HUNDREDS of young and young-at-heart visitors let off steam at Langford's Museum of Power.

The former pumping station, whose steam engines once pumped up to eight million gallons of treated water every day, celebrated its final open weekend of the season in fine style.

Visitors saw its giant working steam engine, which was brought back into action last year, 50 years after the waterworks shut, and there were working power displays, Edwardian workshops, and riverside nature trails – but the most popular attraction was the miniature steam railway.

Former Royal Navy helicopter pilot John Dines, a self-taught model steam train builder, took time out from driving them around the seven acre woodland site, to explain his latest project.

Mr Dines said: "Although we have a number of engines on site, our railway volunteers are currently working hard to complete a K1 engine.

"It's around one third the size of the originals, which worked on narrow gauge tracks in Tasmania, and weighs one and a half tonnes, making it the heaviest steamer at Langford.

"The K1 was started as a retirement project by a man who sadly died three years ago. Now we are on track to complete his dream in about a year's time."

One of the youngest visitors at the weekend, 20-month-old Edward King, was keen to weigh himself on a set of scales.

Parents Lisa and Gary, of Tiptree, discovered their son was a strapping 11 kilos.

Lisa said: "We love to come here because there is lots to see and Edward especially likes to ride on the choo-choo trains."

Another young fan of the museum is Jack Smith, six, whose grandparents live in Hatfield Peverel. Mum Tara, of Ipswich, said: "We've been here loads of times and like to combine it with visiting my parents."

Museum chairman Dick Waylen appealed for volunteers to help the charity, which leases the redundant pumping station from Essex & Suffolk Water.

He said: "We've got a hard core of about 40 volunteers, many of them engineers, but we would like to recruit those who don't want to get their hands dirty.

"Helping to show people around the museum, or serving behind the counter in our lovely new tea room, is just as vital."

Mr Waylen said the recent addition of an 8m x 12m metal storage building would enable volunteers to "spruce up" the grounds, and get rid of unsightly shipping containers.

"We have been generously helped to buy the expensive building by the Essex Heritage Trail."

The museum is now preparing for its Christmas train ride attraction, the Santa Special, on December 9, which must be pre-booked.

Visitors will be able to let off steam in a different way when tea dances begin next month.

Museum manager Susan Hastings-Herbert, who designed the tea room with its pre-war décor, said the dances would begin with DJs spinning old 78s, progressing to include big bands.

She added: "The Tea Room is sited in the former machine shop and has lots of atmosphere, but we could also hold our dances in the generator hall, which has more room."

CHELMSFORD is set for a royal visit after winning city status earlier in the year.

Princess Anne will fly in by helicopter to congratulate the county's only city, it emerged this week.

After Chelmsford's achievement, bestowed by the Queen to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee earlier this year, the Chronicle launched a campaign to persuade Her Majesty to visit her new city.

We sent 700 letters and pictures to Buckingham Palace from the borough's primary schoolchildren and collected a 1,000-strong petition to urge the monarch to make the short trip to Essex.

Sadly, the Queen was too busy to come to Chelmsford so, instead, she sent her only daughter, Princess Anne.

"Clearly the Chronicle plumped for the Queen but Princess Anne does a great deal of work and it will be an honour to welcome her to the new city of Chelmsford," said City Council leader Roy Whitehead.

The horse-loving royal will visit Hylands House on November 29 to attend a formal reception. She will arrive in Chelmsford around lunchtime after making a fleeting visit to Clacton, before travelling on to Brentwood.

STATE-OF-THE-ART tracking collars are being attached to cows as part of ground-breaking research at Writtle College.

An £820,000 Government grant has been awarded to the agricultural college in Lordship Road, Writtle, and its partner, Essex University, for the project, which they claim could save the UK dairy industry millions of pounds.

Next month, the first herd of Essex dairy cows will have the small tracking devices placed round their necks.

Data collected from the devices – which are no bigger than the smallest mobile phone – will be analysed to spot the differences in behaviour of healthy and unhealthy cows, so diseases can be detected early.

