Chelmsford - By Vicky Ford MP

I was honoured to welcome Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to Chelmsford, where he launched a new Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan. Chelmsford is usually a very calm and peaceful place but when anti-social behaviour does occur this can have a devastating impact.

on the roads of Essex - they are working flat out. Victoria Road in Chelmsford was also totally resurfaced over the Easter school holidays.

Thank you to everyone who has taken time to talk whilst I have been out and about lately.

If you have any problem, do get in touch with me by email at: vicky.ford.mp@parliament.uk.

The Prime Minister met affected residents at the Essex Boys and Girls Club. He announced extra funding for more Hot Spot Policing, so that our local police can target specific areas. Thank you to those who report incidents of anti-social behaviour; this helps the police build a clearer picture of where and when action is needed.

Chelmsford has recently been reawarded a ‘purple flag’ for safety in the nighttime economy. I joined a big police operation in Chelmsford where during the evening until the early hours of the morning, police deployed the mobile metal detector in different locations to pick up anyone with a knife or any other weapon. Many people, especially women and girls, told me how pleased they were to see the enhanced focus on safety.

Operations like this are funded by the government’s GRIP programme of high visibility hotspot policing which has been found to reduce the risk of serious violence. In Chelmsford, thanks to the GRIP programme, there is an enhanced police presence around the city centre’s pubs, clubs and bars on every busy Friday and Saturday night and regular patrols of the station areas.

I have been pushing Greater Anglia for increased services between Chelmsford and London, particularly during the morning peak, and now from May additional morning peak services are being added. From 06:45 to 08:45 (the busiest peak period) there will be trains to London at least every 10 minutes (other than a 12-minute gap from 08:17 to 08:29) and the average gap is just 8 minutes. The transition from the old trains to the new trains will also be complete, improving both reliability and capacity with as many as 200 extra seats on each service.

In Moulsham Lodge, I continue to work closely with Cllr Rob Gisby to try to secure a new location for Post Office services. We recently spoke to representatives from the Post Office head quarters team who confirmed they are in commercial discussions with a potential local provider.

The recent cold snap we had in March brought more potholes and the wet weather in March and April delayed their repair. Thanks to investment of £14.5 million from both Essex County Council and the government, there are 12 additional pothole repair crews operating