Thursday, 20 December 2018
Wednesday, 5 December 2018
Another visit to Westcliff Ladies RFC
On Sunday I went to see my second game of ladies rugby union. This
turned out a comfortable win for Westcliff Ladies, beating Dartfordians 61 –
10.
It began evenly, and was tied 5 - 5 after a quarter of an hour. Then Westcliff got into their stride and the tries came aplenty.
It was an enjoyable match to watch, especially with a daughter scoring
a try, and two nieces also on the field. If the ladies had kicked better the
score would have been even more impressive. As it was, in their first season
this is to date their biggest win.
Afterwards, in the clubhouse, they, most
touchingly, dedicated their victory to me. This as acknowledgement of my health
issues, my being there was an achievement itself. I hope to go again, and soon.
Poppy, Julian, Maddie, Loren and Hope in the clubhouse after the game |
Saturday, 1 December 2018
PARK ROAD METHODIST CHURCH
APPLN.
NO: 18/02211/FUL
Officer:
Abbie Greenwood
Date
Valid. 28 November 2018
PARTIAL
DEMOLITION TO CHURCH AND CHURCH HALL, ERECT SINGLE STOREY EXTENSION TO WEST
SIDE OF CHURCH, ERECT GABLED EXTENSIONS TO NORTH-EAST AND NORTH-WEST CORNERS OF
CHURCH HALL WITH INTERNAL ALTERATIONS TO CONVERT INTO SIX DWELLINGS, ASSOCIATED
GARAGES AND CYCLE STORAGE, LAYOUT AMENITY SPACE AND ONE VISITOR CAR PARKING SPACE,
FORM VEHICULAR ACCESS ONTO AVENUE ROAD, INSTALL BOUNDARY RAILINGS, INSTALL
ROOFLIGHTS AND ALTER ELEVATIONS
PARK
ROAD METHODIST CHURCH PARK ROAD WESTCLIFF-ON-SEA
APPLN.
NO: 18/02212/LBC
Officer:
Abbie Greenwood
Date
Valid. 28 November 2018
PARTIAL
DEMOLITION TO CHURCH AND CHURCH HALL, ERECT SINGLE STOREY EXTENSION TO WEST
SIDE OF CHURCH, ERECT GABLED EXTENSIONS TO NORTH-EAST AND NORTH-WEST CORNERS OF
CHURCH HALL WITH INTERNAL ALTERATIONS TO CONVERT INTO SIX DWELLINGS, ASSOCIATED
GARAGES AND CYCLE STORAGE, LAYOUT AMENITY SPACE AND ONE VISITOR CAR PARKING SPACE,
FORM VEHICULAR ACCESS ONTO AVENUE ROAD, INSTALL BOUNDARY RAILINGS, INSTALL
ROOFLIGHTS AND ALTER ELEVATIONS (LISTED BUILDING CONSENT)
PARK
ROAD METHODIST CHURCH PARK ROAD WESTCLIFF-ON-SEA
This church has stood empty
for a long time, and I cautiously welcome it being brought back into use. But I
do have concerns and I want to ensure that any work that is carried out is sympathetic
to the nature of this heritage asset.
I wonder
whether one visitor parking space is enough, especially as this building sits
in an area with some parking issues, and is adjacent to resident parking
schemes.
Friday, 30 November 2018
They just ain’t listening
As is so often the case, the local
ruling administration is yet again shutting the barn door after the horse has
bolted. They applaud themselves for their lame response to issues affecting
Southend’s town centre, yet it is again a story of too little, too late.
The town centre is approaching crisis. (Some
will claim it hit crisis some time ago, a point I am not going to dispute.)
High streets up and down the land are suffering, yet some buck the trend. Even
within the borough there is example of a high street that remains buoyant –
look at Leigh-on-Sea.
The Tory administration took a closed
shop approach to the idea of a High Street summit; I, and my colleagues,
decided this was entirely the wrong approach. If nothing else, how can the
people who have overseen its decline be best placed to reverse this?
