s offering.” leader of the Residents for Uttlesford-led district council said: “Despite the best efforts of clubs like Saffron Walden Squash Club people have turned in greater numbers to other new forms of exercise and to different sports such as the fast-growing game of pickleball which has been added to the offering in the general sports area “Whilst maintaining the opportunity to play squash it makes sense to make better use of the valuable floor space which will help to increase participation and encourage new and young users of our leisure services.” The schemes were put forward by 1Life and backed by the council chief operating officer at 1Life Management Solutions said: “We are committed to keeping the community active and ensuring the activities and services are reflective of customer demands and trends whilst maximising the usage of the facilities.” Two of Stansted’s well-known peacocks were killed by a Stansted Express train on Sunday (June 23) after they wandered on to the tracks The year-old hens who resided at the village’s Mountfitchet Castle and House on the Hill Toy Museum were likely to have found discarded food on the line Owner Jeremy Goldsmith said he was saddened to hear of the deaths and was not informed of the incident until later that evening “It was unlucky they were there on a Sunday when the trains passing through the station are really infrequent and just unlucky to be there when the Stansted Express came through “It still hurts because you nurture them and they were only juveniles from last year but the females are not as savvy as the males The only thing we can think is that they were on the track because someone may have thrown food down there there’s no real reason for them to be there.” He said reports suggested one bird was killed while the other jumped out of the way only to be hit by a train coming in the opposite direction “It’s been a bit of a disaster this year as we’ve also lost two hens to foxes so the males haven’t got enough hens and I’m worried that they could start to wander so the search is now on to find some more females we now have eight and six of those are males so we need to redress the balance somebody reading this might have some spare hens we could have I would rather we helped someone out or rehomed them rather than buy from a breeder so we’re on a mission to find some more hens.” The castle’s peacocks are a popular sight in Stansted Even the new Castle Maltings pharmacy has been named Peacock Pharmacy in their honour Said Jeremy: “People do seem to love them and they add character to the village but we pride ourselves on our animals that are free to roam and that come back to us.” villagers were sad to hear of the accident Said one commentator: “Very traumatic for those who saw this” while another added Lovely to see them roaming around but not for that to happen.” Passengers are reminded to check before they travel on Sunday 20 October as engineering work will significantly impact journeys to and from Stansted Airport There will be no direct train services between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport on this date and customers are advised to consider using alternative transport to and from the airport This is due to Network Rail carrying out improvement works on the concrete sleepers at Cheshunt junction and replacing a section of the railway near Stansted Mountfitchet Journeys to/from the airport by train can be made via Cambridge with Stansted Express tickets accepted between London King’s Cross to Cambridge The journey time using this route will be approximately 1 hour 30 minutes Two trains an hour rail service will run between London Liverpool Street to Waltham Cross with limited capacity and a very restricted replacement bus service – likely to be one bus with limited capacity – will operate between Waltham Cross and Stansted Airport The total journey time via this route will be approximately 2 hours 40 minutes Buses will also replace trains between Hertford East and Waltham Cross Trains will continue to operate between Cambridge North and Stansted Airport said: “We are unable to operate direct trains between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport on Sunday 20 October while Network Rail carry out essential engineering work allow more time for their journey and check before they travel We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused.” said: “Our vital work on Sunday 20 October includes replacing worn-out concrete sleepers at Cheshunt junction while nearby we are using tamping machines to restore the line and level of the track Engineers will also replace a defective rail at a critical junction near Stansted Mountfitchet “We’re really sorry for the disruption but we’ll be working flat-out all day to help keep everyone’s journeys safe and reliable on this part of the network.” A man was hit by a train at Stansted Mountfitchet railway station on Tuesday morning (May 21) British Transport Police officers and Network Rail response units rushed to the scene Greater Anglia’s West Anglia line between the capital and Cambridge was blocked in both directions but soon after 8.30am the train operator announced that they had reopened As of 8.25am it had cancelled 17 services between London It said: “Following a person hit by a train earlier between Bishop’s Stortford and Stansted Airport “Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled Disruption is expected until 11:00 as we recover to our advertised timetable.” The latest cancelled services from Liverpool Street were the 08:58 to Cambridge North (due 10:22) and 09.25 Stansted Express to Stansted Airport (due 10:11) the 09:13 Cambridge North to Liverpool Street (due 10:45) was cancelled London Underground is still accepting Greater Anglia (GA) tickets at Liverpool Street and Kings Cross Great Northern is accepting GA ticket holders between Kings Cross and Cambridge and Thameslink is accepting them between Farringdon The West Anglia line used by train passengers in Bishop’s Stortford Sawbridgeworth and Stansted includes Great Britain’s busiest station and two of the region’s most frequently used The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) confirmed that London Liverpool Street station has retained its title as GB’s most used railway station in 2023-24 gaining more than 14 million entries and exits on the previous year to top 94.5 million entries and exits Bishop’s Stortford station recorded 2,806,012 entries and exits with 428,034 at Sawbridgeworth and 537,304 at Stansted Mountfitchet on the Breckland Line serving the Burnt Fen area of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk is the least busy station in the region – and second least busy in GB – with 70 entries and exits The ORR said the impact of Transport for London’s Elizabeth Line continued to “drive massive increases in station usage” with the latest stats being the first to show a whole year’s data After entering Britain’s top 10 for the first time in 2022-23 Tottenham Court Road (64.2m) leaps four places gaining just under 30 million entries and exits Paddington (66.9m) retains second place by adding six million going from 19th most used last year to ninth this year The busiest stations in England outside of London were Birmingham New Street (33.3m) Manchester Piccadilly (25.8m) and Leeds (24.9m) Denton in Greater Manchester is the least used station in Britain Residents living in mouldy council flats in Stansted are facing “a miserable Christmas” as promised repair work falls behind Tenants of the Manor Road buildings described efforts to improve their living conditions as “a constant battle” accusing housing authority Uttlesford District Council (UDC) of failing to ensure proper maintenance of the homes In the summer, the council said it took “all reports of damp and mould seriously” and had initiated a programme of works to repair leaking balconies and roofs at a cost of £770,000 A total of 20 flats – 11 housing council tenants and nine leasehold properties – are due to be repaired by next March But one leaseholder said: “We’re really not happy with the progress They’re so far behind in their repairs and people are facing a miserable Christmas.” A spokesperson for UDC