The idea for the project came from Dr Jonathan Amory, principal lecturer in Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Writtle.

He said: "We need new indicators of welfare for our animals and technology is moving on fast and what we could not do five to ten years ago, we can now.

"Traditionally, a farmer would monitor the health of his cows personally, but that is impossible with the larger commercial herds of today.

"These devices are small and communicate with each other every few seconds. They send signals to collecting devices which send back vast quantities of data which we use to monitor changes in the individual cow's behaviour and the social interaction of the herd as a whole.

"From this, we aim to produce equations for the onset of disease and other welfare issues."

The aim is to reduce sickness in cows, which costs the UK dairy industry £100 million a year.

The grant is the largest in the latest round to be awarded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

Dr Amory added: "We are the only institution of this size to receive such a large grant.

"It has enabled us to pay for two post-doctoral students to work on the 39-month project."

Dr Amory is working with a colleague at Essex University, biological mathematician Dr Edd Codling, who will analyse the data. Scientists from Exeter University and The Royal Veterinary College are also involved.

In the third year, Devon herds will be used to take into account regional differences.

THE family of a teenager who is in a coma after hitting his head in a play area are campaigning for the park to be shut.

Sam Richards, of Mundon Road, Maldon, banged his head on a piece of wood after falling off a spinning rope ride at the Oak Tree Meadow play site, opposite Tesco, in Heybridge, just over a week ago.

As the 16-year-old Plume Academy pupil lies in a coma at Queen's Hospital, Romford, his distraught family want action to be taken to stop another accident like this happening again.

"It's really horrible that my brother is lying in hospital," said Sam's 18-year-old sister Amy.

"The whole family are at his bedside every day, everyone is trying to stay strong and be positive for Sam, but it's really awful.

"Sam is such a popular, fun person and loads of his friends from school have been to visit him, I think we had four car-loads one day.

"I've heard from lots of people about accidents that have happened at that park and I really want to highlight how dangerous it is.

"I want it to be closed.

"Because people haven't reported incidents to the council, they don't know how many have happened, so I really want people to come forward."

Sam, who was with friends at the park on September 28, was rushed to hospital with serious head injuries.

His mum has been at his bedside since the accident.

"My mum has been staying at a Premier Inn every night to be near Sam," added Amy, also a student at Plume Academy.

"It's good to talk to people in a coma, so that's what we've been doing.

"The doctors told us to prepare for the worst. But then, just this week, he started to move his hands and eyes, his eyes aren't focusing but it's good news.

"We just couldn't believe it, that's so Sam – he's not going to give up.

"But the doctor has said there will most likely be some degree of brain damage, but they won't know how much yet, or what will be affected.

"It's really horrible because our mum was just starting up her own events company and now she'll probably have to be a full-time carer."

Sam, who also has a 19-year-old brother, Luke, and younger sister, Maisie, was studying graphics, media and art.

"We don't want another accident like this to happen to anyone and think the park should be closed," said Amy.

If you have had an accident at Oak Tree Meadow play area, call the Chronicle news desk on 01245 602718.

SEEING a potential for "even greater things" is what attracted the new head teacher of a high achieving Brentwood school to the role.

Richard Wilkin took over the helm of Brentwood Ursuline Catholic High School at the start of this term and is quickly getting to know staff, pupils and the daily routines.

Having spent most of his teaching career working in Catholic schools, Mr Wilkin was immediately interested in the vacancy at the Queens Road school.

Mr Wilkin told the Gazette: "I was attracted by a number of things; the tradition of the school, the vibrant music and arts dimension and its excellent reputation.

"When I came to visit I was immediately impressed by the number of activities going on.

"I saw straight away that this school has a very hard-working staff and potential for even greater things.

"In essence I want to continue doing the things we do well and for which we have a good reputation.

"I think that the academic results that we achieve already put us into the top bracket of schools but naturally there is always room to be better.

"I want to ensure teaching at the Ursuline is of the highest possible quality so our students can achieve to the best of their abilities.

"I want our academic life to be very strong.

"I want the music and arts life of the school to be very strong and I want to continue offering girls the best possible education so they can be leaders in society."

