Residents vote to back divorce

A recent vote among Liston residents has confirmed that 76 per cent are in favour of splitting from the village of Foxearth.

The vote was organised as part of the process required by Braintree District Council when Liston applied to dissolve the grouping order which joins the two villages under one parish council.

Foxearth and Liston Parish Council was formed under one grouping order in 1976, but Liston residents are hoping to dissolve the ruling in a bid to gain more control over decisions and matters affecting the village.

During a parish council meeting last week, councillor Tony Clayton reported that a vote had been conducted among Liston residents in which 76 per cent had voted in favour of dissolving the grouping order.

He said the outcome of the vote had been sent to the district council.

Currently, there are five parish councillors representing Foxearth – including chairman Clive Waite – and one councillor representing Liston.

The application is being considered by Braintree District Council and a decision is expected next year.

One of the main issues driving the application to split from Foxearth is the proposal to build 122 houses and flats on the Stafford Park site.

A planning application by the land owner is expected to be submitted early next year.

Liston resident George Kasabov, who has lived in the village for seven-and-a-half years, said residents are apathetic about the current state of the joint council.

He said the Stafford Park development would “blow the heart out of our area”.

“We don’t have apathy in Liston because we realise the consequences of being apathetic,” he said.

“It has brought our whole community together.”

With only around 50 residents, an independent Liston would be unable to form a parish council but would be able to hold parish meetings.

Mr Kasabov said parish meetings would still be more efficient in the long-term.

“Residents think we should separate because we just can’t trust what could happen,” he said.

“We want to be in charge of our own dealings.

“At the moment, the people who live here [in Liston] seem to more or less agree with each other.”