Four meetings

Four meetings in two days, something like seven and a half hours in total. 

Tuesday evening began with People Scrutiny Committee. I stayed for less than an hour (I was just a visitor) and so only heard the education items. The future provision of secondary places was one of the topics. It is likely that a new secondary school will be built at some point - well, that is my view anyway. I was on People Scrutiny in my first couple of years as a councillor; I enjoyed holding the administration to account over some pretty poor educational performances. I think that Cllr Anne Jones' tenure as portfolio holder saw some real improvements, and Cllr Courtenay has inherited an improved service.

Next up, a Rochford and Southend East Constituency Labour Party meeting in a crowded 268 Sutton Road. I counted 54 of us, and I was lucky to have a seat for the whole meeting; many were left to stand. It was an interesting meeting dominated by attempts to reorganize the local party. This is in response to the massive increase in membership, and reorganization must happen at some point. However,  I am of the opinion that perhaps we ought to wait until after the boundary review, when the constituency will change. I also wonder whether current structure  needs a little more time to really see if it needs improving.

The Essex Fire Authority meeting on Wednesday  was short  by their standards, just under two hours as I recall. There were a number of absentees, probably caused by the imminent County elections.  The Lucas review (into the bullying culture) and the takeover of the EFA by the Essex PCC.

The Decant Policy at Policy and Resources Scrutiny Committee through up some interesting questions. The plans for Better Queensway, which will likely see significant decanting, was the cause of this policy being revised and brought forward. This could affect children, who may be face with longer journeys to school or temporary transfer of schools. Circa 250 households are likely to be decanted; some may end up being removed some distance, albeit temporarily, from their current homes.

Under Future Phases of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Development Project we discovered that the council housing list increased by 33% in the last year (500, taking the total to 2000). Conservative Cllr Flewitt, portfolio holder for housing, described the situation as dire as he blamed his Government's austerity measures. Conservative Cllr Moring said that social tenants should be grouped together, as opposed to having mixed communities - in my opinion a most outrageous suggestion.

I sought assurances that there would be no more sell-offs of the council's miscellaneous properties - this assurance was not forthcoming.

PCC's public consultation

I hope I can encourage everyone to participate in the following survey - http://www.essex.pcc.police.uk/LocalCaseForChange/

This survey is concerned with the proposals for the Police and Crime Commissioner to take on responsibility for the Essex Fire Authority.

This is an effective merger of the two bodies, and the survey postulates three alternatives. I wish there was a 'none of the above' option.

I did not like the politicization of the police that was the result of having a PCC elected, and am not any keener that this be extended to the fire service. These bodies already have elected members on the boards that give accountability to those in charge.

I gave low markings for all three options - none, in my humble opinion, do anything to make Essex safer.

Independents show their true mettle at EFA (ha ha ha)

The Essex Fire Authority was significant for the discussion on the Draft Initial Local Business Case for Joint Governance of Police and Fire & Rescue in Essex.

I tries, unsuccessfully, to get this item deferred as this paper was distributed very late (less than five days before the meeting). My motion was defeated with only six supporting (all of the Labour and Liberal Democrat groups).

There was a Liberal Democrat motion that said "... we see no benefit to the rent of essex, either financially or democratically, the takeover of running Essex Fire service by the Police and Crime Commissioner  ..."

This motion was defeated by seven votes to fourteen (Labour and the Liberal Democrats were joined by one UKIP on this occasion).

We are at the mercy of the Tories in this kind of debate, so heavily outnumbered are we. The others (no-Conservative members) either abstained, were absent, or voted with the Tories (other UKIP councillors) - which was disappointing. Their meek compliance to Conservative wishes was shocking to behold.

The taking over of the Essex Fire Authority by the PCC may be a done deal, but surely we cannot cave in without some attempt at making the majority Conservative caucus work a bit.

On the PCC enlarging his empire

There is a ongoing conversation regarding the Police and Crime Commissioner in Essex subsuming the Essex Fire Authority, in effect a merger. This will ensure the one person will  be responsible for two of the emergency services in Essex. I remind everyone that this is a political role.

This change is being driven by the Government's agenda of cuts. Whilst operational reasons are being put forward, it comes down to money. I do not believe that this is the sort of cut desired by most of Southend-on-Sea's residents.

Austerity measures has not prevented the Government racking up record-breaking debt, so just what is austerity achieving?

The backdrop is of a rise in crime. Using the British Crime Survey's basket of crimes we are witnessing a near 10% rise in reported crimes. I am far from convinced that making governance more remote will help tackle crime, and this certainly diminishes democratic oversight. Residents I speak to want to influence policing decisions, and they do this through their elected representatives. They also want to be assured of their safety - wanting the Police and a Fire Service that responds to their needs. I do not understand how a merger of police and fire satisfies these wishes.

There are also issues with the cuts to the Fire Service, and more cuts to come will be a challenge. It is a good job that the roads in Essex are getting less  busy (sic). The current governance via the EFA works, tinkering with this to satisfy a Government intent on diminishing public service is a recipe for disaster.

Workforce moral in both the Police and Fires Service is acknowledge to be at an all-time low. That these two blue-light services often cooperate is no reason to allow political influence to grow. This is a move motivated not by the needs of a growing Essex, it is motivated by a political agenda, and it is wrong.

The transfer is scheduled for October 2017.