Essex County Council Job Cuts

Essex County Council has announced it is cutting up to 275 managerial posts.

The cuts will be met through retirement, normal staff turn-over, voluntary redundancy and not filling existing vacancies, the council said.

The council said reducing the layers of management would help bring “quicker and sharper decision-making and… lead to enhanced local services”.

It said frontline services would not be affected and it was working with public sector unions.

The proposed cuts represent 2.5% of the organisation’s core workforce of 10,900 employees or 16.5% of the council’s 1,648 line managers.

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Could Lib Dem MP have made allegations against Lord Hanningfield?

From the East Anglian Daily Times (EADT) here

ESSEX County Council leader Lord Hanningfield was yesterday reported to be under investigation after allegations that he may have wrongly claimed thousands of pounds in parliamentary expenses.

But the peer insisted he had done nothing improper and said a Liberal Democrat MP determined to blacken his name had made a groundless complaint to the police.

Mr Russell said he took Lord Hanningfield’s claims about a Lib Dem MP to be a reference to himself.

Hawkwell Bus Gloom – there could be hope !!

The Local Transport Act 2008 became law in November 2008 and I have been keenly awaiting the Guidance on Quality Partnership Schemes (QPS) which came into force on 6 April 2009.

There are now  far more effective set of options and powers to improve bus services. The bus in public transport provision in Rochford District has for too long been allowed to slip into decline. Now there are powers available to local authorities to work with operators to get to grips with more of the problems behind this decline.

Disability Essex Opposed

The insanity which is prevalent in the Conservative Party reared its ugly head again last Thursday, 21 June in the Development Control Committee (Planning).  The sane Members only narrowly approved a new education centre for the disabled being provided in Rochford District.

Disability Essex is arguably the leading organisation in its field in the UK.  Not only were they applying for a learning centre but they were proposing to build an eco friendly facility which is the only one in the UK to achieve a gold design standard.

Verge Destroyed by Factory Parking – Main Road Hawkwell

This issue has been the source of a constant trickle of complaints ever since I was first elected in 2000.

The planning application for a car park on the farmland was understandably refused by RDC in 1999/2000.

A then also newly elected Conservative Member of RDC asked if I would sort this out for the factories. But no one ever contacted me.  That Member has now lost his seat and at the Count I remembered that conversation.

Basically the chewed up and deeply rutted, water and mud filled verge is an eyesore and in terms of amenity value it has none.

Ironwell Lane – Hawkwell to Rochford

Rochford District Councillor Sue Harper has written to me about closing Ironwell Lane to all Motor Traffic.

Ironwell Lane has been a Green Lane since Medieval times.  So what is a Green Lane?

It is explained here http://www.ramblers.org.uk/footpaths/ridgeway.html

Councillor Harper was proposing to write to Essex County Council and request this but I hope that I have persuaded her to deal with this through the RDC Area Committees and obtain public views first. 

One of the reasons for doing this is because it appears that Hawkwell Parish Council does not agree with closing Ironwell Lane to traffic. In March 2007 our Parish Council suggested in Minutes published on its web site that it wanted to see Ironwell Lane designated a Quiet Lane. A Quiet Lane is open to cars.

Rochford District Council – Central Area Committee 12 June 2007

Rochford District Council – Central Area Committee 12 June 2007

NO members of the public attended.  Why?

But there were 14 paid employees of RDC present (cost?).  And at least 7 paid employees of Essex County Council who were not presenting (cost?).

RDC Executive Councillor Mavis Webster was down to present on Tourism but she did not turn up nor send apologies.

Overview and Scrutiny – Rochford District Council

I am a Member of the Review Committee.

Full Council had already asked that this “investigations” Committee look at the following:

1. Understanding of Planning Appeal Procedures

From what the Chief Executive had to say this sounded more like an internally facing review rather than something that will directly affect residents.  My guess is that the Officers want Members to understand more about the cost and causes of Appeals, especially when the Development Control Committee goes against the recommendation of Officers and cause an Appeal.  But I could just be a cynic.

Community Initiatives Fund – How was it spent in Rochford District?

Essex County Council – Community Initiatives Fund 2005/2006

How was the money spent in Rochford District? 

Reducing Council Tax : Matter of Concern Number 2, Residents Survey – Hawkwell West 2007

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New RDC Area Committees

The new Area Committees were the only promising part of the New Political Structure put in place by the Conservative Party Group on Rochford District Council.  But that promise has been dispelled even before they have met.

They were promising because they meet almost locally and would allow residents to speak.

The Area Committees were approved before the way that they would work with public speaking had been worked out.

I have now been informed verbally by Councillor Stansby, Central Area Chair, that residents who wish to speak will have to fill in a form beforehand !!

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