This is the chance for residents to have one of their photos featured on a Sawbridgeworth Christmas card and/or calendar!

For the Christmas cards, we are looking for wintry and festive scenes of Sawbridgeworth - think Pishiobury Park in the snow, or the lights on Bell Street.

For the Calendar, we are looking for scenes from across Sawbridgeworth throughout the year.

To enter, residents should complete their details at: https://forms.gle/LrPKqYC1ttWFZ9di7 and then email their image(s) to: angus.wyatt@sawbridgeworth-tc.gov.uk. Or they can submit their name, email, phone number and image all via email to that address.

This competition is open to all Sawbridgeworth residents, workers and visitors of all ages Entries close at 5pm on Wednesday 30 September.

It was great to visit Sawbridgeworth Fire Station on Friday 3rd July to see the defibrillator unit that was supported in part by a grant from Sawbridgeworth Town Council.

The unit contains a defibrillator and bleed kit, and is accessible to the public for emergency use 24/7. Hearts for Herts Charity

and Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service are working to ensure every fire station in Hertfordshire has an accessible defibrillator, and I was pleased to hear from the team yesterday that they are close to achieving that goal.

Did you know: For every minute that someone’s in cardiac arrest without receiving CPR and having a defibrillator used on them, their chance of survival decreases by 10%. That’s why it’s so important to act immediately, and great to have been able to support the fire station to install this defibrillator.

There are a number of publicly available defibrillators located across Sawbridgeworth; including at the fire station, Bell Pharmacy, Sawbridgeworth Memorial Hall, and the train station.

Your Town Council is aware of the consultation leaflet from Wain Estates currently circulating in Sawbridgeworth regarding their proposed development of around 200 homes on land off Wychford Drive.

As Chair of the Planning Committee, I have written directly to Wain Estates requesting that they attend a Planning Committee meeting to present their proposals before any application is submitted to East Hertfordshire District Council. We have asked for a full overview of the scheme, their submission timetable, background on them as a developer, and - importantly - their responses to the concerns already being raised by local residents.

Whilst the Town Council is not the decision-making authority, we are a statutory consultee and our views are communicated clearly to EHDC. We take that responsibility seriously.

We will keep residents updated as this progresses. If you have concerns you would like the Committee to be aware of, please get in touch:

�� nathan.parsad@sawbridgeworth-tc.gov.uk

�� info@sawbridgeworth-tc.gov.uk

Cllr Nathan Parsad-Wyatt,

Chair of the Planning Committee

On Monday, 12 January 2026, the funeral procession for Angela Alder will slowly travel along Bell Street at approximately 10:45 a.m. before heading to Great St Mary’s Church.

We warmly invite the people of Sawbridgeworth to line Bell Street and join together in marking our respect for Angela’s lifetime of dedication to our town. Angela was at the heart of countless community initiatives – from championing local charities and supporting youth projects to preserving our town’s heritage and organising events that brought people together. Her tireless efforts earned her the Freedom of the Town and recognition for outstanding community achievement.

Alongside her community work, Angela served as a Sawbridgeworth Town Councillor for many years and was elected Mayor of Sawbridgeworth four times, reflecting her deep commitment to public service.

Please share this message so others can join in paying tribute to a remarkable life of service and kindness.