How we might get a chunk of the budget for something important in Hawkwell

The new concept is ‘localism’  - local budgets for Highway improvements

The County Council will agree annually a budget for highway works in Rochford District and it will then be the responsibility of the Area Committees to advise on their preferred schemes/works, with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Transportation determining, where necessary, the overall priorities for the District and to advise County Highways accordingly.

This was on this list - Rectory Road Hawkwell - Relocate street furniture to edge or rear of footway to allow greater access to pedestrians

Please Protest about no Bus

The campaign to get our evening bus back for Hawkwell has hit an iceberg in the form of the Review Committee for Rochford District Council.

This committee is headed up by Rayleigh Lib Dem, June Lumley and it was asked by Transport Councillor Boss, Keith Hudson to examine all the bus issues that were being raised by the public about cuts in services in Hockley, Hawkwell and Ashingdon.

At the same time I raised the issue of the lack of an evening bus in Hawkwell whilst giving evidence to the committee.  At a subsequent meeting with the residents associations in Hockley and Hawkwell it was raised again for reconsideration by Essex County Council.

Spin, Dirty Tricks and Expenses

One of the characteristics of an independent councillor is the ability to speak out without political reprisal.  True or Untrue? I’ll let you be the judge. You have a right to know directly from me all about the issues that are affecting your local councillor who is trying to do a good job representing you, rather than someone else.

Residents in the wake of revelations about our MP’s are now turning to our local councillors.  The Rochford Lib Dems published the “Councillors’ Allowance Claims April 2007 - March 2008″ on their web site at http://onlinefocus.org/?p=1277 if you want to read the detail. Rochford District Council will be publishing updated figures for 2009 very shortly.

Proposed Large Housing Development in Hawkwell - Update

What is going on with the proposal to build 330 houses in Hawkwell?   Something that hundreds of residents of Hawkwell wrote to Rochford District Council about last November and to say “No”.  As it happens The Hawkwell Action Group and I are just about ready to deliver a new “Newsletter”.  Well here it is !!  It’s a bit long but we think that residents of Hawkwell will want to know the full story and be able to decide themselves what they want to say in the next consultation.

Extra NHS Dentist Surgery

The Hockley Residents’ Association has informed the “Independent” that The White Hart Lane Dental Surgery, Hockley has been given increased NHS capacity and are opening an additional treatment room with effect from 6th May.
 
It will be open 4 days a week and will allow many more people access to an NHS dentist.  People needing an NHS dentist should ring the surgery on 01702 206640.

This work is licenced under a
Creative Commons Licence.

Bus Cuts Extra

Essex County Council has now conveyed a decision not to provide an evening service on the Arriva 8 to Hawkwell.

Here are a few quotes from an Essex County Council email which was sent to me in 2003 to explain why Ashingdon has a good bus service but Hawkwell has none. It still makes no sense to me reading it again 6 years later.

Community Shelter Vandalised

The Community Shelter at Clements Hall has been extensively vandalised on the night of 5 March.

Stuart Mennell, Clerk of Hawkwell Parish Council has organised emergency repairs to make the shelter safe.

Hawkwell youth shelter destroyed by vandals
7:20am Tuesday 10th March 2009
By Christine Sexton

VANDALS left a trail of destruction when they destroyed an £11,000 community shelter opened just six months ago.

The roof of the shelter, in the Clements Hall Recreation Ground, Hawkwell, has been badly damaged, along with much of the brickwork surrounding it.

Bus Cuts Update

Despite a vigorous campaign of protest emails organised by The Rochford Independent, Arriva have pressed ahead and with cuts to the 8 bus service and it is now hourly.

District Councillor John Mason has worked very closely with Brian Guyett, Chairman of the Hockley Residents Association and others but even protests about effects on those with hospital appointments and that the service was being cut because the majority of users were bus pass holders this fell on deaf ears at Arriva and Essex County Council. The latter issue has been taken up with our MP but as yet, John has had no reply.

Glencroft Wood, White Hart Lane

John Mason, a District Councillor for Hawkwell West has been contacted by residents concerned about the future of Glencroft Wood in White Hart Lane.  These concerns had originally come from the Hawkwell Residents Association in the form of leaflets and web site news.  Because of this a petition, we understand, was sent by concerned residents to Hawkwell Parish Council.  

330 reasons to object to new houses in Hawkwell

160 residents from Hockley and Hawkwell went to the Rochford District Council Meeting held at the Hawkwell Village Hall to protest against the proposal from the Council to build 330 new houses between Thorpe Road and Clements Hall Way.

Independent District Councillor John Mason for Hawkwell West spoke at the end of the Meeting at the request of a resident to explain whether he was against the proposal.

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