Keeping the Town Clean & Tidy

A little clarification about who maintains what in South Woodham Ferrers

We’ve noticed a few comments recently about the appearance and maintenance of different areas around our town, so we thought it would be helpful to clarify what South Woodham Ferrers Town Council is actually responsible for.

The Town Council works hard to maintain the land, facilities and areas that are owned or managed by the Town Council. This includes the Village Hall play area, some open spaces, the Garden of Remembrance, Millennium Square and Memorial, the Bandstand, allotments and other Town Council facilities including Champions Manor Hall.

We also carry out our Street Care Scheme, which helps with small jobs such as vegetation cutting, some weed removal, cleaning signs and street furniture, removing graffiti, localised footpath sweeping and removing illegal signs and flyposting.

However, we do not own or maintain every area within South Woodham Ferrers.

One of the most common misconceptions is that the Town Council is responsible for maintaining the town centre.

It isn’t.

The town centre is owned and maintained by ASDA and Essex County Council, and therefore the Town Council does not have responsibility for its general maintenance. Only the bandstand is owned and maintained by the Town Council.

Similarly, roads, alleyways, pavements and many other areas around the town fall under the responsibility of other organisations, including Essex County Council, Chelmsford City Council, private landowners and managing agents.

We understand that, as residents, it can be frustrating when you see something that needs attention and aren’t sure who is responsible. Please don’t assume that the Town Council can simply arrange for it to be fixed. Where an issue isn’t our responsibility, we will do our best to direct you to the organisation that is responsible or report it where appropriate.

We have a dedicated page on our website explaining “Which Council Does What”, which is a useful guide to who is responsible for different services and areas around South Woodham Ferrers.

Which Council Does What:

We’re proud of our town and will continue to do everything we can within our responsibilities to keep the areas we look after clean, attractive and well maintained.

Thank you for your continued support and for helping us keep South Woodham Ferrers looking its best.