The school selects 10 per cent of its intake on musical ability and Mr Wilkin envisages that this policy will continue.

He said: "Those pupils have their music tuition paid for by the school and have prominent positions in school music groups."

Drawing from a wide catchment area, the school is oversubscribed. Mr Wilkin praised parents who, despite often living some distance away, are ardent supporters of the school.

He said: "It is remarkable how committed our parents are to support their daughters at BUCHS.

"Typically, commitment to Catholic education is very strong. Parents see that along with academic excellence there is a need for education of the whole person and I believe that Catholic education has always done that.

"It has withstood so many changes over the years and maintained its values and its excellence."

This is Mr Wilkin's second headship.

Having spent most of his teaching career in Southampton and Portsmouth, Mr Wilkin moved eight years ago to take up a deputy headship at St Edmunds College in Hertfordshire before taking over the helm of St Bede's school in Cambridge, a joint Catholic and C of E school, in 2007.

One of his first roles at the school is overseeing the finishing touches to the new sports hall, which is expected to be up and running later this term.

He said students were very excited at the prospect of using the facility.

"The hall gives our students the facilities that have lacked for some time. We already do extremely well in sport and now this can be recognised by giving our students a fantastic venue in which they can play sports in comfort all year round."

NETWORK Rail will go on trial over an accident that left one of its workers dead and two others seriously injured as they fixed overhead power cables.

Malcolm Slater, 64, from Harold Wood, died when he and two other colleagues fell 15ft on to the track in Margaretting after the metal basket they were in broke away from the hydraulic arm of a vehicle holding it up.

The men were working on the cable after a train from Liverpool Street brought the power line down.

On Tuesday, Chelmsford Magistrates' Court ruled that the incident, which happened in June 2008, should go before a crown court.

Network Rail is charged with three offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act after the prosecution was brought by the Office of Rail Regulation.

The rail firm is accused of failing to ensure that the equipment used to lift the employees was suitable or could support their weight and the weight of their tools.

It is also said to have failed to ensure that the men and their supervisors had written instructions on how to use work equipment. And lastly it is accused of failing to guarantee that all persons who used, or supervised the use, of equipment had received adequate health and safety training.

Mr Slater's two colleagues – Phil Miles and Daniel Wild – were later said to be office-bound as a result of their injuries, and an inquest into Mr Slater's death in October 2010 returned a verdict of accidental death.

After the accident he was taken to Queen's Hospital in Romford with spinal injuries but died 20 days later, on July 1, 2008.

A plea and case management hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court has now been scheduled for November 26.

BEING out of the FA Cup early on is proving to be a bonus for Maldon & Tiptree as they continued their good league form with this excellent win to maintain their fourth place in the division.

Sitting with 14 points in the bag they are just two points behind leaders with two game sin hand.

In this game on Saturday they dominated proceedings and in all reality could have won by a more comfortably bigger margin.

With the experienced Jamie Guy leading the front line he gave them the lead on 20 minutes showing great composure in the box to rifle the ball into the net.

The home side found it a constant struggle to contain Maldon & Tiptree forwards as they went on the rampage for more goals.

Joe Gardner had the best chance to increase their lead shortly before the interval following good work by Ben Bradbury but he put his header wide of the target.

The only surprise to anyone watching was that it took the visitors until the 61st minute to add their second which came courtesy of Frankie Everitt, back at the club, who capitalised on some confusion in them home area to drive the ball low into the net.

The third goal for the visitors came in injury time when James Robinson netted to give the final scoreline a more realistic result.

A SENIOR Tory councillor has called his party colleague "a prat" because he resigned from Brentwood Borough Council's highways committee on a matter of principle.

The outburst from Cllr Keith Parker, who is due to stand in the county council elections next year, came after he learned on Thursday of William Lloyd's intention to step down from the panel that Cllr Parker chairs because he believes its existence is "misleading" and meaningless.

Cllr Parker told the Gazette: "Do you want to know what I think? He's a prat."

It is not the first time Cllr Parker has caused a rumpus with his comments.

