From the Echo Newspaper

The article discusses more development on London Road in West Rayleigh and the rebuilding of  a care home.

Dispatches reports: The Great Housing Scandal

@RochfordDC

It’s not voodoo magic, or witchcraft – it’s social media! Yes, Rochford District Council are on a number of social media platforms –  Twitter, Facebook & Instagram (no snapchat yet!) – So, if you want to be in the know about what’s going on in the local community then get connected via one of these social media platforms. If you want to get in touch then the available social media platforms are found here

Could This Help Rochford Meet Our Affordable Housing Crisis?

I often hear the argument made that we need houses that are affordable. Today I came across this article from the BBC which discusses a village which has been built by a private company, which is entirely powered by the sun. It’s an interesting article and in my opinion is very thought provoking.

It seemly addresses a number of issues when it comes to affordability, profitability and sustainability. The article suggests that land is released by the council exclusively  for affordable homes to be built due to the high cost of land. These developments could also see a 4% return on the investment. Perhaps our council would do well to consider this sort of scheme to help house our first time buyers and those struggling to get on the housing ladder?

Dispatches investigates Air Pollution

Whilst looking into the causes of poor air quality, I came across this report from Channel 4 dispatches. It’s really worth a watch, it’s a shocking report into Air quality in the UK and who is affected by it the most.

Rayleigh Air Quality Falls Short of EU Limits

Queuing traffic on London Road

On London Road sitting in traffic? Or perhaps queuing going up Crown Hill, then again you could be on Rawreth Lane queuing to turn into Hullbridge – All of these are familiar commuter routes that we all endure. Getting from A to B in and around Rayleigh has become slower and slower with some residents reporting journey times of 1hr to get from Down Hall Road to Rayleigh Weir ‘for no apparent reason’

All these cars on our roads have led to Rochford District Council declaring in February 2015,  Rayleigh Town Centre becoming an air quality management area (AQMA) due to the levels of  vehicle exhaust emissions. More than 18 months on, the air quality targets are NOT being met. I’ve questioned why London Road, Down Hall Road & Rawreth Lane are not included in the AQMA as we all see the volume of traffic queuing on these roads frequently. Is it because the council’s own policy restricts new residential development in air quality management areas and these were the areas destined for development under the core strategy?

Air pollution has a major impact on human health.
It is associated with a range of deadly diseases including cancer, heart disease, strokes and asthma, and is the number one environmental cause of death in the EU, responsible for over 400,000 early deaths in 2010 alone.

Source: www.clientearth.org

We, the Lib Dems are vigorously challenging the council’s approach to air quality measurements. We believe that every resident is entitled to clean air and not just in selected areas. The council’s existing data on pollution is a minimum required standard.  We want the best for our residents and we propose that more areas are monitored for pollution and over a longer period of time. Our council needs to up its game and exceed the expectations of all our residents.

29% of emissions are caused by car’s in the High Street

Do you want to know more? Here’s the Local Air Quality Management report prepared by the council  Local Air Quality Management (416 downloads)

Rayleigh West Flood Alleviation Scheme Consultation

On the 19th October 2016, Essex County Council are holding a public consultation for residents in ‘Rayleigh West’. They are proposing changes to the bunds on Sweyne Park School’s playing fields and changes to the pond in Sweyne Park. There are hoping that this will help alleviate the risk of flooding downstream. So if you’ve been flooded or think your property is at risk then please go along and see what the proposals are.

Rayleigh West Flood Alleviation Consultation

RDC Budget Consultation

There’s a BIG hole in the councils finances

So the hole gets bigger over time due to the fact that the grant the local council receives from central government will eventually replaced by allowing the local authorities to retain 100% of business rates. So what’s the strategy for closing the gap? Increase council tax, parking charges, charge for bin collection or hunting down those businesses that aren’t paying enough rates or reduce services? What’s the answer? Maybe you have the answer (or one of the answers at least) and Rochford District Council is inviting you to give your views via the budget consultation survey which can be found here.

A Speedy Post….

Be warned….

the speed camera on London Road is back in action after it had been damaged by a collision (probably someone speeding)

Hungry For Some Decent Restaurants

Eating Out can leave a bitter taste in your mouth

Raw chicken, raw steak, cold food, missing portions & overpriced food – what do all these things have in common? These are just a few of our personal experiences of restaurants & takeaways in Rayleigh.

We have an abdunace of eating establishments in Rayleigh, some may argue too many, however,  often after eating in these places we wonder why it’s so hard to get a decent meal. Are we eating in the wrong places? Are our expectations too high? It amazes us that a lot of these places are often fully booked.

I was out for lunch recently with a friend recently and asked for their opinion on the restaurants and takeaways in Rayleigh. “Feels like you’ve just been mugged” he quipped. Hmmm not on our own here then!

Now, I could be being a trifle unfair here, and this is going to sound awful but it actually has worked on a number of occasions. When we go into a restaurant I say “the last time I came in here, the chicken wasn’t cooked…..” etc. It actually gets results. Our meal if usually spot on!

This post isn’t about moaning or complaining for no reason, it’s about being fair. I’m all for contributing to the local economy but if the restaurants don’t want my trade by providing the service and quality they are charging me for, I’ll happily take my business elsewhere as I’m sure others will.

For now I think I’ll stick to home cooking but if you know of a hidden gem of a restaurant in Rayleigh, let me know in the comments below.