PLANS have been submitted to create a community facility at a historic village house. Previous plans by the Great Oakley Community Hub to knock down Red House in Farm Road, Great Oakley, were slammed by planners who claimed they would cause “significantly harm” to the conservation area. The hub, which owns the site, said the building was in such a poor condition it would be too expensive to repair. But a new application has now been submitted to Tendring Council to convert the house into two self-contained flats. There would also be an infill extension between Red House and community-run Maybush Inn, to form a further flat incorporating a multi-use community facility at the pub.
Gina Long
Alexandra Munn, founder of Suffolk charity Project 21
- Credit: Contributed
Alexandra Munn, founder of Suffolk-based Project 21, provides experiences and opportunities for the Down’s Syndrome community. Her inspirational charity supports young people and their families across Suffolk and Essex, and has even been endorsed by local lad Ed Sheeran. These groups give people with Down’s Syndrome the opportunity to express themselves, grow in confidence, perform on stage and have a voice in society. She shares her East Anglian Heaven and Hell
What’s been the impact of Covid-19 on Project 21 and how have you adapted?
Covid-19 threw a huge spanner in the works for us last year, as I’m sure it did for many people. With the latest lockdown news, 2021 isn’t going to be easy. As our group with Down’s Syndrome were classified as more vulnerable initially, they were isolated for most of the year. I ran free, daily Zoom video chats for all members to log on to and check i
CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating following a move which could see a village s last pub saved. The landlords of the Manor, in Rectory Road, Great Holland, said it would not reopen after Covid-19 and instead submitted blueprints to turn the 250-year-old establishment into a five-bedroom home. But villagers banded together to form the Manor Reborn group and have now had an application to Tendring Council approved for the pub - formally known as The Ship Inn - to be listed as an asset of community value. If the property is put up for sale, the council must now be notified and community groups have six weeks to register their intent to bid for it and another six months to raise the money to buy it.