In June last year, he was warned by the council's standards committee after he used the word "queen" when referring to the gay community during a debate in 2010.

Cllr Lloyd, a member for Warley, insists that staging the Parking, Borough Project Liaison and Highways Localism Panel meetings at Brentwood Town Hall is an expensive waste of more than £15,000 of taxpayers' cash each year.

He said his mind was made up after attending the two meetings since he joined the panel following a reshuffle by leader Louise McKinlay in May.

On one occasion the panel spent 15 minutes debating if it had the right name and on another he says it was pressed into voting on a road scheme that was going ahead anyway because the county council had already agreed to it.

Cllr Lloyd said: "There is no highways control or involvement in Brentwood any more and, in my opinion, I think it's actually misleading to the residents to have these meetings and pretend there is."

He also believes the committee is a convenient shield for Essex County Council.

"We waste three hours of the council's time and public money because it costs us to be sat there," he added.

"Our [Brentwood] councillors cost next to nothing but we have got officers there and people travelling in from across the county and then there are costs of opening the town hall in the evening."

Brentwood Borough Council estimates the cost of running one panel to be £15,000 each year, excluding expenses incurred by the attendance of Essex County Council.

He added: "Democracy costs money and it's an essential cost if you are making decisions and getting things done, but if you are not improving things and delivering better services then it is a waste of money."

Fellow Tory, Cllr Nigel Clarke has hinted he may also walk from Mr Parker's panel for the same reasons and, during the last highways panel meeting on September 19, the mayor of Brentwood, Cllr Ann Coe, described the panel's business as "frustrating".

In March, the Gazette revealed Essex County Council's plan to claw back power from Brentwood, by taking control of its £2.5 million roads, congestion and pedestrian safety budget, leaving Brentwood councillors with no overall say on how it is spent.

Cllr Parker was upset at Cllr Lloyd's assertions that his committee is a waste of time, insisting that highways is just a small part of its work, which also includes off-street parking charges, big projects such as William Hunter Way and dealing with the utility companies digging up Brentwood's roads.

He added: "I feel slightly annoyed that he is suggesting that we are not working.

"I have been virtually living at the town hall trying to bring all these things to fruition."

"There is a certain amount of dissatisfaction from different people that are unhappy highways has changed and this is a way of venting their spleen."

WITH rain leaking from the roof and paint peeling from the walls the South Woodham guiding hut is in serious need of repair.

After 30 years of wear and tear, the building on Creakview Road, is beginning to fall down.

For the last three years, the group of 210 local girls have been fundraising with the aim of getting £150,000 to knock the hut down and build a new HQ.

District commissioner Angela Ellis said: "We really need some help, whether it is people wanting to donate or helping us with our fundraising efforts. We are currently in the process of applying for grants but we are hoping to build the new headquarters before out planning permission expires in March 2015."

The hut also entertains two Brownie groups, a Rangers group and a set of Rainbows.

"We are open every evening during the week except for Friday's," said retired Mrs Ellis.

"All the girls have been getting involved with the fundraising; whether they are bag packing at supermarkets or making cakes. We also held a fete last week and raised £850." So far the group have managed to raise £75,000 but don't want to start re-building their headquarters until they have the full sum needed.

If you are interested in helping the group, please call Angela on 01245 322072 or email her on angela@aellis.org.uk

FOUR of Shakespeare's most famous plays will be condensed into a two-hour performance at Chelmsford's Civic Theatre on Monday.

About 70 students, some as young as 12, from four schools, have been rehearsing for months for the Essex leg of the Shakespeare Schools Festival.

They will perform the Bard's great tragedies King Lear and Hamlet, his popular comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream, and perennial favourite The Merchant of Venice back-to-back.

Each play has been condensed into a half-hour script, specially written by organisers of the annual festival, now in its 14th year, which aims to raise the profile of Shakespeare in schools.

This has certainly worked at Chelmer Valley High School, which is taking part in the festival for the first time.

Drama teacher Gemma Peacock has cast 20 pupils aged from 12 to 18 in King Lear, and chosen to set the drama in The Apprentice board room.

