A round-up of Chelmsford City Council's top stories and events this week.

Get ready to vote in the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner election

Meet heroes and see show cars at the Chelmsford Takeover 

On Saturday 13 April between 10am and 4pm, the Chelmsford Takeover returns to Chelmsford High Street. The free Chelmsford For You and Essex Cosplayers event has heroes and characters galore, show cars, a gaming bus, dinosaur zone, meet and greet opportunities, and much, much more!

Aerial footage shows Beaulieu Park station progress

Work to build the new Beaulieu Park station is continuing to progress and footage has been released by Network Rail to show the latest aerial view of the site. There is planned work affecting the main Chelmsford train line this weekend (13/14 April) so check your journey for rail replacement services before you travel.

Enter competition to win an airfryer! 

Love Your Chelmsford is running a 5 for 5 Food Challenge for Chelmsford residents. Create a delicious meal for one person using only five sustainable, seasonal, and local ingredients for under £5. Share your meal with LYC to be in with the chance of winning a Ninja air fryer! 

Take part in the Transport East travel survey 

Transport East has launched a survey into how people travel within Essex and the wider region. Whether people walk, drive, cycle, take the bus or train, they want to hear your views by 17 April to help develop transport plans across the region. Completed surveys also have the chance of winning a £100 Love2Shop voucher!

Register for RideLondon-Essex

There are just 44 days to go until RideLondon-Essex 2024! There's still time to sign up to take part in one of three challenges taking place on 26 May: 30 miles, 60 miles or 100 miles. The 100-mile route passes through Chelmsford from Howe Street, through Melbourne and Writtle before heading to Ongar and back to central London. 

Last chance to vote in the Muddy Stilettos Awards 

There's just a few more days to vote in the Essex Regional Finals of the Muddy Stilettos Awards 2024! Chelmsford Theatre is in the final for Best Arts, Culture and Theatre, and other much-loved Chelmsford businesses are in the running right across other categories, including Best Restaurant and Best Florist. Check out all the finalists and don't forget to vote for your favourites by 18 April. 

Become a citizen scientist with the Essex BioBlitz 

Essex Wildlife Trust and the University of Essex have relaunched citizen science project the Essex BioBlitz. They're asking the public to take photos of wildflowers, which will contribute to climate change research. Use your phone to snap a picture of a wildflower and upload to the iNaturalist app.

Hear from a top nature writer at Hylands 

Explore the area with a new walk

If you want to make the most of the lighter evenings but aren’t sure where to start, why not try our family-friendly walking routes? There are short, medium and long route options, taking in some of Chelmsford’s prettiest scenery. Some even have ping-pong tables en-route, so you can mix it up with a different form of exercise!

South Woodham Ferrers' market is back this Saturday

South Woodham Ferrers' market is back in Market Square this Saturday 13 April from 10am–3pm, and fortnightly thereafter. This weekend's pop up promises mouth-watering Greek delicacies, cheese, seafood, cakes, chocolate and ice cream. There are also plenty of gifts for you to treat someone special (including yourself!).

Hylands Estate Wedding Showcase – Sunday 14 April 

The Hylands Estate Wedding Showcase is taking place this weekend. Come along on Sunday 14 April from 11am to meet industry experts and get wedding inspiration! If you haven’t yet booked, then RSVP to be in with the chance of winning £500 off your wedding hire at Hylands Estate.

Chelmsford For You events calendar 

If you're trying to find things to do in Chelmsford, take a look at the Chelmsford For You 'What's On' calendar. It lists events happening around the city, big and small, from festivals and concerts to talks and meet ups. If you're running an event that you'd like other people to know about, you can also list it for free.