denied the work had fallen behind schedule “The initial period of planning and budget assessments has now concluded and we’re pressing ahead to complete the works to the Manor Road flats,” they said “The current phase of work is on schedule – this has included balcony and roofing repairs as well as internal remedial work for damp and mould “We are keen to keep residents informed and have invited them to a meeting [on Tuesday December 10] where they can come and talk to the contractors and housing team to find out more about the project and to ask any questions they may have.” Staff at railway stations in the Bishop’s Stortford and Harlow area have launched an appeal to help families in food crisis this winter Donation points opened at Stansted Mountfitchet Harlow Mill and Harlow Town stations on Monday (October 28) for seven weeks Donated goods will be collected and sent to Stortford Other required items include sponge pudding coffee and long-life UHT milk can also be dropped off Pet food can be handed over at Stansted Mountfitchet station only with everything going to a local animal shelter a relief ticket office clerk at Sawbridgeworth and Stansted Mountfitchet stations and organiser of the event is also working on a staff raffle to add to the donations Customers gave more than 1,600 meals’ worth of food to the scheme in 2023 Much-needed extra items brought the final weight of donations to 684kg (107.7st) Mr King said: “The food banks across our area are incredible and make such a difference to those that need them in the towns we serve “It’s always amazing to see how much generosity our customers and staff have in making this such a success I was staggered to see how much we donated last year and I can’t wait to see how we do in 2024.” The initiative has been running since 2022 when customers and staff donated around 1,000 meals and 500kg worth of food hot water bottles and blankets to food banks just before Christmas Road works in the lower part of Stansted are set to continue for the next two months – with Grove Hill and part of Lower Street being shut at the same time for two weeks Motorists are warned of disruption due to utility firm Cadent continuing to carry out gas mains replacement work in the village The part of Lower Street that is currently closed from its junction with Chapel Hill to Grove Hill is due to reopen by Monday February 3 Grove Hill is shut for five weeks until Monday March 17 as Cadent progresses with its next phase The stretch of Lower Street from the Cork House to High Lane will be shut from Monday March 3 to Friday March 28 – which means that for the first two weeks both Grove Hill and this section of Lower Street will be closed at the same time Diversions via Chapel Hill and the B1383 Cambridge Road will continue Road works are also in progress along Church Road until February 28 A spokesman for Cadent said: “We started work in this part of Stansted at the end of July and moved along High Lane in a phased approach to keep disruption to a minimum The Lower Street section of work required a road closure and was paused until after Christmas Our programme has us working here until February 3 “This has all been agreed with the local authority and information about it shared locally “We will always complete our work as quickly and as safely as we can and we’d like to thank residents and businesses in the area for their patience throughout these essential works.” He added: “The work we are doing in Stansted is part of a much larger programme across the country to upgrade our older gas mains “Cadent has a responsibility to make sure every property that uses gas has access to it 24/7 Our gas mains replacement programme will see us install tough new pipes which will last for decades This futureproofs the local network and keeps thousands of homes warm Nearly 6,000 passengers using the train company that runs services to Bishop’s Stortford could be due for compensation after a landmark court ruling relating to alleged fare evasion It comes after the chief magistrate of England and Wales said that the single justice procedure (SJP) should never have been used to fast-track alleged offences which allows magistrates’ hearings to be held behind closed doors It said as many as 74,000 prosecutions could now be quashed Greater Anglia said the number of its customers affected was just under 6,000 A Greater Anglia spokesperson said: “Following the hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court we are now working to ensure all those who are entitled to compensation as a result of this procedural error are quickly and fully reimbursed we acted in good faith following introduction of the single justice procedure in 2016 but we apologise for using this process incorrectly.” Judge Goldspring declared six test cases void in his ruling It said a single magistrate ‘lacked jurisdiction’ to try purported fare-dodging offences and that any fines paid should be refunded while the number of cases to be quashed has not yet been determined Greater Anglia runs services from London Liverpool Street to Sawbridgeworth Bishop’s Stortford and Stansted Mountfitchet and the Stansted Express service to the airport as part of 1,300 intercity commuter and rural services a day to 134 stations throughout Hertfordshire Concern is growing among residents of Spencer Close in Stansted that an unoccupied house in the cul de sac off Chapel Hill deemed structurally unsafe is worsening Huge cracks appeared in the brickwork of the property earlier this month prompting Uttlesford District Council (UDC) to cordon it off and evacuate neighbouring homes the situation appears to have deteriorated cracks widened and fissures opened up on the forecourt Stansted parish and district councillor Geoffrey Sell said the results of a ground radar survey carried out by Affinity Water on Friday November 15 were still awaited He urged UDC to push the utility company for answers “We need Uttlesford to put pressure on Affinity Water to release their report as it’s causing a lot of uncertainty in Spencer Close especially as a number of residents have got properties on the market,” he said “The cracks seem to have got worse and are now also on the forecourt Two residents have returned to their homes but the barriers are still up [around the unoccupied home],” he said “We need to know what is the cause of the cracks and what can be done.” Another resident said on Sunday: “There’s been a lot of movement in the crack house over the past few hours since the winds picked up – I’m concerned it could fall down and it’s unclear what the risks are to other people’s property.” A spokesperson for Affinity said: “We are aware of an issue near our pumping station in Stansted Mountfitchet and have been supporting investigations to determine the source and cause groundwork operations at the site remain paused and we continue working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of our community.” A spokesperson for UDC said its building surveyor had been on site on Monday (Nov 25) and reported “no noticeable changes in condition since Friday” They added: “We have not yet seen the engineers’ investigatory report but are chasing it up.” Lower Street will be closed for four weeks in the new year as work to replace gas mains in Stansted continues Utility firm Cadent will resume its project on Monday (January 6) when Lower Street will be shut from the Chapel Hill roundabout to its junction with Grove Hill until February 3 This latest disruption to affect Stansted follows an 83-day closure of High Lane The phased work to upgrade gas pipes and “future-proof” the supply network had originally been expected to start in Lower Street in the run-up to Christmas but pressure from traders resulted in Cadent rescheduling its plans so as not to affect festive business The gas mains replacement project began in July A spokeswoman for Cadent said: “We are very conscious of the disruption road works cause and will remain in regular contact with the highways authority [Essex County Council] to keep them updated on our work which we will always complete as quickly and as safely as we can.” temporary traffic lights are in operation along Church Road until February 28 while Essex