Car Wash Outrage In Hockley

Echo Report 21st December 2009 – Outrage as car wash is built without approval

Will a Parish Plan arrive too late for Hullbridge?

Time to show opposition to 450 planned houses, VILLAGERS need to make their voices heard about plans to build 450 new homes, a worried councillor has said.

Monday 28th December 2009 By John Geoghegan in the Echo 

Michael Hoy, a Green Party parish councillor in Hull-bridge, believes the village has been subdued in its opposition to the plans which form part of Rochford District Council’s core strategy for housing across the district.

He raised the issue at a recent parish council meeting, where he also called for a village plan to help shape any development and to make sure Hullbridge gets something in return from the developers.

Salting/Gritting in Rochford District

STOP PRESS, 7/01/2010.  The Government has announced that steps are being taken to control the national distribution of salt !!

This means that it will be necessary to reduce the schedule published here 0n 8/1 and 9/1 -go here  or here to find out more information 

With more snow and icy conditions on the way after the Festive Season our thoughts turned to the problems we experienced in Rochford District from 17/18 December right up to Christmas Day.

ECC Local area offices with knowledge of local requirements can also get involved in deployment. Roads are treated in their order of importance and usage.  So what is considered of importance in Rochford District?

Bins of Confusion

BIN collections across Rochford district were suspended until 28 /12.

The District Council announced the suspension on Christmas Eve because of “icy conditions proving very dangerous for both the personnel and vehicles”.

From Monday 28/12 contractors Sita  started collecting all the bins they were unable to collect last week, but compostable food waste will not be collected until this week.

London Gangs Target Hockley & Hawkwell

Echo 22nd December 2009

POLICE are to target gangs of youths who are coming into Hockley from London to cause trouble.

Youths have been travelling for miles to get to Clements Hall leisure centre and are causing havoc on Friday and Saturday nights.

This has blighted the lives of local residents due to the noise, vandalism to cars, and general antisocial behaviour. Groups of local youths have also been attacked and robbed.

Chief Insp Glen Westley, of Rochford police, said officers would look to tackle the situation before it got worse.

A Tale of Two Villages

Whilst the title of this article is an opportunistic pun on the Dickens’  Classic, Tale of Two Cities,  the story here in Rochford could be a tragedy of epic proportions for two villages in Rochford District if Government Planning Inspectors allow the two appeals in Stambridge and Hawkwell. 

Also at risk is the whole strategic housing and development plan (Core Strategy) which is being put forward by Rochford District Council to another Planning Inspector the same time.

So why are two big developers challenging RDC through planning applications rather than the Core Strategy Consultation and Public Examination?

 Both developers have something to lose.

Christmas Tree Farm, Hawkwell is Appealed to The Government

The Refusal of the David Wilson Homes Planning Application has already been Appealed to The Government.  

The Appeal for the 330 Dwellings at Rectory Rd / Main Rd / Clements Hall Way has been validated by the Planning Inspectorate and is in the initial processing stage. The Appeal reference no is APP/B1550/A/09/2118700/NWF.

Public Inquiry will be held on 27/04/2010 and could run for up to 4 days 

Link Here

Grounds for Appeal Here

There will be an Inquiry in public in 2/3 months time.

Yet More Electricity Outages

From Brian Guyett, Chairman of  The Hockley Residents’ Association

The Hockley/Rochford area (postcodes SS4 and SS5) has had 7/8, fairly brief, power cuts over the past three evenings.
 
EDF say the problem its likely to be a loose connection or a snow-laden tree brushing against overhead wires tripping a circuit breaker.  Their priority is people still cut-off since Thursday(!) and they have no one at present to walk the lines to check for a fault.
 
Anyone who spots a possible problem to report it to EDF (08007 838 838).

A bad year for EDF see also 3258 houses without power in November http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/rayleigh/4731428.3_258_homes_left_without_power_after_electricity_fault/

Greetings

‘Muntjac in Winter’, Hawkwell

A Christmas Card from The Rochford Independent

Enjoy the Festive & New Year Holidays !! 

Snow Causes Major Power Loss in Hawkwell

The forecast snow storm came as predicted at around 9 pm on Thursday, 17 December and in just a half an hour had brought down a high voltage cable in Rectory Road plunging 500 houses into darkness and bitter cold for 15 hours.

The Rochford Independent contacted the Emergency Planning Officer at RDC as soon as the Council opened because telephone lines to EDF had been jammed since the night before and no one knew what the situation was yet alone having news on BBC Essex, Essex FM/Heart.

Is there an Alternative Housing Development Strategy for Hawkwell?

Published by The Rochford Independent for Councillor John Mason

As I have said in another recent article my congratulations  to residents in achieving firstly, a reduction in the proposed quantum from 330 to 175 in the Core Strategy and secondly, by convincing Rochford District Council to refuse a subsequent planning application for 330.

But there is much, much more to do if the wishes of the majority of residents are to be finally achieved .

Rest assured that I will continue to use every opportunity in Council to represent the interests of the majority of the residents of my Ward. 

