Council apologises for wailing Epping car park alarm
Describing the noise, Ms Cannon said: "It was terribly loud... I suppose that's what it's meant to do... distract you."Janet Hedges, 78, said: "It does go right through you, because it wakes you up and you think 'Ooh, what's happened?'"People come in and try and calm you down."Eileen Kelly, 92, said the alarm sounded for "a long while", adding that she thought it was supposed to indicate an emergency."It does affect you because you wonder what it is: 'Why is it going off? Have we got some trouble somewhere?'" she said.
Robert Born, 67, who lives about 200 yards (180m) away on Buttercross Lane, said the alarm had blared "six or seven times" over the last nine months."It hasn't got an automatic cut-out. It has gone on for 11 hours continuously once, but normally it's about one to two hours," he said.He said there had been a "far worse" incident previously when the alarm started late on a Friday evening."[Of] course, everyone has gone home from the council," he said."The car park is still merrily ringing away at eight o' clock the next morning."You can't go outside when this thing's going on, because it's going through your head."
This month, the council took back ownership of the car park from Qualis, a company that it owns.A council spokesperson said the authority had been "working hard" to fix the alarm system, reducing the number of instances it went off and trying to "respond in a timely manner" whenever it did.
Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
North Weald Basset plans include 600 homes, care home and school
A proposal has been unveiled for a development that would include 600 homes, a 70-bed care home and a Weald Grove Ltd has submitted its plans – which include five-bedroom properties – to Epping Forest District Council for North Weald Bassett, terraced and detached homes of two, three and four bedrooms would also be built on the former North Weald golf course, in Rayley proposed primary school would be at the southern edge of the development. If the plans are allowed to go ahead, the estate would be accessed from a new road with an added bus upgraded sports centre is also being existing clubhouse, to the north of the site, would be revamped, with new facilities including clubrooms for use by sports clubs and the wider community. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the plans state: "North Weald Park presents a unique opportunity to deliver a new residential community."This will make a considerable contribution to the district's housing needs at a time when very limited new housing is being brought forward." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Glasgow Times
05-08-2025
- Glasgow Times
How Glasgow's pupils performed in the 2025 SQA exams
Councillor Christina Cannon, the city's education convener, said the figures show 'solid and steady progress' and added: 'I know that our secondary schools will be delighted for their pupils.' The number of pupils in the city achieving five or more Highers in S5 has stayed almost the same as last year – 14.4% compared to 14.5% in 2024 – while the number receiving five or more Highers in sixth year dipped from 27.2% in 2024 to 26% this year. Councillor Cannon said: 'There has been a tiny dip in five-plus Highers for S5 pupils but at 0.1 percentage points it is not yet a concern, and we will begin constructive discussions with all secondary schools and dig into the school level results.' Headteacher Ruth McConachie (Image: Mark F Gibson / Newsquest) Around 147,000 students across the country received their grades in National, Higher and Advanced Higher qualifications and vocational awards today (August 5) in what education chiefs are calling a 'landmark year' of achievement and success. The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) - which will be replaced by Qualifications Scotland in December - confirmed that the 2024-2025 session resulted in a rise in overall attainment rates and a narrowing of the poverty-related attainment gap, while the total number of vocational and technical qualifications – the skills-based awards that unlock training and career opportunities – passed 100,000 for the first time ever. Councillor Cannon said: 'The good news for Glasgow's young people is the overall attainment and achievement in the city continues to make solid and steady progress across indicators at each year group. 'There was a significant rise in Advanced Higher attainment this year, with our S6 young people achieving one or more up by 1.4%, and in our S4 National 5 results – up 1.3% for five or more and 1.6% for one or more.' Councillor Cannon, who joined Cabinet Secretary for Education Jenny Gilruth at King's Park Secondary to speak to pupils about their experiences, added: 'We must not forget the commitment of all our teachers and school staff who have helped make the results a success story for Glasgow. 'As we have said many times, there is no wrong path, and I want to pay credit to Glasgow's young people today. You are brilliant, resilient, dedicated and deserve the very best.' Whitehill Secondary pupils Kacey Wilson, Narjis Al-Kabbawi, Mohammed Bhatti, Andrew Craig and Alexis Main (Image: Mark F Gibson / Newsquest) Pupils at Whitehill Secondary in Dennistoun also celebrated exam success on Tuesday (August 5). Alexis Main, who is in S4, achieved five As and two Bs in her National 5s. "I was absolutely delighted, and my mum was really proud," she said. "I didn't think I had done very well so I was relieved. My plan is to study musical theatre at the RCS - that's my goal." Education secretary Jenny Gilruth with some of the King's Park Secondary pupils (Image: PA) Whitehill Secondary headteacher Rosie McConachie said: "I am delighted for our young people and the school staff. 'The results today are a reflection of how well we all work together as a team and deliver for our young people. 'I am so proud when I hear the young people talking about their learning journeys – whichever pathway they have chosen – and about their plans for the future.'
Metro
01-08-2025
- Metro
Moment manhole shoots fire onto street as terrified pedestrians run
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Manholes exploded – with fire – in terrifying incidents that sent pedestrians running in a Brooklyn neighborhood. A video shared on the safety network app Citizen showed cars driving on a street in the Bushwick neighbourhood shortly before 5.30pm on Thursday when a column of flames shot up from a manhole. In the clip, a bright orange plume was seen from a distance and it cut out as the person recording it appeared to duck for cover. The burst happened as a firefighter moved a barrier on Central Avenue between Myrtle Avenue and Stockholm Street. The firefighter was on site because the New York City Fire Department was investigating reports of higher than normal levels of carbon monoxide, WABC reported. No one was injured from the sudden eruption. Con Edison, which supplies energy in New York City, responded to the scene. However, two hours later, another manhole less a mile away spewed fire, at Lewis Avenue and Pulaski Street. A video posted to the Citizen app showed flames coming from inside the manhole and spreading across the street and encroaching on businesses and vehicles. About 60 firefighters and first responders rushed to the scene and extinguished the blaze before it hurt anyone or caused any property damage. More Trending It happened a week after two other manhole fires occurred on Remsen Avenue in Brooklyn's East Flatbush neighbourhood and knocked out power to five buildings and caused a small gas leak that forced evacuations, according to WABC. Con Edison said it was caused by an electrical fire. It happened three months after a series of manhole explosions – without fire – just missed hitting a grandmother and her two grandchildren who were walking on a sidewalk after an Easter egg hunt in Poughkeepsie, which is about 80 miles north of Manhattan. New York City has roughly 350,000 manholes across its five boroughs that cover a network of underground cables and gas lines. The cables are prone to overheating from air conditioner use in the summer and can cause the manhole explosions. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Ghislaine Maxwell quietly moved out of Florida prison while seeking Trump pardon MORE: What is 'flysky', the new lethal drug that could be the new fentanyl MORE: White House reveals £151,000,000 plans for a new ballroom
