Southend's grammar schools - still too many from outside of the borough

Here are the latest numbers for Southend-on-Sea's four grammar schools. showing where the pupils come from. It is a continuing story of large numbers from outside of the borough, albeit that the situation has improved in recent years.

	Pupils from inside of the Borough of Southend-on-Sea	From outside of the Borough	% from outside of the Borough
Westcliff High School for Girls	346	794	69.6
Westcliff High School for Boys	360	746	67.5
Southend High School for Girls	542	487	47.3
Southend High School for Boys	694	427	38.1

I believe schools should serve their local community, and therefore I desire the Borough's grammar schools to have something a lot closer to 0% from outside of the Borough. I accept that there will always be some from out of town, especially from the communities that are immediately adjacent to Southend-on-Sea. However , to have 2454 pupils from outside of the Borough is far too many.  Every place given to an outsider denies a Southend child an opportunity. I do not see this as fair.

Weekend conversations

"Can I give you this?" I politely inquired. "It is a leaflet from your local councillor, I added, thinking this would be an inducement." Inducement or not "yes please" was the response. Delivering through letterboxes normally involves little engagement, but occasionally one gets stopped, or there is a brief but rewarding encounter.

The weather was mixed, occasional drizzle, which is not good news when either leafleting or canvassing. I was mixing up leafleting and canvassing, and the weather (for the time of year) held up reasonably well in the end. It has been a mild winter, which is bad news for those trying to avoid germs, but good for those of us who dedicate great chunks of our spare time to community engagement via the political process.

The lady was uncertain to begin with. But as our conversation developed it became obvious that her core values aligned with Labour, and whilst she stated she was undecided how she would vote in May she did add that she always voted Labour. Her concerns were largely local: dog poo and parking.

Another conversation that began with some concern about Labour's leader. Jeremy Corbyn is not standing in Milton ward in May; the coming elections are about Southend-on-Sea and how it is being run, not about the ups and downs of Westminster politics. "Yes, we all vote Labour here" began the short and happy chatter with a family that was clearly getting ready to go out.

"I normally vote Tory but I am undecided at the moment". This particular gentleman had concerns about the state of his road's surface and I was able to tell him of my successes in getting repairs done, and that new money was being made available for further repairs right across the borough.

Labour support is definitely holding up, and new supporters are being found. No mention of the minor parties and only lukewarm support for the Conservatives. I am cautiously optimistic about May 5th's election. One thing is certain, it is only Labour that is working in Milton ward at the moment.

The referendum? Mentioned once or twice, and I sense a lot of minds not yet made up.

Indiscriminate notes

So, some indiscriminate notes from some recent meetings.

At the Full Council meeting of February 25th I asked two questions. The first was this:

Southend West Conservatives plans are for a reinstatement of a five day a week rubbish collection. Can the Portfolio Holder tell me how much this would cost the Council (and therefore council tax payers) each year?
My supplementary to this - Would the portfolio holder like to consider what we could lose if this Conservative proposal was accepted? Would he agree with me that this could threaten libraries, children centres, and other public services if implemented?

My second question: With the recent sad news of a fourth murder in a little over two years in a small part of Milton ward, public concerns are naturally focussed on community safety. Will the Portfolio Holder confirm that the Council is working with the Police to ensure that Milton ward residents can feel and be safe?

My supplementary: Does the portfolio holder think that Government cuts to policing has stretched resources and made policing a lot more difficult, particularly in a  built up area like central Southend?
During the Budget debate I spoke as follows:

This is my fourth budget. Each one has been crafted against an austere backdrop. Each has presented the administration with the challenge of maintaining important public services in spite of dwindling resources. Government cuts, Conservative Government cuts, have meant job losses and a diminution of the services we provide.

Had the Joint Administration not sought the savings it has achieved in the waste management contract, for instance, then our services would have seen more cuts.

