The Town Flyer Council
News from the Town Council
Saffron Walden is a vibrant , thriving market town with beautiful historic features and architecture . It is a very attractive town with some fine preserved examples of medieval buildings and structures , mixed in with high-end retail , boutique shops and attractive cafes .
The town centre boasts a unique mix of retail shopping with High Street stores and small , independent units selling a wide variety of gifts and wares to suit all tastes . There has been a market in Saffron Walden since 1141 and market days are Tuesdays and Saturdays . There is a range of regular market stalls including fresh fruit and veg , jewellery , clothing , flowers and gifts along with a number of food stalls .
Visitors can also lose themselves in the beautiful Bridge End Gardens , located within the heart of the town . The Gardens are managed by Saffron Walden Town Council with help and support from a volunteer team “ the Friends of Bridge End Gardens ”. The Gardens were created around 1840 by Francis Gibson , a local Quaker businessman who also built the Fry Art Gallery . The Gardens are a beautiful way to while away the hours with a picnic , enjoying the scenery and the preserved Victorian design .
St Mary ’ s Church in the town centre , is the largest and one of the most beautiful parish churches in Essex with
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parts dating back to 1250 . The church is generally open to the public and further details can be found on www . stmaryssaffronwalden . org
The Town Council
The Town Council was created in 1974 as one of the successor authorities to the Borough Council . The Town Council consists of 16 elected Members , representing a range of experience and cultures all of whom are elected for a term of 4 years with the next elections being May 2019 . The Chairman of the Council is the Town Mayor who is elected annually in May .
The Town Council meets on a regular monthly basis as well as holding several monthly Committee meetings . There is an opportunity at every meeting for members of the public to speak with and address the Council . Additionally , the Town Council offices in Emson Close are readily accessible to the public and staff at the TIC are also able to help with a wide range of queries .
The Town Council provides a range of services and amenities to the
THE FLYER | APRIL 2017 community . Councillors are supported by the Town Council staff who provide the day to day services which include management of the Town Hall and Golden Acre Community Centre , management of a number of open spaces including Bridge End Gardens , The Common and Anglo American Playing Fields , the twice-weekly market , allotments and cemetery as well as the management and operation of a number of outdoor play and recreation areas . The Town Council also manages the award winning Tourist Information Centre ( TIC ) located in the town centre . The TIC provides invaluable help and support to visitors and locals alike and is an excellent place to find out what is going on locally and in the wider region .
Town Hall Works
In October 2015 , the Town Council embarked on an ambitious repair and restoration project of the Town Hall in Market Square , an iconic town centre building . The whole exterior of the Town Hall has been carefully and lovingly refurbished and this longoverdue programme has taken over a year to complete . We have replaced completely some of the six smaller roofs , since the timbers underneath were rotten beyond salvage . We have re-tiled all nine roofs re-using the original tiles where possible , we have removed and refurbished most of the wooden windows and rebuilt or repaired all nine chimney stacks .
The new roofs have been insulated to modern standards – which will deliver significant improvement in comfort and fuel economy . This is complemented by a replacement of the boiler system – which was installed in the early 1980 ’ s , and completely defunct . The work required that we upgraded the gas supply to the Town Hall , which was also long overdue .
The result is a modern boiler system under full electronic control , which is highly controllable and very efficient .
Local contractors have been employed throughout the works with T Butler and Son being the main contractor on site , with project management being led by local firm of chartered architects and surveyors Wilby & Burnett . Most of the materials have been sourced locally and both companies employ their own permanent staff of skilled craftsmen and professionals so the project has also fed money back into the local economy . Both companies regard the Town Hall as a ‘ flagship ’ project and one which successfully advertises their ability and competence .
Civic Regalia
The Council continues the Civic traditions of the Borough Council . On formal occasions the Council can be seen robed and processing with the Town mace . The mace was given to the town in 1685 by King James II and when not in use can be seen on display in the town ’ s museum , alongside the two smaller maces which were also in use until the last war .
For further information about the Town Council or Saffron Walden Town , please visit : www . saffronwalden . gov . uk or www . visitsaffronwalden . gov . uk
The Town Council would like to give thanks to The Bishop ’ s Stortford Flyer for the opportunity to include this editorial and we wish them well in their future business developments .
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