Council goes "al fresco"

A fire alarm at the Town Hall around 9.20pm on Fireworks night resulted in an evacuation and the Environmental Panel going "al fresco", with the meeting concluding on the building's steps!

Cllr David Kendall said:

"It's the first time in my 17 years on the council that this has happened! Thankfully, it turned out to be a false alarm.

"Once it was clear that we weren't getting back into the chamber that night, the Chairman suggested that we continue the meeting where we were, as the committee were all still gathered. We agreed, cross-party, that this was the best thing to do for the residents of Brentwood so we continued, with all protocols observed and with the council officer, kindly, continuing to take the minutes."

Cllr Karen Chilvers added:

"There were a couple of things on the agenda that all councillors were keen to reach decisions on and so, in the cold and dark, we carried on.

"However, if it happens again let's hope it's a balmy summer's evening!"