She said: "They have all been buzzing with this and are already asking to do it again next year.

"We decided to take part as we wanted to do something different. We don't really do much Shakespeare below A-level, but this has made us more open to the idea that we can teach it to the lower school, as this group has really grasped the themes behind the play

"We decided to make King Lear an Alan Sugar-type figure, and his three daughters women in the boardroom, to show how the play is about a feuding family and how someone who has power can lose it very quickly.

"This context has helped the students understand the play and also given it a contemporary twist."

The lead role has gone to pupil Amy Coster, 16, who hopes to become an actress.

She said: "I knew the gist of King Lear, but when I got the role I went away and read up on it and I found it really interesting. It made me want to know more about Shakespeare."

Fellow Chelmer Valley student Jade Flack, 15, said: "I have loved being part of this production. It's made me realise that Shakespeare can be performed in lots of different ways."

Head of drama at Rickstones Academy, Edward Hake, took part in the festival many times at his former school.

He introduced it to the Witham students last year, who are using it as the latest project for the in-house Twist Youth Theatre he has set up.

Upper Sixthformers Jamie Gordon and Jack Coles run the theatre, directing the students under Mr Hake's watchful eye. They have chosen to perform Hamlet, but have given it a twist.

Mr Hake told the Chronicle: "We have made it more accessible and vibrant for students by using very stylised techniques of acting, while still keeping the original language and the fundamental ethos of the play."

Jack said he is enjoying directing the production, which features 12 students aged from 13 to 17, most of whom took part in the production last year.

He said: "We have laughs in rehearsal and when we need to get things done we do crackdown and create interesting, challenging theatre."

Jamie added: "I have a lot to offer the younger students, especially in terms of improving their acting skills to a professional level, which they are already close to. Hamlet is a great play to interpret in different ways."

Also taking part in this year's festival, performing The Merchant of Venice, is long-running regular The Boswells School.

Head of drama Gemma Willcox said: "We have taken part about seven times. It is a great experience for our students to work in the wider community and perform at a professional theatre.

"We explore Shakespeare plays through a discreet scheme of work in Years Seven to Nine and so extend this work with the festival for Year 10 pupils, who do not study Shakespeare as part of their curriculum.

"It also gets our students known within the community as a school with performing arts status. We have 17 taking part this year and have had two Year 11 students helping with the rehearsals."

The fourth school taking part is Leventhorpe, in Sawbridgeworth, which is performing A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Tickets for the performance at 7pm cost £8 and £6 for concessions and are available on 01245 606505.

THERE are just three weeks left to register to vote to have your say on who will become the first elected police and crime commissioner in Essex.

On November 15 the people of Essex will go to the polls to pick the man or woman they want to become the most powerful politician in the county, who will have the power to hire and fire the force's chief constable, set policing priorities and command an £80,000-a-year salary.

And in order for you to be as fully informed about the candidates running for this top job, the Chronicle is teaming up with Anglia Ruskin University to host a hustings on October 31.

Chairing the event will be Anglia Ruskin's deputy vice-chancellor, Professor Alan Sibbald.

He said: "The new role of police and crime commissioner has far-reaching powers and it is therefore vital that the public are fully engaged with next month's election.

"The hustings at Anglia Ruskin on October 31 will give the people of Essex an excellent opportunity to discover more about the policies and personalities of the candidates involved."

The event is open to all members of the public and admission is free, based on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Guests are asked to arrive at the university's Lord Ashcroft building at 6.45pm on October 3.

For further information, call the Chronicle newsdesk on 01245 602700.

MALDON'S waterfront will be transformed into a busy leisure complex after controversial plans were given the go-ahead this week – if the developer plants more trees.

Proposals to develop Sadds Wharf, off Station Road, were given outline planning permission in 2009.

But after opposition from the public, Maldon District Council refused to grant full planning permission in March, claiming the glass building was too big and ugly.

But after bosses at Manchester-based Baltic Consortium, the firm behind the project, took the council's decision to a planning appeal in August, the inspector chairing the inquiry has now ruled the complex can go ahead, if the developers "plant a few more trees".

