Mylander - Issue 86

Council Reports Myland Access Group Greetings and a belated Happy New Year to all you intrepid walkers, ramblers, hikers and explorers! Unfortunately due to the Tier 4 restrictions put in place at the end of last year, the annual Boxing Day Walk had to be cancelled – or rather, postponed. It is hoped that we can have our Boxing Day around Easter! Keep your eyes on the MCC website and Facebook. Speaking of Facebook, one of the differences last year for the Boxing Day Walk was the use of Facebook – and what a response it got! In future we will advertise on Facebook, Next Door and other social media sites for any future activities. It really does make a difference! Our Last Saturday walks will continue, (if COVID restrictions permit). So there will be a guided walk on Saturday 27th February, Saturday 27th March and Saturday 24th April, always starting and finishing at the War Memorial in Mile End/Nayland Road at 10 am. Each walk will take under an hour and will explore different routes around the golf course, Chesterwell Woods, Braiswick Lane and Fords Lane. Then perhaps as the weather improves we may venture further afield. And, a little further afield, we are keeping our eyes on ECC plans for transport to cope with the necessary safety requirements of the current situation – Safer, Greener, Healthier. They have proposed two cycle routes through Colchester – North/South as well as a West/East. I’m not sure if the North/South route is also a South/North route! Anyway it starts in Bruff Close at the bottom of Mile End Road, near the “recent improvements to the cycleway along the length of Mile End Road” - at least that is what ECC are saying. Perhaps they are referring to the pavement (aka footway), which has been a shared cycleway/footway for the last four years. It then goes towards town, sometimes on the pavement, sometimes on the road. Sometimes with “improved segregation” and sometimes “fully segregated”. I don’t know the difference either! Much of this document goes against the guidance from the Dept for Transport advice given in their document “Gear Change - A Bold vision for cycling and walking.” Much of it is not very clear and much of it isn’t easily understandable! 10