Mobility Scooters and yet another Planning Appeal

Richard Boyd is CEO of Disability Essex and a resident of Hawkwell, in Rochford District, Essex .
 
Members of the Commons Transport Committee were given a list of people in Essex and Norfolk who had been killed or injured in scooter incidents.

An Essex disability group said the list of fatal or dangerous incidents involving drivers “goes on”.

Richard Boyd from the campaign group Disability Essex told the committee: “One lady in Chelmsford fell off her scooter and was killed by it.”

He added: “Another lady in Clacton was taking her dog for a walk on the sea front, the dog pulled the scooter over and it fell on her and killed her.

Hawkwell’s only Dental Practice

Hawkwell/Hockley Dental Practice Loses half of NHS Funding To A Practice That Hasn’t Even Been Built

If you live in Hawkwell or Hockley please write to Andrew Pike, CEO of the South Essex NHS at andrew.pike [at] see-pct.nhs [dot] uk and object to the cut in funding.

White Hart Dental Care in Hockley, Essex is to lose part of its NHS funding in March 2010. Dr Luke Schnel was given an additional temporary NHS contract in June 2008, which allowed him to employ an additional 2 NHS dentists (Dr Beverley Scott and Dr Abdul Salim-Said) at his modern practice. They have since treated over 2,000 new NHS patients, significantly improving access to NHS dentistry in the area. .

Rochford Hundred Rugby Football Club, Hawkwell

Who are we?

Rochford Hundred Rugby Football Club was founded on 4 January 1962 and in its first full season in 1962/63 it managed to field two senior teams and a Colts (Under19) team, no mean achievement in a very short period of time.

The Club was fortunate to find the Rocheway School in Rochford with no sporting occupants and thus immediately had fine pitches and excellent changing facilities. Additionally the Horse & Groom public house in Rochford had a separate building which the Club hired to use as its Clubhouse.

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.

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/

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.

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