Thank goodness we have ignored the wanton profligacy espoused by Southend West Conservatives.

In the round, this is a fair budget. The administration has strove to preserve libraries and a children centres, and I am delighted that Southend is building council houses again. I am pleased that the eyesore that is the empty office blocks in Victoria Avenue is being tackled, at last. I am delighted that we are not building barely utilised kiosks at over £600,000 a throw.

Of course I regret the cuts, savings, efficiencies, that have been forced upon us, but I can support this budget with an easy conscience, especially as the alternatives are less than palatable.
 
By the way, if there is a tax on dying as claimed by the Conservatives, then I will be happy to avoid that tax as long as possible. However, I see this as another example of Tory mis-description.

I have to say that I am appalled by the Tory leader's description of pregnant teenagers as "a problem" - no child should be seen or describes as such.

The budget was passed by a narrow margin.

I spoke on Minute 521 - Notice of motion - Refugees, and on Minute 523 - Notice of Motion - Sunday Trading. Both of these motions were broadly accepted by the administration.

Minute 619 - Notice of Motion - Southend Borough Patrol - was referred back to Cabinet.

The meeting lasted six and a half hours, and even then the last two items were carried over.

 I attended the Clifftown Neighbourhood Watch and Community Group meeting and the Place in-depth scrutiny witness gathering meeting on proposals for a borough-wide 20mph speed limit. This last meeting had seven males and two females present.

I am in favour of more 20mp zones, but am less than certain a borough-wide blanket limit (excepting main routes)  is at all desirable.

The effects of IER in Southend-on-Sea

               

The voter population in Southend-on-Sea has shrunk by 1.6% in two and a half years. Since we have a growing population one cannot escape the thought the changes to electoral registration has been the cause.

This table shows the latest data for voter registration in the seventeen wards that make up the Borough of Southend-on-Sea.

	2012	Sep 2014	Sep 2015	Mar 2016	% change Sep 2014 to Mar 2016
Belfairs	7461	7521	7486	7414	-1.4
Blenheim Park	7954	7980	7994	7863	-1.5
Chalkwell	7395	7241	7184	6998	-3.4
Eastwood Park	7620	7628	7568	7556	-0.9
Kursaal	7507	7793	7692	7488	-3.9
Leigh	7446	7494	7480	7338	-2.1
Milton	7830	7382	7568	7288	-1.3
Prittlewell	7805	7860	7771	7690	-2.2
Shoeburyness	8288	8524	8614	8545	0.3
Southchurch	7643	7693	7603	7526	-2.2
St Laurence	7610	7502	7517	7455	-0.6
St Luke's	8190	8004	8002	8007	0.3
Thorpe	7520	7473	7477	7417	-0.7
Victoria	7349	7358	7269	7237	-1.6
West Leigh	7158	7118	7131	7086	-0.4
West Shoebury	7534	7466	7446	7373	-1.2
Westborough	7621	7626	7609	7360	-3.5
	129931	129663	129411	127641	-1.6

Two wards have seen a modest rise in voter numbers (Shoeburyness and St Luke's), otherwise it is a story of shrinking electorates.

Kursaal tops the shrinkage list with 3.9% decrease in voter numbers. this is closely followed by Westborough (down by 3.5%) and Chalkwell (3.4%)

A more accurate register is in everyone's interest, and this is what Individual Electoral Registration sought to do. However, I think we can see that the reverse is happening.  This legislation is disenfranchising significant numbers, and this is not good for our democracy.

Quite what James Diddridge and Sir David Amess, the borough's two Members of Parliament, make of this is anyone's guess, but since the new constituency boundaries will use the latest electoral roll they will at least have an interest in this data.

Incidentally, if we are meant to believe these numbers (and that, after all, is the Government's intentions) then Chalkwell is four-fifths (81.9%) the size of  Shoeburyness - which suggests to me that some revision of ward boundaries is overdue.

For older data please go to The effects of IER.