The plans are for 93 apartments, offices, shops and restaurants.

Anastasia Fuller, who lives in Market Hill, and is head of the residents' opposition group, said: "I think this is a disappointing decision, for the main reason that the approved buildings will create a very poor visual relationship with the existing landscape and be out of context in Maldon.

"I think the proposed scheme will have a detrimental impact on the character of the Blackwater estuary."

The Sadds Wharf site was owned by the Sadd family, who imported and exported their timber by barge, but trading stopped towards the end of the 20th century.

Residents opposed to the plans claimed the development, which would be made of steel and glass, would overlook their properties, be detrimental to a special conservation area and cause an increase in traffic and noise.

Nancy Harrison, of Downs Road, which overlooks the Sadds Wharf site, said: "It's quite confusing what the decision means, but I think simply the developers have to plant more trees and everything else can stay the same."

Judy Lea, from the Maldon Society, said: "Despite local opposition the big Sadds Wharf development won its appeal.

"It will be big and ugly because of a preconception that as the new buildings replace industry they can be big, ugly and bulky."

She said the site, being at the head of the river, would have lent itself to something more special and claimed an opportunity had been lost when the plans were granted outline permission back in 2009.

Addressing the residents' concerns, planning inspector Robert Marshall said: "The proposed apartments would be sufficiently distant from houses on the southern bank of the river for no unacceptable harm to be caused to living conditions through over-dominance or loss of privacy.

"There is no substantial evidence that light from windows in the proposed development would be a hazard to navigation or harmful to wildlife."

He also concluded the scale and appearance of the site would result in a "visually attractive environment" in the town.

Mrs Fuller added: "Both the council and the local community invested a lot of hard work into the appeal, but unfortunately it was too little, too late.

"I'm not aware of any future action the community or the council will pursue in this case and as far as I know the only authority that can require a reconsideration of an inspector's decision is a High Court ruling."

THE Olympic Torch may have been extinguished, but a Hutton-based charity for the homeless and needy is still basking in the glow from London 2012.

Lighthouse Furniture has amassed a bounty of items, including duvets, pillows, crockery and cutlery, after being invited to help clear the Olympic Village, in Stratford.

The charity was given around 100 duvets, 200 pillows, knives and forks, plates and kitchen items thanks to its link with London Reuse Limited, an organisation set up to increase the reuse of unwanted household items that would otherwise go to landfill.

The Tallon Road charity offers furniture and white goods at significantly discounted prices to those in need.

Manager Brian Darwood said: "This is a huge opportunity and will make a significant difference to the folk we help.

"It is so encouraging to know the Olympic legacy goes on blessing even more people.

"You never know, some of this stuff may have even been used by Olympic stars like Mo Farah or Usain Bolt."

He added: "Sometimes people in housing crisis are given council flats that have nothing in them at all, so they can come to us and we can give them the things they need to get them started.

"Later, once they receive crisis funds to furnish their flats, they can add to what they've got, or return and replace items that they have been given with those that they prefer."

The organisation was founded in 1994 by a group of church volunteers, but in 2005, after receiving a lottery grant, it was transformed into the charity it is today.

Last year, 150 customers used the charity, receiving around £44,000 worth of items.

Among them was a mother of five who was given six beds after fleeing domestic violence.

Mr Darwood said: "All our stock is perfectly adequate.

"It might not be new – although some of it is – but it is clean and functional and it does a job."

Last year Lighthouse collected more than 9,000 items and was able to reuse more than 284 tonnes of furniture and household appliances.

Over the past seven years, Lighthouse has prevented 1,295 tonnes of furniture and electricals being dumped.

He said: "It's better that we can use it rather than it being smashed up and going to landfill."

Some of the items acquired by Lighthouse will be going to local homeless hostels, one in Havering and another, CHESS, in Chelmsford.

Lighthouse welcomes donations of clean, good quality furniture and electrical appliances especially cookers, fridges and microwaves to allow it to help more people. Call 01277 222050.

