Welcome to Sandon Parish Council
The Sandon Parish in Essex is mainly a rural and residential area. Farming is the only real business activity in the region and residencies – numbering about 650 – are concentrated mainly in the village of Sandon itself as well as the delightful areas of Howe Green and Butts Green. The Sandon School – whose catchment area extends well beyond the Sandon Parish boundaries – is an academy comprehensive school with some 1100 mixed pupils in the 11 to 18 age bracket.
The A12 arterial road cuts into the west side of the Sandon Parish and provides good links westward to London and eastward to Colchester, Ipswich and the East Coast. Chelmsford, the County Town of Essex, is the nearest town which offers good shopping and recreational facilities. It can be reached by car in only 10-15 minutes or by the Park & Ride Scheme which offers a service to the town every 10 minutes.ay of life.
The centre of the Sandon Parish is probably represented by the Sandon Village Green with the Crown Inn at one end and the ancient Church of St Andrew’s to the side. The Church dates back to c.1080 with the Nave and, later, the Chancel. The North Aisle was added in c.1350. Then, in 1520, the tower and porch were added by Cardinal Wolsey, Lord of the Manor of Sandon Hall. These were built at the same time as Hampton Court and by the same architect, Giralamo de Trevise.
The top of the tower is unusual – it has the appearance of the Cardinal’s hat with its strings characterised by the darker bricks. The dome, in fact, is the sounding chamber for the bells and the dark bricks are in the form of crosses to match the St Andrew’s crosses further down. St Andrew’s Church is unarguably the most significant landmark in the area.
Apart from any close proximity to the A12, the overall Parish of Sandon is generally a quiet and peaceful place. It is an area of natural charm with woods, undulating fields and winding lanes – and ideally suited to people who enjoy the countryside, the farming scene and the village way of life.
Annual Assembly
The Annual Assembly is normally held in April. However, due to the government restrictions, it is looking unlikely that it will be held this Spring. Please check our website for further details as to when it may be re-arranged.
Neighbourhood Plan
Sandon is currently undertaking a Neighbourhood Development Plan. Minutes and updated information can be found on the Neighbourhood Plan website.
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Contact
Please do take the time to visit our website and let us know what you think! Please contact us with your comments or if you require any information then contact us
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Sandon Village Hall
If you would like further information regarding Sandon Village Hall please visit their website sandonvillagehall.co.uk
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Quality & Service Is Our Priority
Who we are and what we do
The Sandon Parish Council is the first tier of local government – and is closest to the Sandon Parish community. In line with some 8500 similar Parish Councils in England, the Sandon Parish Council is an elected body with discretionary powers and rights laid down by Parliament to represent the community and provide services for them. It consists of a Parish Clerk, elected Councillors and a Chairman who is also an elected Councillor. The Council has the absolute right to raise money by precept (a mandatory demand) on the Borough Council. This precept is then collected by the City Council as part of the Council Tax charged to tax payers in the Parish.
The range of services and amenities provided by the Sandon Parish Council are many and varied. It makes provision for allotments, seats, bus shelters, litter bins to mention a few. It also concerns itself with crime prevention, recreational facilities, maintenance of public facilities, foot paths and so on. Of course, the Sandon Parish Council can only act within the law. It can only raise money or spend money within its statutory power or it could be accused of acting ultra vires (beyond its powers). However, most importantly, Sandon Parish Council acts as a sounding board for local opinion and has important rights of consultation. The City Council is obliged by law to consult with the Sandon Parish Council on changes, developments and other issues affecting the Sandon Parish.
From May 2019, the Parish Council is proud to have been awarded the Foundation Status on the Local Council Award Scheme. This demonstrates that we are meeting the minimum requirements for operating lawfully and according to standard practice.
To manage these services and to deal with new issues, the Sandon Parish Council meets every month – and these meetings are public. Any resident of the Parish can attend and, through the Chairman, can raise any matters of interest or concern to the Parish community. Therefore, it is essential to have good communications and, to this end, the Sandon Parish Council’s web site, news letters, notice board (village hall) and public meetings are there to engage with all Parish residents.
We also have an email forum and Facebook for residents to raise any points or queries relating to the parish to members of the council and the clerk. See the Email Forum page.
Informative Websites
Both Chelmsford Borough Council and Essex County Council have very informative websites containing such information as council services, planning, leisure, and details of all the forthcoming council meetings and their agendas. Click on the links below to access either of these websites:
www.chelmsford.gov.uk
www.essex.gov.uk
Neighbouring Parishes
Our neighbouring parishes also have websites which give local information – the links below will take you to their sites:
www.littlebaddow.org.uk
www.danbury-essex.gov.uk
www.greatbaddowparishcouncil.gov.uk
