Hawkwell Parish Council is sitting on the fence on green belt housing development

This has been published by the parish council in its Spring 2008 Newsletter. Every dwelling in the Parish will have received a copy so I will not repeat it here (there is a Hawkwell Parish Council Web Site). 

It is a very comprehensive policy on what the parish council thinks about any future housing development in Hawkwell.

But what does it mean?

The District Council says that Hawkwell will get 365 new houses.  Where? We have already been notified a four options.

Allocation of new homes in Rochford District

The Rochford Independent has seen the article by Geoff Percival in the Echo.

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local/display.var.1992104.0.0.php

I would invite you to read this if you have not seen it. 

I am an independent district councillor for Hawkwell West and I have been campaigning with residents against the housing allocation for some months now. The support from Hawkwell Parish Council is welcomed.

RSPB Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project

AN AMBITIOUS £12million project is planned to recreate the lost landscape of Wallasea Island.

The RSPB today announced details of the Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project, to return the farmland back to coastal wetland to attract rare birds back to an area that has not nested in for about 400 years.

The charity hopes to raise enough money to buy three quarters of the island, farmed by Wallasea Farms.

advertisementThe cash will also fund engineering work to let water back on to the land through a series of pipes in the current sea wall.

Bullwood Hall Prison, Hockley in BBC News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7059283.stm

This work is licenced under a
Creative Commons Licence.

Local Residents in Hawkwell Meet to Oppose New Housing

The meeting was so well attended that the organisers, Jamie Popplewell and his neighbours in Mount Bovers Lane, asked Belchamps if they could move the meeting to the larger upper hall.  Luckily, Belchamps were happy to do this otherwise about 90 people would not have been able to get in because the small hall only held 60.

Over 150 concerned residents attended mainly because of the possible threat of new housing being allocated to the Mount Bovers field but also the threats to land at Thorpe Road and behind Rectory Road adjoining Windsor Gardens and Clements Hall.

Strokebusters Appeal - Southend University Hospital

Rochford District Residents organised a Fun Quiz Night at Hawkwell Village Hall on Friday, 12 October.  All profit went to the Southend University Hospital, Strokebusters Appeal.  Consultant Tony O’Brien gave a short talk on Strokebusters and although his quiz team did not win, they took away donations of £673.

This work is licenced under a
Creative Commons Licence.

Hawkwell Parish Council Opposes the loss of Green Belt for New Houses

Stuart Mennell
Clerk to Hawkwell Parish Council

Dear Stuart

I am writing further to our conversation this morning concerning the RDC public consultation on the LDF Core Strategy which took place in May and June of this year. 

As a District Councillor I informed residents by Newsletter that the RDC allocation to Hawkwell and Hockley was 400.  The District Council also released details of those landowners who had put their land forward for consideration of allocation for development.  You can find maps and descriptions on the RDC web site at http://www.rochford.gov.uk/rdc/main.asp?page=1101

365 New Houses for Hawkwell

365 Houses Allocated by Conservative Party to Hawkwell West but only 36 houses to Hockley

So far the only land put forward is all in Hawkwell West -  53.3 hectares = 1599 to 2665 houses at the density required by Government of 30-50 houses per hectare.

Where?

Off Thorpe Road (residential but ‘open to discussion’) 11 hectares = 330 to 550

South of Ironwell Lane 0.3 Hectares = 10 to 17

East of Clements Hall Sports Centre (‘residential or mixed use’) 14.6 hectares = 450 to 750

Magees Nursery, Windsor Gardens 3.1 hectares = 90 to150

So much for local consultation - Ignored !!

The Central Area Committee on 20 September in Hawkwell Village Hall considered a request by Hawkwell Parish Council for a Teen Shelter to be sited on the field adjoining Clements Hall Leisure Centre.  No details had been submitted before the meeting but the Central Area Committee was supposed to recommend this in principle to the Executive Board.  A large number of residents from Hawkwell West, my Ward, attended and some spoke out very strongly against this proposal.  Because no details had been submitted before the meeting no one knew if it required Planning Permission or not.  If it did not then the Chairman, also a Member for Hawkwell West but a Tory (Executive Councillor Derek (Steve) Stansby), said that the Executive Board would approve it.  Not so said an Officer and indeed Councillor Hudson, Deputy Leader of the Council, but the Chairman, wishing to push this through regardless of local opinion, the people he represents, insisted otherwise.  Under the circumstances I publicly voted against because it went against the views of residents and I had not even seen the details.  So much for local consultation.  Indeed I discovered in the Minutes of Hawkwell Parish Council that only 6 adults had attended their public meeting - so the rest,54,were young people and Parish Councillors.

Health Profile of Rochford District

Residents Survey 2007 - Matter of Concern Number 4 - Health

Rochford Health Profile 2006

Rochford Health Profile 2007

Local authority health profiles are designed to show the health of people in each local authority area, and include comparisons with other similar populations.  With other local information these profiles demonstrate where action can be taken to improve people’s health and reduce health inequalities.

Please take the opportunity to read the full documents attached.  But if you do not have the time here are some things that I think that you ought to know;

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