Lighthouse Furniture is open to the public between 9.30am and 4pm Monday to Friday, and between 9.30am and 12.30pm on Saturdays.

MY TWIN toddler daughters Jasmine and Bryony raced into the kitchen where I was cooking, squealing: "Mummy, balloon in the garden, please get it for us."

To our surprise, there was a tag stating it was a peace balloon that had come from Newman Catholic College in Harlesden in the London Borough of Brent.

After googling the address, we discovered that the school was around 40 miles away.

I explained to the girls: "It's a peace balloon and a school from the other side of London has sent it to remind people that they should be nice to one another – at least for a day!"

When I showed them the school on the computer, they agreed: "That's very nice Mummy."

It was a sweet gesture to mark the day and although the ink on the handwritten message had run, the printed tag asked for a reply, so we wrote how delighted we were to find the balloon and how we thought that focusing on peace at a young age has to be good for future generations.

The college's principal Richard Kolka later told me how his students had released 50 balloons on this year's International Day of Peace – Friday, September 21.

He said: "The sight of the white balloons sailing off into the blue sky was an inspiring one!

"It was amazing that one balloon made it all the way to Brentwood.

"The message of peace is clearly a powerful one!"

Mr Kolka also told me: "The children involved were thrilled to get a response and to discover that the balloon had travelled such a distance."

GALLEYS Corner is set for a facelift after The Highways Agency allocated £300,000 to improve the notorious traffic hotspot.

Next year work will begin to widen the roundabout in a bid to encourage cars using the A120 to use both lanes.

The project is part of a £217 million national programme to remove the worst bottlenecks on England's motorways and major A roads.

The works are expected to ease the burden on local businesses that lose income while stuck in Galleys Corner's infamous traffic jams.

Braintree Chamber of Commerce chair Brenda Baker said: "Traffic around Braintree is a real issue for business so anything that can help is a plus.

"The situation is so dire around the roundabout that any improvement would be very welcome."

But for others the proposed measures do not go far enough and some believe they will have little impact on congestion at a roundabout that has long featured in the county's traffic bulletins.

Graham Butland, leader at Braintree District Council, said: "It can't do any harm but the money was a little less than I would have liked. It seems to me that the A120 needs more than a couple of inches added to the roundabout."

Green councillor James Abbott said the problems at Galleys Corner were of Braintree District Council's own making.

"So much development has been allowed around Galleys Corner. It means it has had to cope with through traffic, local traffic and drivers heading to places like Freeport.

"The combination has been a nightmare scenario and one that was fairly inevitable."

He thought congestion at the roundabout would only improve if local traffic was separated from cars using the A120 by a flyover.

"You need a proper solution rather than a little tinkering," he added.

Announcing the plans, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "These £217million road improvements prove the Government's determination to accelerate growth and cut congestion.

"Keeping traffic moving is vital to securing prosperity. By removing bottlenecks and improving access to local enterprise zones, key international trading ports and communities, these road schemes will help get people to and from work and power the economy.

"They also have the potential to help deliver more than 300,000 new jobs and 150,000 new homes."

Around £22million has been earmarked for the east of England region.

BOROUGH council leader Louise McKinlay has launched a stinging attack on Labour rival Mike Le- Surf, saying his vision for the future of Brentwood could have been "drawn up on the back of an envelope".

However Mr Le-Surf hit back describing one of her own ideas as something out of "The Stepford Wives".

The Tory's broadside against the leader of the council's minority Labour group, is the latest in a series of spats between the two politicians.

Mrs McKinlay hit out after Mr Le-Surf emailed her his vision for Brentwood's future.

The row comes against the backdrop of the Tory-controlled council consulting with residents on its vision and priorities for the future.

Mr Le-Surf, who represents Brentwood South, said the borough should be "a vibrant community that respects the town's heritage and culture while embracing change".

He added that it should be "a place where families feel safe, can grow and live together and a borough who's (sic) public services are delivered and accessed locally by people who care and invest in Brentwood".

However, Mrs McKinlay said: "You can't just come up with five or six sound bites and write them on the back of an envelope.