County Council’s highways team carries out repairs Airport bosses and Hertford and Stortford’s MP have welcomed the introduction of contactless payments for train passengers between London and Stansted The advent of tap-in tap-out technology was heralded by Transport Secretary Louise Haigh this week She confirmed travellers at 19 Greater Anglia stations including Bishop’s Stortford Sawbridgeworth and Stansted Mountfitchet will be able to pay for journeys with their contactless card or device Roydon and Stansted Airport will also be able to tap in and out at the beginning and end of their trips 45 stations operated by the Greater Anglia Chiltern and GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway) companies will benefit from the rollout next year Hertford and Stortford’s Josh Dean and other Labour MPs across East Anglia met Ms Haigh this week Mr Dean said: “This Government is committed to the biggest programme of reform to our railways in a generation cancellations and unreliable services across the country and getting rail travel back on track “It’s fantastic that we’re already beginning to see the benefits of this work in our community and I’m delighted that tap-in tap-out will be rolled out to Bishop’s Stortford and Sawbridgeworth stations in 2025 as part of this Government’s ambitious plans to put passengers at the heart of the railway more flexible rail travel for residents in our community making it easier for them to connect with opportunities for work A spokesman for Stansted Airport said: “We have been supportive of Stansted Express customers being able to use contactless to and from London Stansted for a number of years and are pushing for it to happen as soon as possible “We are the third largest airport in the London system and the second biggest gateway to the capital for European visitors “This makes us a major enabler of inbound tourism so more seamless rail travel between the airport and London Liverpool Street would dramatically improve our passengers’ experience.” Stansted Airport’s education centre is set to welcome its 25,000th visitor the Aerozone is hosting a party for 30 children from Stansted Mountfitchet secondary school Forest Hall on November 28 The aviation-themed facility welcomes children aged four to 18 engineering and mathematics) activities and workshops designed to engage and educate young visitors It is fully booked for the rest of the school year head of social sustainability for Stansted owner Manchester Airports Group (MAG) said: “We are immensely proud to reach this incredible milestone of 25,000 children visiting our Aerozone “The centre is a unique educational facility that continues to have a positive impact on young people supporting them to develop STEM skills and giving them an insight into the different career options across the aviation industry “The Aerozone sits alongside our other education and employment facilities including our on-site Employment Academy and Stansted Airport College “These trailblazing facilities complement our graduate and apprenticeship programmes to help people find work bridge the current skills gap and provide a pipeline of future talent.” The Aerozone is one of the areas featured in the airport’s latest annual CSR (corporate social responsibility) report which details Stansted’s work over the past year to benefit communities and the planet as well as the ambitious targets it has set for the future Marcella said: “We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and making a positive impact in the communities that we serve “We want to make sure our operations contribute to a greener and more sustainable future and continue to invest in projects and initiatives that support education MAG chief executive Ken O’Toole said: “Through the achievements we have published in our annual CSR report it is clear that creating a sustainable future for all is a central commitment at MAG “I am proud of the programmes and initiatives we continue to deliver on an annual basis as well as always finding new ways to enhance our work to decarbonise our sector inspire the next generation of aviation professionals and support our local communities “It is a testament to the hard work and enthusiasm of colleagues right across our group that we are able to offer such a comprehensive sustainability programme and for that approach to be independently recognised as at a five-star standard “It is clear to me that our business has the ability to make a real impact on the lives of young people who are exploring their career options and I look forward to continuing this work that will create a pipeline of young talented individuals starting work in the aviation sector “As we develop our new five-year CSR strategy we will continue to develop our commitment to sustainability to ensure that our industry can continue to thrive into the future.” The site of Stansted’s former youth centre has been sold and is set to be developed into a children’s nursery Busy Bees Nurseries Ltd and Riverstone Developments have submitted an application to Uttlesford District Council seeking change of use of the former 18th-century school building that became the village youth centre until the service relocated to Chapel Hill last year Essex County Council (ECC) put it up for sale for £800,000 in the autumn and revealed this week that it had now been sold A council spokesperson said: “The Stansted Mountfitchet Youth Centre building was sold last week to a private firm “We understand the site will be redeveloped and subject to the relevant planning permissions “The funds raised by Essex County Council via the sale will be reinvested into public services.” Stansted Parish Council will consider the application at its meeting at the Mountfitchet Exchange on Wednesday evening (June 12) along with plans for a refuse store cycle store and reconfiguration of the car park It will also take into account concerns raised by residents living nearby who while not opposed to the change of use have voiced fears about increased traffic and parking in an already congested area “Our concern with this application is the volume of traffic This part of Lower Street has residents’ parking which means the road is only wide enough for one car so if cars are leaving after drop-off and other cars are arriving This is going to cause chaos right through the village,” said a High Lane resident “Parking in the area is already at its utmost limits Resident parking for the cottages adjacent to this site is already overcrowded Although the empty dwelling would be good to be in use the parking situation needs to be thought of thoroughly,” commented a Lower Street resident Calls have been made for ECC to reinstate existing but worn double yellow lines extending them beyond the brook to enable room for turning and for the car park layout to be “properly marked out to encourage orderly parking and space utilisation” The site comprises two detached buildings covering 5,687sq ft (528 sq m) and currently has 17 car parking spaces In a planning statement submitted on behalf of the applicants to Uttlesford District Council which as the planning authority will decide on the proposals it said Busy Bees had chosen the location due to growing demand for a children’s nursery in the village It would have room to accommodate up to 80 children aged 0-five “Currently the only options for parents are pre-schools or nurseries that are open in term time only many parents need to travel to places like Bishop's Stortford to find a full-time all-year round nursery facility for their children the former youth centre provides the perfect opportunity to bring Busy Bees to Stansted it ensures this site continues to serve as a community facility and retains the historic educational purpose.” Home   Sport   Article Stansted Mountfitchet Social Club have been crowned North Essex Snooker League Four-Man Division champions after a nail-biting final match of the season They triumphed 3-1 at Widdington and nearest rivals Takeley could only draw as the squad of Martin Corbishley Dave Rose and Mark Smith claimed the title Stansted finished fifth in the Three-Man Division but stablemates Stansted Ex Newport - who also play home matches at the social club - beat Bishop’s Stortford Golf Club 4-2 to become champions Tom Sawyer and Jack Sawyer make up the Ex Newport team The Ex Newport side continued their good season by reaching the final of the League Cup where they lost 3-2 to Whittlesford with the Stansted team losing 3-2 at Saffron Walden in the last eight In the league’s singles and doubles tournaments Stansted continued to dominate the handicap doubles event as Corbishley and Smith triumphed after an all-Stansted final the previous season Corbishley continued his successful season by reaching the scratch plus singles final putting up a spirited performance before losing 3-1 It has proved to be another good season for Stansted with some fine individual performances together with the added highlight of five members of the two teams having had the opportunity to play a frame against legend Jimmy White Any club member wishing to play for one of the teams or just socially with any of the team players will be more than welcome Acclaimed Stansted director Peter Callow decided a Bishop’s Stortford tea room was the perfect set for a scene in his latest horror film who opened Archers Tea Room & Bistro in South Street with her husband Kevin at the end of 2022 from when both worked at Hockerill Anglo-European College some years ago She knew I’d opened the tea room and brought Pete along for lunch “Pete said he felt the tea room was an ideal venue for the café scenes and they asked if we might be interested in being involved in the film “It was decided Tuesday September 17 would be ideal as we’re not open that day “We were very pleased to be asked to be part of this film We’ve never been asked to do anything like this before and it was fascinating to see how a film is produced I even had a small speaking role myself as they needed someone as an extra for a quick ‘one line’ a former member of Bishop’s Stortford’s Water Lane Theatre Company stars Dune: Part 2 and Ted Lasso actress and former Holland’s Next Top Model winner Cecile Sinclair Silo’s Jasmine Imboden and Sesselia Olafs as Melody Jonsdottir who is the only survivor from the first film The Circle: Awakening tells the story of Laura Williams (Sinclair) Sessions with her psychotherapist unearth frightening memories a murder investigation led by newly appointed Detective Inspector Fiona Carter (Imboden) quickly escalates into a desperate manhunt A mysterious stranger arrives in the town with her own agenda that leads her to Laura Call the Midwife and EastEnders actress Rachel Lumberg plays Laura’s aunt Diane Williams who appeared in Cardiac Arrest and Peter’s latest film the multi-award-winning Four O’Clock Flowers who plays Dr Ian Peterson and Legacy actor Tony Curl Director and producer Peter has been filming at other locations in Bishop’s Stortford Quendon and Saffron Walden and using local talent as extras The Circle tells the story of a professor and four students who go on an archaeological expedition in a forest and is available on Prime Video is set in the aftermath of a violent knife crime and two mothers must face their feelings of loss Awards include Best Feature from UK Film Festival Best Actress from British Urban Film Festival Best Feature at Sydney Women’s International Film Festival and Best Feature at Worcester Film Festival News | Crime Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice CCTV footage captured the moment two armed men held up a service station with an imitation pistol and a knife with the pair later tracked down by police and jailed for their roles in the “frightening” incident In video footage, a man wearing a red face covering and black beanie hat points a firearm at a cashier and marches towards the counter of a service station in Stansted Mountfitchet wielding a knife and also with his face covered gestures to the cashier and drops an empty holdall over the counter The second man then leaps over the counter as the first continues to point the imitation handgun at the cashier Police ease restrictions on London pro-Palestine march following row with organisers Outrage as 'priceless' war memorial stolen from London park Painter who stoked fire outside asylum seeker hotel given nine-year prison sentence Man denies attempted murder of girl shot at Dalston restaurant The pair flee the premises with cigarettes worth more than £900 just two minutes after they arrived Essex Police said the men were captured on CCTV entering the service station in Cambridge Road at 10.35pm on September 27 last year The force said that one of the men – Grant Bolden – was identified following a CCTV appeal and that officers gathered further evidence through their investigations Essex Police said Bolden, 39, of Hunters Way, Saffron Walden, and 44-year-old Jack Knight of Flitch Green, Dunmow, both admitted to robbery at an earlier hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court The force said Knight was sentenced on March 7 to four-and-a-half years in prison and Bolden was sentenced on May 9 to seven years in prison Police said Bolden was also sentenced for separate offences committed in May 2023 – making threats with a knife and a racially aggravated public order offence having become aggressive when asked to pay a taxi fare Essex Police said Knight was seen to point a firearm at the cashier Officers who searched his home recovered a black handgun – later established to be an air gun – matching the description of the weapon used in the offence Clothing worn by Knight and Bolden while they committed the offence was also recovered Accomplice Bolden brandished a knife as he leapt over the counter to demand money and cigarettes The footage shows the pair leave the shop taking cigarettes worth more than £900 with them The force issued a CCTV appeal in October last year and Bolden was identified as one of the people pictured Bolden called police to confirm he was one of the people pictured in the appeal but at that stage denied being a part of any robbery offence including analysis of the clothes the suspects were seen to wear identified both Bolden and Knight as the perpetrators Analysis of mobile phones attributed to the pair showed incriminating messages further revealing their involvement texts on a phone attributed to Bolden saw a number of packets of cigarettes offered up for sale of Essex Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit said: “This was a deeply unsettling and frightening incident for the victim who had no reason to believe the pistol pointed at their head wasn’t a viable firearm “Knight and Bolden used weapons to target a service station all in the name of stealing cash and cigarettes “The seriousness of their offending was matched by the determination of our team to find them and bring them to justice “We were able to irrefutably link both offenders to this offence leaving them with no choice but to plead guilty “They will both rightly spend a considerable term behind bars.” Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Royals watch historic flypast as huge crowds turns out for VE Day 80th anniversary  Royals watch historic Red Arrows flypast for VE Day 80th anniversary Stacey Solomon 'regrets doing reality show with Joe Swash' for tough reason Stacey Solomon 'regrets reality show with Joe Swash' for tough reason Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin When 100-year-old former pupil Joan Grose visited her old school in Sawbridgeworth she was amazed to see that although it was bigger some things were still the same – 96 years after she first walked through its doors The centenarian revealed to staff at her care home in Stansted she was keen to go back to Fawbert and Barnard Infants Joan started at the Knight Street school in 1928 – when George V was King Herbert Hoover succeeded Calvin Coolidge as US president and John Logie Baird demonstrated the world’s first colour TV transmission Her favourite subjects included reading and writing The team from Care UK’s Mountfitchet House home in Stansted arranged for her to tour the school and meet a group of children to share her experiences as well as learn about how things have changed Joan was able to look through the old school registers to find herself as well as her brother After the visit she said: “It