There are many reasons for the current
state of our town centre. It is not all down to the rise of internet shopping,
or indeed those current scapegoats – the homeless.
What struck me is that we need fresh
ideas and must engage with and listen to our residents. The ‘we-know-best’
attitude of the Tories is not only arrogant, it clearly flies in defiance of
reality.
The Tories do not listen. Their great
solution is to cajole and bully the homeless to move from the relative safety
of shop doors, which solves nothing, merely moving the problem. When will they
understand that failure to properly address the failures of austerity and the
paucity of social housing has left the fifth richest nation on Earth with
increasing numbers sleeping rough.
Fortunately Labour did take a
cross-party approach to its people’s summit, and the more than seventy
residents have gave up a Wednesday evening to air their views about their
community were listened to politely. Labour (and I am sure the Liberal
Democrats and the Independent Group) will be looking at their notes from this
meeting and will be trying to effect real and positive change.
In the meantime the Tories will be
re-arranging the deck-chairs as their ship heads towards an ice-berg. Not
listening is a very bad idea.
Thursday, 22 November 2018
COUNCILLOR WARE-LANE SIGNS LETTER OPPOSING GOVERNMENT FRACKING PLANS
Cllr Julian Ware-Lane has joined 805 councillors who have signed an open letter opposing government proposals to allow fracking companies to undertake exploratory drilling without local planning applications.
Cllr Julian Ware-Lane |
Southend-on-Sea, UK - Councillor Ware-Lane has signed an open letter calling for the withdrawal of proposals that treat
exploratory drilling by fracking companies as ‘permitted development’, and to
respect the rights of communities to make decisions on shale gas activities
through the local planning system.
The government is proposing that exploratory drilling for shale gas should be granted
planning permission through a permitted development right. This
right means fracking companies don’t need to apply for planning permission from
the local authority. Permitted development is a
category of planning originally designed to
facilitate minor structural changes to homes such as extensions and putting up
sheds.
Councillor Ware-Lane, Southend-on-Sea
Borough Council Milton ward, said:
“I believe it is essential that local people should have the final say
over exploratory drilling by fracking companies in our community. These
proposals by-pass local democracy and risk industrialising large sections of
countryside with a hugely unpopular industry that brings noise, pollution and
community division. We should not be changing the planning system to facilitate
fracking, but instead supporting climate and community friendly energy sources.
Local voices should be heard.”
The government consultation closed
on October 25th and has prompted hundreds of Councillors to express concern.
The letter - sent to the Secretaries of State for Housing, Communities and
Local Government, and Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, James
Brokenshire MP and Greg Clark MP - has also been signed by MPs, Parish
Councillors, and London Assembly Members.
40 Councils have also formally
opposed the government's plans, including the Conservative controlled
Nottinghamshire, Surrey and Kent County Councils. More than 20 Conservative
MPs have threatened to rebel against the government over these proposals.
Sebastian Kelly, Fracking
Organiser at 350.org commented:
“These proposals represent a desperate attempt to force a failing
industry onto communities. Local people understand the risks posed by fracking
to their community, countryside and the climate, and must be able to influence
the planning process to express these concerns. The Government must listen to
the growing concerns from locals, Councillors and MPs and immediately drop
these undemocratic and reckless proposals.”
Caroline Jones, Friends of the Earth
Campaigner added:
“It’s absurd that planning rules originally designed for minor home
improvements, like putting up a garden shed, could now be used for major
drilling infrastructure. Our countryside and our climate are at serious risk if
the government pushes ahead with these plans. We need to be moving away from
fossil fuels, not make it easier for companies to dig up more.”
More than 300,000 people have also
signed petitions against the proposals [6] and 20 organisations, including the
RSPB and CPRE, have warned that opening the door to fracking companies risks
negatively impacting on local democracy, the tranquility of the countryside and
climate change.
Text of the
open letter available here: https://gofossilfree.org/uk/let-communities-decide-letter/.
Full list of 850 signatories is available here including 805
Councillors, 11 MPs and 34 Other (Parish Councillors and Assembly
Members).
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