The Fight to Stop Over Development Continues
At a time when Councils are cash strapped and the Tory austerity still bites hard, somebody (and it wasn’t us) has called for an expensive by election in Downhall & Rawreth. We’ll leave you to guess who it was! You may even notice that other opposition groups are not standing – they too think this by election is unnecessary and would of been better to have been held in May with the scheduled elections.
Any Tory influence in Downhall & Rawreth would be an impending disaster for West Rayleigh, with so many sites put forward for development the green belt would be desimated in just a few short years. Our infrastructure is already creaking and the Tory Councillors elected at District and County level, have done nothing to even begin to remedy the situation.
Craig Cannell our Lib Dem candidate, is as passionate about stopping overdevelopment as the rest of the Lib Dem team. He spent a lot of time with the late Cllr Chris Black campaigning and getting to grips with the issues that Rayleigh and Rochford District residents face.
Craig will be canvassing, with the rest of the team shortly, so please take the opportunity to get to know him better.
Satire Aid Reaches Kids Less Fortunate
I can across this post on Facebook – a toy drive from kids less fortunate and in poverty. It allows you to donate a gift from Amazon. It’s as easy as click a couple of buttons and can make a big difference to those in need.
Our Satire Aid appeal has reached £25,000 worth of toys for underprivileged children all over the country now, and at one of the delivery points we found this heartbreaking but also inspiring note inside a box containing a Duplo Train Set from a mum who was donating a gift in the memory of her stillborn son. We decided that it was worth sharing with her surname removed …
Posted by Simon Harris on Thursday, 7 December 2017
Mr Snowman
Great to see lots of families out enjoying the snow today, I came across lot’s on snowmen on my way from London Road to Asda.
Here’s a particularly delightful one that I bumped into.
Do You Want To Build a Snowman?
Totally unrelated and non political post….. if we get snow, while everyone else is panic buying bread and milk you’ll find me over at Sweyne Park building my own Olaf. He’s soooo cool
Meanwhile if you’ve got to get some place and you want to track Essex County Councils gritters…..
http://www.essexhighways.org/Roads-and-Pavements/winter-travel/track-the-gritting-lorries.aspx
Social Media Silence
Rochford DIstrict Council has decided that it's time the Social Media Policy for Members gets an update. What does this mean for us Councillors? Well, if you don't use social media then probably, not a lot. For those of us that are more 'connected' the amended policy raises all sorts of problems. The first of those being that you are not allowed to criticise the council - wtf???
How are we expected to be opposition if we are not allowed to criticise decisions? Now we have another evolving problem.... Rayleigh Town Council in their ( perhaps lack of) wisdom have decided to recommend to adopt the, as yet unadopted, new version of the District Councils social media policy. Phew it's all a bit much but you would think these two councils were 'joined at the hip' with their policies and decision making processes. If they get any closer I'm sure they will morph into one council!! Perhaps the issue is as one Councillor regularly comments on, that half of the Town Council (myself included) are also District Councillors and the lines are just too blurred?
The 'media' have picked up on this and today opposition Councillors John Mason & Neil Hookway were invited on to BBC Essex to discuss the 'little problem' - I'm sure there's going to be a antidote for this disease that is spreading through Councils across the country which is trying to hinder democracy and May can't come soon enough!
Readers’ letters: Contempt over more homes in Rochford
Readers’ letters: Contempt over more homes in Rochford
Readers’ letters: Contempt over more homes in Rochford
I read the report ‘Rochford can’t cope with 7,500 homes’ on page 4 of Thursday’s edition of the Echo and, for the first time ever, felt I had to write in response.
It does not surprise me that councillor Sperring is so dismissive of the responses of the electorate when he says ‘I am sure we will hear the usual views…’ as many of us are aware that some of those who purport to represent us on Rochford Council view our comments with disdain, or perhaps more accurately, with contempt!
Perhaps he would explain why he is so contemptuous of how a significant proportion of us feel.
Does he consider that our roads, doctors, hospitals and schools etc are all perfectly capable of dealing with the increase in population that Rochford is planning?
Or is he so gullible that he is taken in by the facile attempts to ameliorate these issues put forward by the planning officers when pushing these applications through?
However, what really surprised me was that he was happy for these comments to be published in the Echo, now, in my opinion, that really does show contempt!
However, what really surprised me was that he was happy for these comments to be published in the Echo, now, in my opinion, that really does show contempt!
Perhaps the electorate of Rochford would do well to remember this when voting in the next round of elections.
STUART MENNELL Lambourne Hall Road, Canewdon