was amazing to see so many little smiley faces – one little boy said I was ‘magical’ for being 100 “I was speechless at how big the school was and amazed to see they still have the original gates for boys and girls where we used to line up.” The special outing was part of the home’s Wishing Tree initiative which encourages residents to put forward wishes allowing them to reconnect with a past career or try something completely new – from enjoying a fish and chip supper to flying a plane said: “Joan loves to talk about her memories from her schooldays so when she shared that she was interested in revisiting her old primary school “I’d like to extend a big thank you to the team here at Mountfitchet House and to Fawbert and Barnard Infants for a fantastic day and for making Joan’s wish come true.” Stansted’s popular Music in the Park festival is set to return for its 21st year on Saturday (July 6). The event is run and hosted by Bentfield County Primary School’s parent teacher association (PTA). A programme of musical entertainment, games and food kicks off at 1pm and runs through until 8pm. Over the years, the festival has raised tens of thousands of pounds for the Rainsford Road primary, funding equipment for its 210 pupils, including specialist items for the 24 children with special needs in its care. Last year’s event raised a record £12,000. This year’s music line-up is The Jjarrs, Indigo Star, JDS Acoustic Band, Industrial Language, The Atoms, No Difference and DJ Fran, all of whom perform for free. There will be a barbecue, coffee bar and two ice cream vans, face painting and a glitter bar, and a host of games and inflatables for children of all ages. A new attraction this year is a football target game with a top prize of a place at a Football Fun Factory camp. Marshall Fire Ltd, of Takeley, is new to sponsoring the event this year. Managing director Steve Marshall, who two of his three daughters attend the school, said: “We take great pride in being part of the positive and nurturing community at Bentfield. This partnership aligns perfectly with our values of supporting local initiatives and we’re delighted to see Bentfield Primary’s dedication to their pupils.” Tracy Mutch, co-chair of the PTA’s Music in the Park sub-committee, welcomed their involvement: “Marshall Fire are one of our biggest sponsors this year. Their generosity means a huge amount to us as more of the money raised will be going straight back into the school. “Money raised by the PTA helps provide the additional funds that are so desperately needed. It’s lovely to be able to have them as part of our school community.” Tickets for the event can be bought from the school office, the Dog and Duck pub in Lower Street or Intercounty in Cambridge Road. were captured on CCTV entering the shop in Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex at 10.35pm on 27 September last year Knight pointed a handgun at the cashier as he advanced towards the counter while accomplice Bolden brandished a knife as he leapt over the counter to demand money and cigarettes The pair left the shop just two minutes later taking cigarettes worth more than £900 with them a CCTV appeal was issued on 17 October and Bolden was identified as one of the people pictured He then called police himself to confirm it was him - but denied being part of any robbery Police were able to prove the identity of the perpetrators by analysing the clothes they were wearing and the pair's mobile phones also revealed incriminating messages referring to packets of cigarettes up for sale Both men were arrested on 20 October when warrants were executed officers found a black handgun – later established to be an air gun – matching the description of the weapon used in the offence Clothing worn by Knight and Bolden during the offence was also recovered They each admitted a charge of robbery at Chelmsford Crown Court was jailed for four-and-a-half years when he appeared before a judge on 7 March Bolden was also sentenced for separate offences committed in May 2023 – making threats with a knife and a racially aggravated public order offence he became aggressive and abusive when asked to pay the fare and held a large knife to the driver’s face before making a racist remark.Det Sgt David Crane said: “This was a deeply unsettling and frightening incident for the victim all in the name of stealing cash and cigarettes." He added: “They will both rightly spend a considerable term behind bars." Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know The state of Uttlesford District Council’s (UDC) housing stock in Stansted has been labelled “despicable” by angry councillors The quartet who represent the village on UDC – Conservatives Ray Gooding and Nick Church and Liberal Democrats Alan Dean and Geoffrey Sell – have united in protest at the authority’s failure to properly maintain its Manor Road block of flats And work at another property on the Mountfitchet estate by UDC’s housing maintenance contractor had resulted in blocked access to another house At Stansted Parish Council’s meeting last Wednesday (Oct 2) members agreed on a vote of no confidence in UDC leader Cllr Petrina Lees the portfolio holder for housing Cllr Arthur Coote and chief executive Peter Holt MP Kemi Badenoch has been asked to step in to persuade the Secretary of State for Housing It follows concerns raised by one of the leaseholders who claims his tenants have suffered health problems and electrical damage as a result of mould and water ingress He showed the Indie videos taken by residents in which water can be seen running through light fittings in the ceiling He claimed the authority had repeatedly ignored calls for action over the past 10 years Mr Deane-Bowers addressed the parish council meeting pleading for help in seeking compensation and for the flats to be condemned “Tenants have been suffering for more than 10 years and shouldn’t just be moved on but should be receiving compensation,” he said “We need an independent inquiry into this because there have been some pretty poor decisions and there is no remedy Uttlesford have kicked the can down the road.” The meeting agreed to support the residents’ views that remedial action carried out by UDC and its housing contractor Norse had been insufficient and backed its four district members in calling for funding to be included in UDC’s capital programme for 2025-26 to work towards a complete regeneration of the Manor Road flats The issue was due to come up at yesterday’s (Tuesday) full council meeting at UDC Cllr Sell said: “We are jointly of the view that redevelopment is the only option for these flats They’ve spent money trying to fix it and it hasn’t worked and we have some of the most vulnerable people in the community living in these flats “Very rarely do the four councillors in Stansted act as a collective body Cllr Gooding said he read with some “scepticism” a notice detailing expenditure on the flats from UDC chief executive Peter Holt too late and throwing good money after bad,” he said Cllr Dean added: “An independent review might be the way forward as in my 38 years on Uttlesford this is the worse situation I have come across A statement from UDC said its position had not changed: “We are looking at all options for this block of flats however the current priority is to carry out a programme of works to remove the cause of the damp and mould issues and to bring the living conditions back to a safe and healthy standard.” Stansted Airport bosses are pressing the Government to double Stansted Express train services operator Greater Anglia runs a service every 30 minutes compared with four an hour before the Covid-19 pandemic A report to the Stansted Airport Consultative Committee's latest meeting from management said: "We are continuing to press the Department for Transport (DfT) to restore four trains per hour on the Stansted Express "As we near pre-pandemic passenger volumes it is important that we see the old four-trains-per-hour timetable restored to deliver a reliable "The DfT has continued to be vague about the criteria for restoring four trains per hour on the Stansted Express and when we are likely to see this occur." Journeys to Tottenham Hale take 36 minutes