POWER Workshop
POWERCCA_Epping_Poster_Q326_AW_D
Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) have notified how Epping Forest communities can start planning for a resilient energy future and are holding a free POWER workshop on 3rd October 2026, 10am – 12pm at EFDC Civic Offices, 323 High Street, Epping CM16 4BZ – Places are free – book your tickets here
Dog control PSPO consultation
Have your say on the Dog Control Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) across the Epping Forest district.
Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) has had a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) since January 2024 for dog control in place. The current Dog Control PSPO is in place until January 2027. In preparation for then, EFDC is asking for your views on extending the PSPO. This means it is an offence for a person in charge of a dog to:
- Fail to remove dog faeces deposited on any publicly accessible land within the district
- Fail to put a dog on a lead when directed to do so by an authorised officer, on any publicly accessible land within the district
- Fail to limit the number of dogs which a person may take onto publicly accessible land within the district to 4 dogs
- Fail to produce a receptacle (i.e. dog poo bags) for picking up dog faeces when requested to do so by an authorised officer, while walking any dog on any publicly accessible land within the district
- Fail to exclude a dog from specified fenced areas within the district
The consultation is open from Sunday 4 October 2026.
Local government reorganisation halted
Proposals to merge smaller councils to form larger authorities in Essex, known as the local government reorganisation, have been withdrawn after the government launched a review following updated legal advice.
The government confirmed local elections in May 2027 would go ahead on existing council boundaries.
Black History Month Community Day
Celebrate Black History Month at a free, family-friendly community day on Saturday 10 October 2026, from 11am to 5pm, at the Civic Offices, Epping.
Organised by the Epping Forest Community Safety Partnership and Epping Forest & Brentwood Independent Advisory Group for Essex Police, will bring together local communities for a day of culture, learning and connection. Featuring cultural performances, community speakers, information stalls, health and wellbeing information, arts and crafts activities, and refreshments.
The event aims to provide an inclusive and welcoming space for everyone to come together and celebrate the contributions, achievements and experiences of Black communities.
As part of the celebrations, a Black History Month art and short story/poem competition has been launched.
Entrants are invited to create an original piece of artwork inspired by the theme “Honouring our Communities”, exploring topics such as kindness, dignity and welcome, or lived experiences. A cash prize will be awarded to the winners of both competitions. All submitted artwork will be displayed at the community event at the Civic Offices, Epping on Saturday 10 October.
Open to young people aged 4 to 18 years, the art competition invites participants to create an original piece of artwork. Entries may be created using any medium, including drawing, painting, collage, digital art or mixed media, and should be no larger than A3.
A scan or clear photograph of the artwork should be sent to csp@eppingforestdc.gov.uk email by Friday 25 September. See poster,
Open to all ages, the short story and poetry competition invites members of the community to share their creativity and personal reflections through the written word, inspired by the theme “Honouring our Communities”.
Stories and poems should be sent by email to csp@eppingforestdc.gov.uk, along with the entrant’s name and contact details. The closing date for entries is Wednesday 30 September.
Help shape digital health in Essex
Thank you to everyone who has completed our digital health and care survey.
We have received hundreds of responses from people across Essex, providing insight into how residents use digital health and care services, what works and where improvements could be made. We’ve heard a wide range of views about topics including:
- The NHS App and online services
- Access to digital devices and the internet
- Confidence using technology
- Accessibility and digital inclusion
- Privacy and information security
- Future technology, including artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare
We want to hear from even more people before the survey closes on 30 September. Whether you use digital services regularly, occasionally, or prefer other ways of accessing care, your experience matters.
Your views will help us ensure future digital health and care services are:
- Easy to use
- Accessible to everyone
- Better connected
- Designed around the needs of local people
If you haven’t completed the survey yet, there’s still time to get involved, it takes no more than 5 minutes to complete and is anonymous.
Help Shape Digital Health in Essex | Essex Virtual Views