Great Dunmow has enjoyed excellent events this year such as the Dunmow Carnival, the Christmas Lights Switch on, a Last Night of the Proms concert by our very own Dunmow Wind Band and of course the world famous Flitch Trials.

Our Atlantis swimming Team have continued to enjoy success in competition and have developed a reciprocal relationship with our Twinning town, Dourdan.

We have a British Champion Novice B Ice Skater in Jasmine Cressey and our High Street was in the top five in the Third Annual Great British High Street competition.

Our preschools, primary and secondary schools have continued to inspire our children and I would like to especially thank the army of volunteers for the plethora of charitable groups here in the town that have fought the good fight helping many in need.

Our open spaces and the wonderful flower baskets throughout the town this year have added another dimension to the beauty of the town.

The town council has worked hard on the town’s behalf and amongst other things have created a Facebook page to try to reach out to more of the residents.

With all these things considered though, our most significant achievement in 2016 in my opinion was our successful referendum for our Neighbourhood Plan.

This has been the culmination of four years’ hard work done by a core of seven people and the town council and has meant that Great Dunmow has become the first town in Uttlesford to have a Neighbourhood plan.

Development is inevitable but with this document it is hoped that Great Dunmow will be able to grow at a sustainable pace that will allow us to keep our ‘Meadow on the Hill.’

May Dunmow Prosper.