while London Liverpool Street is reached in 50 minutes As passenger numbers at the airport have increased the half-hourly trains currently running are frequently full when they leave the airport A Greater Anglia spokeswoman told the Indie: "We are working with Stansted Airport to ensure we provide the appropriate service level for customers travelling to and from the airport by rail "We are also discussing future service levels to help decide the points at which additional services could be introduced subject to approval from the Department for Transport "We are currently running more than half of our pre-pandemic Stansted Express services we have more seats available than before the pandemic so the present service level generally copes well with the current demand "Travelling by rail between Stansted Airport and London remains the fastest way to travel to and from the airport and is great value too." The committee was told rail strikes have also affected access to Stansted for passengers and airport workers a free shuttle bus was operated so employees from North London could get to the terminal the airport is working with coach operators to ensure adequate provision to satisfy demand A wild duck has led her brood of nine babies into the safety of Stansted's Mountfitchet Castle to the delight of young visitors the mother hatched her ducklings on a nearby river bank before deciding to relocate them to the safer confines of the historic Norman village she is free to wander and feed her youngsters chickens and peacocks and human visitors of all ages "The ducklings have become very tame and are now having visitors and schoolchildren hand-feed them "We hope that Winnie and her babies make Mountfitchet Castle their permanent home." Email us at newsdesk@bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk weekends or time during the day to join Stansted's fire crew will be "giving back to the community" That is according to station watch manager Claire Harrington who said it was great to be part of the team enjoying a job that was different every day The crew has been busy promoting the role in the village over the past few weeks in a bid to find its next generation of firefighters setting up outside Tesco Express in Cambridge Road and the Co-op in Lower Street Said Claire: "We're looking for recruits who live in Stansted within a five-minute run of the station who can give their time every day is different and you never know what you're going to respond to it's giving back to the community and being part of a team." It requires at least four people on one fire appliance to respond to emergency calls so building a team of people who can respond at different times of the day would be particularly useful response from the public had been really positive with several people undergoing fitness tests with the service to see if they can progress further To find out more you can visit the station in Chapel Hill on Thursday evenings from 7.30pm to 9.30pm, where the crew will be happy to talk to you. Alternatively, visit www.essex-fire.gov.uk/join-essex-fire used an imitation firearm and a knife to rob a service station in Stansted Mountfitchet They have been jailed for a combined 11 years. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Greater Anglia is asking customers to help test its new help point at Stansted Mountfitchet railway station The train operator is using AI (artificial intelligence) technology to ensure passengers get the answers they need quickly will supplement teams who staff the help points freeing up operators to deal with more complex queries The system will also automatically transfer to an operator if anyone says they need assistance or help in emergencies Users can also press the green emergency button The new system can be updated as it evolves with additional features such as giving more information Greater Anglia's head of customer experience said: "We'd love customers to put the help points to the test by asking them questions and letting us know what they think of them "We're always listening to our customers and this innovative AI system has been developed based on their feedback "It will make our help points better for our customers particularly at our unstaffed stations and when the connection may not be 100% clear or answered as quickly as customers always need and there's always the option to talk to one of our customer service agents if needed." Henry Riley is Leading Britain's Conversation Two armed robbers have been jailed for stealing from a service station using a fake gun and a knife robbed a petrol station in Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex on September 27 last year CCTV shows Knight holding up an airgun while Bolden brandishes a knife and jumps behind the counter The pair then made off with £900 worth of cigarettes Police issued an appeal and Bolden was identified as one of the suspects He called officers to say that was him in the appeal Read more: Flamboyantly-dressed armed robber jailed after being spotted the next day wearing 'distinctive suit' Read more: Moment armed robber threatens shop workers with gun in north London Tesco Text messages sent by the pair - including one from Bolden trying to sell the cigarettes for a "bargain" price of £300 - incriminated them further and Knight's imitation gun was seized Both admitted robbery at Chelmsford Crown Court Knight was jailed for four-and-a-half years and Bolden was given seven years Bolden was also found guilty of two separate offences - making threats with a knife and a racially aggravated public order offence He had threatened a taxi driver with a knife and called them a racist term Detective Sergeant David Crane of Essex Police said: “This was a deeply unsettling and frightening incident for the victim “They will both rightly spend a considerable term behind bars when fairly asked to pay for a taxi he had ordered Bolden instead felt it acceptable to draw a knife and threaten the driver “He then subjected the victim to abusive and racist language before exiting the taxi without paying the fare “I hope each victim feels able to draw some sense of closure and justice from our investigation and today’s sentence.” See more More Latest News See more Latest News See more The News Explained See more Royals See more Highlights & Opinion See more More Topics Stansted’s former youth centre in Lower Street is being sold by Essex County Council (ECC) for £800,000 with the potential for residential development of the site is redundant after the youth service moved into new premises at the former Peter Kirk School building off Chapel Hill earlier this year Lambert Smith Hampton is handling the commercial sale on behalf of ECC It says the property comprises two detached buildings covering 5,687sq ft (528 sq m) and currently has 17 car parking spaces A statement from ECC said: “Following the relocation of youth service in the area to the new Stansted Youth Centre at the Peter Kirk building the Stansted Mountfitchet Youth Centre building is no longer needed for youth provision “Essex County Council has placed the property on the market Offers are invited in excess of £800,000 for the freehold interest with vacant possession “The site will be sold without any restrictive covenants so a buyer will be able to utilise the site as they see fit This is of course subject to complying with any necessary planning requirements.” Stansted Parish Council had been in discussion with Legacy East Almshouse Partnership (LEAP) over purchasing the site for almshouses but the organisation had "declined" the site because of the bank behind and age of the building despite it being in the centre of the village ECC said funds from the sale would be reinvested into public services local residents in the area have complained that the new cabinet is an “eyesore” that has “ruined an attractive area of mature trees near a bench that people enjoy sitting on.” Furthermore the cabinet is said to have been installed on council (public) land without prior consultation either of local residents or the parish council itself they also want the ISP to move the cabinet to a less conspicuous spot behind the bench Gigaclear is said to have offered an apology