"The key point, which he has failed to address, is how is anyone going to measure the success of his goals.

"Saying making Brentwood fair and accessible for all – how is anyone going to judge whether it is successful?"

She added: "They are just a series of airy-fairy statements that are not measurable.

"When we finalise our vision we will tell residents exactly what we intend to achieve. For example, if I say we are going to increase recycling to 60 per cent I either meet it or I don't."

Mr Le-Surf replied: "The only vision that the Brentwood Tories have is tunnel-vision.

"A place to come home to, taken for their initial draft, reads like a page from The Stepford Wives.

"In contrast to the Tories' cardboard conservatism, Labour's vision will enhance the lives of residents and help us build a strong and vibrant community ."

Liberal Democrat opposition leader David Kendall also hit out at the Tories' vision.

He said: "After years of damaging Tory control, these silly statements will mean little to residents and are proof this Tory administration has run out of steam.

"If they are serious about taking this town forward then their vision should embrace the Town Hall project, think again about what is developed on William Hunter Way and listen more to what residents are saying."

IT WAS a mixed Sunday for the Brentwood Centre-based Leopards basketball team as they managed to both win and lose on the same day.

The Big Cats received a 20-0 walkover against Brentwood Fire in the first game of their defence of the National Cup before going down 85-71 against Reading Rockets in a hastily arranged Clarendon Cup game at Basildon Sporting Village.

Fire had been reinstated into the cup after Eastside Eagles were expelled for failing to provide valid licence cards for the players in the previous round, but the Division Four side refused to play the game claiming that they couldn't raise a team.

"We're a bit disappointed that Fire wouldn't play us," admitted Leopards' general manager Dave Ryan.

"They had five days notice for a game on their doorstep, non-league football teams manage that kind of thing all of the time and we played a game at Crystal Palace earlier in the season with only a couple of days notice.

"A tough game against Reading was probably better for our team, and we'd like to thank them for stepping in at the last minute, but it was a disappointing way to start our cup defence."

With American big-man Greg Hernandez still missing with an injured foot, the Big Cats produced a disjointed performance against the Rockets.

Simon Cummings overcame a poor shooting night to lead all scorers with 27 points, while Carl Josey scored all of his 19 points in the second half, adding eight rebounds and four assists. Taner Adu finished with 15 points, four boars and three assists.

A poor start to the game saw Leopards concede the first seven points, and they went into the first break 30-14 down.

The Big Cats shaded the early stages of the second period, but trailed 48-31 going into the locker room.

A basket from Adu with 6:43 remaining in the third period made it a nine-point game as Leopards started the second half well, but that was as good as it got for the home side as Rockets led 68-52 at the final break and they could only chip two points off the deficit in the fourth quarter.

The Big Cats return to Basildon Sporting Village on Sunday afternoon when Worthing Thunder are the visitors in the National Trophy, tip-off 4pm.

Admission at Basildon is £6 for adults, £4 for concessions and £16 for a two adult, two child family.

Thunder have lost their opening three Trophy games, and will need to win on Sunday to retain any realistic hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals.

Robert Youngblood's team are also in action on Saturday afternoon when they travel to Leicester Warriors for a Trophy game.

The midlands side, who were defeated by the Big Cats in the play-off semi-final last season, have won two of their four games in all competitions, but like Thunder they are still looking for their first Trophy win.

Hereford played out their second goalless draw in a row and can count themselves lucky to have collected a point after Braintree gave a spirited performance.

Braintree dominated possession in the early stages at Edgar Street, and went close to breaking the deadlock on seven minutes, but James Bittner in the Hereford goal was equal to Matthew Paine's header from 12 yards out.

There was little to cheer for home fans in the first half as they watched their side struggle to break down the Braintree defence.

With the match heading for a goalless draw, Hereford boss Martin Foyle brought on Kyle Perry and Brian Smikle on 56 minutes as he tried to push for a winner.

But his early attacking changes were unable to force a goal for his side, meaning Hereford have now gone five matches without a victory.

And Braintree will take heart from their own plucky performance in a tricky fixture.