Castle Hedingham is a rural village in North Essex, known for its historic buildings and prominent Norman keep. We are very proud of our caring and engaged community and have a wide range of social and interest clubs and societies.
Castle Hedingham News and Events Calendar
If you're viewing on a mobile phone, scroll down for the Events Calendar
Last updated 11th September 2024
Parish Council meetings: new start time from October 2024
In order to enable Braintree District Councillors to attend Castle Hedingham Parish Council meetings, from October 2024 Castle Hedingham meetings will begin at 7.45pm at Castle Hedingham Club.
New Bus Service 60 Braintree - Hedingham - Sudbury
Monday to Friday service from Castle Hedingham to Sudbury
Starts Wed 4th September 2024, full timetable at travelessex.co.uk
Braintree District Local Plan Review - Call for Sites
Castle Hedingham proposed sites for development have now been published, and will be assessed by Braintree District Council in September. Castle Hedingham sites submitted are shown here on a map with details on a list. See BDC Local Plan Review for more information. See the Castle Hedingham Parish Council response submitted for the original deadline of Friday 16th August. The consultation deadline has now been extended and a revised local development scheme will be discussed at a BDC Local Plan Sub-Committee on 16th September 2024.
You can share your views with Braintree District Council by
Email to: planningpolicy@braintree.gov.uk
Post to: Planning Policy, Braintree District Council, Causeway House, Bocking End, Braintree, Essex CM7 9HB
Castle Hedingham Parish Council
Annual Governance and Accountability review (AGAR)
The annual audit of Castle Hedingham Parish Council's procedures and finances is now complete.
All documents are on our 2023-24 Governance and Acountability page
St James Fair 27th July 2024
Thank you to everyone who came along to enjoy friendship, fun and food on Saturday afternoon, and a huge thank you to all the people who made the event such a success - including Friends of St Nicholas Church, St Nicholas Church coffee morning team, Community Allotment volunteers, Village Shop volunteers & customers, Castle Hedingham Club & bar staff, Jayne Laken of United in Kind, and of course the stall holders and food providers who are all local and gave their time to support the revival of St James Fair. A special mention should go to our fabulous Parish Council staff team who made it all happen, and to all the Parish Councillors who helped in advance and on the day itself. Photos to follow!
Essex Village of the Year 2024
Castle Hedingham was awarded HIGHLY COMMENDED at the RCCE AGM on Wednesday 3rd July
Essex Village of the Year: Castle Hedingham entry 2024
Thank you to everyone who contributed to our entry and congratulations to our neighbours Great Maplestead for winning Essex Village of the Year 2024
Rewilding New Park
See the June 2024 update on our Heritage & Environment page
The Good Councillors Guide: 2024 edition now published
Published by the National Association of Local Councils, this guide is essential reading for all current and prospective Councillors.
20s Plenty for Castle Hedingham - Our survey results are here
Find more information at 20s Plenty or read the 20s Plenty April 2024 newsletter
Check out our Communities Pages here
Castle Hedingham Village Shop & Post Office
Village Shop 01787 462140 Post Office 01787 463943
BDC Waste & Recycling Collection calendars
Calendars for Castle Hedingham collection routes can be downloaded here:
Clear recycling sacks can be obtained from Castle Hedingham Village Shop. Full details of all collections including the new green waste subscription service can be found at https://www.braintree.gov.uk/bins-waste-recycling
Castle Hedingham Drain blockages
We know there are many drainage issues in Castle Hedingham, but there's one thing we can all do to help. On a call out to an overflowing sewage drain in the village, Anglian Water engineers identified that wet wipes had caused the blockage. This is now the most common reason for blocked drains. Please can we all follow their guidance and look for the Fine to Flush logo before disposing of any products down the loo. Only these products can be flushed, everything else should be put in the bin. There are some wipes on the market that say they are 'flushable'. These have not met Fine to Flush standards and should also be placed in the bin after use. Most wipes like baby wipes and all sanitary products (tampons, pads etc.) currently on the market display a Do Not Flush logo and should be disposed of in the bin. For more information please see: https://www.water.org.uk/news-views-publications/news/fine-flush-standard-celebrates-100th-accreditation
New Park Street Lights
Correspondence with Npower and UKPN has been ongoing, with the issue escalated to the highest level at both Npower as the energy supplier and with UKPN who manage the Unmetered Supply (UMS). Reinstatement of the energy supply by Npower has been offered at an increased rate per Kwh, together with financial compensation for the error which led to the supply contract being withdrawn. At the October 2023 Parish Council meeting, a number of options were carefully considered by Councillors, taking into account the longer-term cost to public funds and only one expression of concern since the lights were "de-energised" in August. It was decided to leave the street lights de-energised for the time being, i.e. in a state where the supply could be reinstated if necessary at a later date.