along with unspecified mitigating measures although the council has rejected the latter “It’s another example of large corporate organisations feeling they can ride roughshod over parish councils It’s an eyesore and loss of amenity for the community in a restful spot Gigaclear has offered an apology along with mitigating measures…they say removing it would be too costly.” If at this point you’re reading the article Over the years we’ve reported on plenty of cases where network operators have deployed street cabinets incorrectly But placing a broadband cabinet on a regular public grass verge it is a nice-ish spot (if you like views of a main road) and Gigaclear could have perhaps put it further back but at the same time we’ve seen thousands of other cabinets positioned in the same way broadband cabinets are usually deployed under Permitted Development (PD) rights which means that Gigaclear do not need permission before conducting such deployments The reason why it’s done this way is because otherwise local authorities could significantly delay the rollout of new broadband networks and add extra costs which would also result in fewer premises being covered (often disproportionately impacting rural communities) The rules were relaxed precisely so that operators could deploy in a way that would enable full fibre cables to reach as many premises as possible We’ve asked Gigaclear to comment and will report back once one arrives although it doesn’t clarify what mitigations they proposed to the council “We have been in contact with Stansted Mountfitchet Parish Council following the incorrect siting of one of our cabinets in the village We are currently exploring a number of options in order to rectify the matter Gigaclear is currently rolling out its full fibre broadband network in the village as part of its £150 million infrastructure investment in rural Essex.” Law needs to be changed and proper planning proposals should be in place I hope they get the £25k as often these cabinets arent planned in the correct places to start off with cabinets can be plonked in some bizzare locations but you can’t honestly look at that picture & pretend that they’ve somehow made a massive cockup It’s right next to a main road and not harming anybody by it’s position You could even camouflage it with some paint or texture patterns If the council care so dearly about the local wildlife and nature then they’d apply for the road to be dug up & closed for good a small(ish) inconspicuous box will obviously be the thing that spoils the view – certainly not the hundreds of vehicles driving past on a daily basis or the 20 minute traffic jam on a rainy day Perhaps better with pictures https://www.bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk/news/council-demands-25-000-compensation-over-eyesore-broadban-9320402/ “The mitigating measures are unacceptable and we should recommend the junction box’s removal to a less conspicuous space… move it to an area behind the bench masked by vegetation and to make good the area and provide the council with £25,000 for the loss of amenity and failure to consult properly how on earth do you determine £25k for a “loss of amenity” They are also not obliged to consult properly enshrined in law (beyond goodwill and safety etc.) to be honest it just sounds like a mafia shakedown “we object because the council pension fund hasn’t got enough leftover for the Christmas party!” Although oddly it appears Gigaclear are admitting their may have been a siting error in this particular case Put some green wrap on it and it’ll be fine but is it really so hard to find somewhere slightly more discrete to plop a cabinet I assume Gigaclear need 2 or 3 cabinets to cover the village which is a shame because if they just needed the one location I notice the Parish Council offices in the centre of town have a huge car park and plenty of space where such a cabinet would be barely noticed The parish council have made a mistake by asking for money Perhaps if they had politely asked whether it could be moved or disguised Pathetic bunch of chancers from the sound of it Gigaclear should leave them with no internet These jokers along with the ones that complain about masts ruining scenery are why we’re so behind when it comes to digital infrastructure Couldn’t agree more about Gigaclear not providing internet,you only have to look at the houses in Five Acres,snobs the lot of them.Parish council is trying it on,you could easily plant a few shrubs around the cabinet to screen it,cost less than a £100 They are a stange lot putting a bench looking at B Road Note the street cabinet dosn’t even obstruct amazing views from bench of that beautiful B Road I could understand if the bench was next to a bus stop but dosn’t look like there one near by I hope Gigaclear do not roll over on this one would be a very bad precedent to set for other parish councils trying to have a claim up Its for reasons like this 25% of the country is shafted with slow internet access They should see the crazy cabling around the world and maybe realise a little cabinet next to a road is really a minor inconvenience at most I’d happily have one on the corner of my road (which I’m really near) if it gave me decent access @FlameHenry so considering just how FTTP actually works they have their OLTs in exchanges rather than roadside In Gigaclear’s case they could put the cabinet in a less obvious spot and paint it green @AlexA Well maybe if Giga Clear were allowed to build their own telephone exchanges across the country they would have that ability available to them so I’ll change and state any Alt Net has to use a street cab I doubt they plan to have their networks run to exchanges so they can pay Open Reach the privilege of renting space to them They could do and then increase costs on everyone If they move the cab back then you have to face the tree roots and pay a fine if you read the article you will see they offered workarounds which I imagine included paining it a different colour And at the end of the day nothing Giga Clear has done is wrong here as per planning laws I’d say they just leave the village and they don’t get FTTP You can’t just plan a network installation so boxes look pretty “Well maybe if Giga Clear were allowed to build their own telephone exchanges across the country they would have that ability available to them.” Cityfibre are doing exactly that with their FEXs I doubt they plan to have their networks run to exchanges so they can pay Open Reach the privilege of renting space to them.” Netomnia (YouFibre) are doing exactly that “If they move the cab back then you have to face the tree roots and pay a fine” You can put it in a completely different spot This isn’t like FTTC cabs in which their position really matters They could have found a car park and put it there “You can’t just plan a network installation so boxes look pretty.” You can design the network to reduce impact Gigaclear’s other ICEE made cabinets take much less space Gigaclear have stopped painting them green there are other news stories of big grey ones The people who are impacted are your potential customers being considerate with the network design and construction can go a long way… I have no issue with networks using cabinet OLTs and the £25k fine is insane but Gigaclear could be doing a better job On a side note Gigaclear’s recent Google reviews are interesting… Parish councils are not responsible for planning Parish councils are usually made up of crusty old toss pots who know sweet FA about anything but it’s very likely the parish council is just like Handforth They are probably due a visit from Jackie Weaver The only real issue I can see here is that the cabinet *could* be argued to restrict visibility of the junction for traffic but that could have been easily solved by putting it closer to the trees As for the visual intrusion of the cabinet it would be very easy to build some sort of wooden housing for it which will age naturally and then blend into the environment very nicely Nonsense like this is why it takes years to get anything done in this country and why in many cases roadworks companies usually just do the absolute minimum – if you’re going to get grief for what