Hawkwell Planning Application Refused

The Rochford Independent congratulates the individual residents who made written representations to Rochford District Council and to the organisations which ran campaigns of objection, namely The Hawkwell Action Group (HAG) and The Hawkwell Residents Association.

The David Wilson Homes Planning Application was Refused Permission last night, 3 December 2009, by the unanimous recorded vote of District Councillors present at the Development Control Committee.

One of the Ward Councillors, John Mason, led the debate having heard a presentation by Officers, and speeches by Mr. Hull on behalf of the Applicant, Parish Councillor Myra Weir on behalf of Hawkwell Parish Council and John Dagg QC on behalf of The Hawkwell Residents Association.

Clear Distinction between Core Strategy and Planning Application

Dear Councillor Mason
 
To confirm our discussion and my advice to you which John Honey as Monitoring Officer has affirmed, there is a clear distinction between Council Members’ participation in the Core Strategy deliberations and the consideration of a subsequent planning application.  The key issue for the purposes of the code of conduct is that you keep an open mind in respect of the planning application and do not made public statements on those proposals, in advance of the formal consideration, that gives the appearance that you have already made up your mind on that matter. In the circumstances I do not consider you would be precluded from participating in the determination of the planning application .
 
Kind Regards
 
Albert Bugeja

Council Officers Recommend Refusal of 330 houses in Hawkwell

Rochford District Council Officers are recommending that The Development Control Committee refuse a Planning Application from David Wilson Homes for 330 new houses in Hawkwell on the site known as the Christmas Tree Farm, Rectory Road and Thorpe Road.

The Hawkwell Action Group has advised residents by leaflet this weekend that Mr. John Dagg QC will also be speaking on behalf of residents who have campaigned over several years against a proposal from either the Council in the form of its Core Strategy or this specific planning application.

Hockley doesn’t want 150 New Houses in Town Centre

From the Echo 19 August

RESIDENTS have given a “resounding thumbs-down” to a council plan to revamp Hockley, a pressure group says.

The Hockley Under Threat campaign was set up by neighbours in response to the Hockley Area Action Plan, which aims to revitalise the town centre with new shops, a smarter look and more homes.

Earlier this year, Rochford District Council asked residents what they would like to see. But many complained they were unaware of the plans.

The group’s committee has examined more than 250 responses to the plan and found 77 per cent were against.

COUNCIL tax may have to rise to plug public sector pensions

Daily Mail, 1 August 2009

Bob Holloway, who runs the pension scheme for local government workers, has warned the gold-plated final salary schemes are no longer sustainable because people are ‘refusing to die’.

Local authorities are facing a £50 billion shortfall In their pension pots after recklessly investing taxpayers’ money In shares and hedge funds.

The respected Public Service Journal reported that officials are considering a number of ways to tackle the deficit, including raising council tax.

They are also looking at increasing employee contributions, raising the retirement age or cutting public services. Another proposal could see public servants’ pensions based on career-average earnings rather than final salaries.

Barratt Consults Public on 370 Houses in Rectory Road

The developer is David Wilson Homes which is part of Barratt Developments PLC.  Site Map

Rochford District Council has put forward a plan in its Core Strategy for 175 new dwellings in Hawkwell whilst David Wilson Homes is actually preparing a Planning Application for 370 houses on one of the potential sites that have been suggested to the Council.  Confused, Yes you have every right to be !!

At the same time, The Hawkwell Action Group, which is believed to have at least 300 active supporters, will also no doubt be letting them both know what it thinks about their conflicting proposals !! And also the public.

Licensing Decision on the Cusp – White Hart Public House

Technically this pub is in Hockley Parish and representative RDC Members are from Hockley Central Ward although there is a Licensing Committee which makes decisions where applications receive objections. 

The boundary between Hockley and Hawkwell runs down the middle of White Hart Lane.

Outdoor Music was recently permitted by Rochford District Council under what is called a Temporary Event Notice. The noise concerned some residents.

The White Hart has now applied for a new premises license. This comprises 37 Activities including Performance of Live Music, Inside and Out.

Is £30,000 Budget to much for a short bridleway extension?

About 4 years ago following complaints from local residents about motorcycle riders getting on to the recreation ground at Clements Hall, I got involved with asking for a proper fence to be put across the end of Hawkwell Park Drive, together with a proper gate to allow prams but not motorcycle to pass.

Unfortunately that meant that horseriders could not access the bridleway running from Hawkwell Park Drive to Park Gardens and onto another route.

This was an oversight and the Council consulted with ECC and Hawkwell Parish Council.  It was discovered that there was not a safe route anyway from the bridleway crossing and adjoining Clements Hall Way/Spencers Park to Hawkwell Park Drive through the grounds at Clements Hall.

Recycling Scheme has some problems

Non-Collection of Contaminated Bins is something that everyone wishes to avoid. 

But this is becoming a serious matter because I have been advised that Rochford District Council had 111 tonnes of contamination in May compared to 650 tonnes of dry recycling and this is costing in the order of £8,000 per month.

Recycling Officers from Rochford District Council have been going out with the refuse crews and ensuring that the dry recycling bins are free from contamination.

In many cases they have then been able to respond directly and distribute a letter and information leaflet.

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