you do either way there is no incentive to make a real effort Putting it closer to the trees means damage to tree roots and a fine from the council though Looking at the photos in the article someone else posted it’s set back far enough that view of the junction isn’t affected Painting it grey instead of green was probably the biggest mistake cover the council’s costs in enforcing this and then the balance can go to local residents as connection vouchers That will at least reduce the appearance of a money grab of some arbitrary figure The body that has enforcement powers (the local authority) is not complaining here The Parish Council’s costs are zero as they have no power and the time they spent arguing this at their meeting is literal all those grey heads have left to live for they should have of consulted with the council Surely they have the legal right to demand it is moved Re-read the article (or read all of it for the first time) I’ll travel there personally and spray it green I’ll provide my bank details for the £25,000 depost Gigaclear should remove the cabinet with immediate effect and restore the grass I can make space for it in my roadside garden in Belper A 1 gbps fibre FTTP will be adequate compensation Some council prat need a bonus for a new kitchen extension or something It’s a parish council (the ones who put up benches bins and the like) so it’s volunteers Some parish councils actually employ people Asking them to paint it green so it stands out less and move it towards the trees rather rather the roads would be reasonable It’s a parish council so any action by gigaclear would be good faith and working with the community You would’ve thought that the parish council would’ve bothered looking up permitted development before making this fuss We have laws that specify the level of fine for each offence You don’t get a £25k fine for breaching planning rules I personally think such NIMBYs should be disallowed access to whatever it is they NIMBY about Those that sign should be rewarded with a 50% increase to their energy bill Permitted Development means you don’t need planning permission it doesn’t mean that you can install equipment without asking the landowner first Bit misleading to use a photo of the site with just the base in place and not the actual cabinet but Gigaclear haven’t exactly done a good job either If the cabinet were green and sited further back They could have easily prevented this by covering it in rainbow flags also it could be painted Green like BT cabs and would blend in a lot better I guess they could move it back 5 or 10 feet’s and then you’ll have the trees roots to deal with So I say they need to live with it if they want any fibre broadband in their village Otherwise maybe Gigaclear can not install it and they can wait for Open Reach to install FTTP in several years time if they are lucky it seems they are usually the ones sat on Parish Councils thinking they run everything still no I don’t think Gigaclear is classed as a giant corporation it needs few more million customers to reach that level Usual busy body interest g retired folk ruining everyone’s else’s lives because they like pretty views of main roads and traffic Gigaclear sited this in a position they were asked not to The business of rolling out FTTP is meant to improve amenities and quality of life and shouldn’t be coming at the expense of the environment enjoyed by locals I guess its just a way to fleece another company The local authority hasn’t made an issue of it and 15 parish councillors for a population of just over 6000 I don’t understand what’s with these folks Don’t we have enough local government The 6000 really need 15 parish councillors to go on top of the regular councillors those of us not in parishes have to get by with Don’t have much sympathy for the council in this particular case but have to say that Gigaclear (and/or their civils subs) have some form for dumb cab placement In our village they initially put one on the edge of the only passing place in 500yards of busy single track lane and another outside the village shop with daily truck deliveries Predictable result was both uprooted within weeks resulting in lots of resiting rework and further disruptive road closures fragile plastic POTs on narrow road margins (more rework to replace with proper ductile steel units) and you have to question their level of planning although maybe explains some of their off-the-scale cost per premises passed… they could have least asked Gigaclear if there’s any chance of moving it onto the verge around the corner on the B1883 which is just overgrown foliage and not in anyone’s way Instead they go in heavy handed and insisted on compo under dubious grounds Gigaclear should have told them that if they don’t want FTTP than there’s plenty of others across the UK who would be falling over themselves to get FTTP Gigaclear certainly shouldn’t be paying blackmail ransoms to NIMBY councils Comments RSS Feed A mummy duck has made herself at home in the grounds of the ancient settlement By InYourArea Community · 19 June 2022 Winnie brought her babies into the castle after hatching her eggs in the undergrowth nearby A reconstructed medieval castle and Norman settlement has unexpectedly become home to a family of ducks Mummy duck, Winnie - now fondly known as Winnie the wild waddler - has joined the animals at Mountfitchet Castle in Stansted Essex - along with her partner Stanley and their adorable baby ducklings Winnie brought her nine babies into the castle and made it their new home after hatching her eggs in the undergrowth nearby She frequents the shop several times a day with her babies as they waddle in through the main entrance saunter through the shop and step outside into the castle have happily welcomed Winnie and her brood as they all roam freely throughout the castle grounds The ducklings have become very tame and are happily allowing visitors and school children to hand feed them Having spent all week showing off her babies it is hoped that Winnie decides to make Mountfitchet Castle her permanent home For more information about Mountfitchet Castle and their animals, visit: mountfitchetcastle.com Get all the latest news, updates, things to do and more from Stansted's dedicated InYourArea feed LoadingDaily Email Updates {{contentTitle}} Stansted’s resident peacock is to be honoured in the new name of the soon-to-be rebranded chemist in the village is a familiar sight wandering around in the village which has finalised the lease takeover of Stansted Pharmacy in Lower Street “We have thought long and hard about a new name for our pharmacy,” said the surgery in a statement “We have decided – in honour of Percy and his peacock posse at Stansted Mountfitchet Castle – to name the new pharmacy Peacock Pharmacy “We are working behind the scenes on new signage The chemist will begin dispensing on November 1 It follows years of campaigning for a second dispensing pharmacy to serve the lower half of the village only Boots the Chemist in Cambridge Road has been able to hand out prescribed medication Residents and councillors in Stansted have slammed Essex Highways for removing street signage aimed at deterring airport fly parking Homeowners in Diary Lane – where the sign provided by Stansted Airport in conjunction with Stansted members of Uttlesford District Council (UDC) was placed on a lamppost – are furious that their road has been left vulnerable once again to nuisance parkers The sign was taken away by contractors working for Essex County Council (ECC) in mid-March Uttlesford district councillor Ayub Khan (Stansted South & Birchanger) said that residents were furious and he had received no word from ECC as to why the sign had been removed or if it would be replaced they're proper signage and Essex has given no response as to why they've done it and given no response about whether they're going to replace it or not," he said "Residents were really happy to finally have the signage in Dairy Lane because they're hampered not only by airport fly parking but by commuter parking as well close to Stansted Mountfitchet railway station Nearby estates Mountfitchet Green and Forest Hall Park have also benefited from the signage.