A lot has been happening across south Essex this week, here's a few news items that might have passed you by.

1. THE Wickford and Billericay division of St John Ambulance is looking for new members.

Full training will be given to anyone who signs up to the community organisation, which provides first aid support at football matches, fetes, county shows, music festivals, carnivals and other events.

The local branch meets at the Salvation Army Hall, in Jersey Gardens, Wickford, between 8pm and 9.30pm every Wednesday.

For more information, call 07948 532052 or email James.Wood@sja.org

2. A MAN has been banned from going to, or getting off a train at Southend Central station.

Peter Morgan, 24, of Hastings Road, Southend, has been charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words towards Patrick O’Hara in the town on May 8 and subsequently escaping from custody.

After appearing at Southend Magistrates’ Court he was released on conditional bail, which includes the ban on going to the station.

He will now appear at Basildon Crown Court for a plea and case management hearing at a time and date to be fixed.

3. DANCERS and actors are needed for a new pantomime based on the story of Frozen.

Starlight Productions in Southend is preparing for the 2016 pantomime – the Snow Queen. Rehearsals for the new show will begin soon. Call 01702 612351.

4. PLANS for a new housing estate in Hawkwell have been the go-ahead despite fears it will turn the village into a town.

Rochford District Council has approved the application for the former Auto-Plas factory, in Main Road, Hawkwell, to be demolished to make way for 36 new family homes.

The decision, at the council’s development control committee, was unanimous, after councillors were shown the amended plan which looked at concerns over drainage, the size of rooms and a lack of communal areas.

The amended plans has seen the number of homes reduced from 37 to 36.

Christine Mason, independent councillor for Hawkwell West, said: “We can see improvements to the plan have been made, but there are still some details to look at.”

The development control committee previously postponed the decision, after members raised concerns about the size of proposed rooms, the inadequacy of communal social areas and drainage.

John Mason, independent councillor for Hawkwell West said there were still concerns among residents with the density of the buildings on the site.

Neighbours feared the new estate, which will be accessed from Main Road, would cause gridlock and turnHawkwell from a rural village into a town.

They also raised concerns about the loss of industrial land, which provides jobs, and the lack of available primary school places.

5. A MAN has been charged with theft and assaulting a police officer.

Tommy Love, of no fixed abode, is alleged to have stolen cash and PlayStation games from Baker Close, Basildon, as well as entering another property in Mellow Purgess.

Love, 22, is also charged with assaulting Sgt Thrale and threatening PC Stanberry in Rayleigh. All offences are alleged to have happened on June 21.

He was remanded in custody and will now face a trial in Basildon Crown Court at a time and date to be fixed.

6. A QUICKER rollout of LED streetlights in Southend, to be completed by March 2018, has been approved by the council’s cabinet.

7. CAMPAIGNERS have vowed to appeal after Basildon Council ruled it handled a 1,000-strong bedroom tax petition properly.

The Basildon Against the Cuts group called on the council not to evict tenants who had fallen into arrears due to the change in the law.

But the group accused the authority of ignoring the petition by failing to have a public debate on the issue.

The council rejected the petition because it claimed it was obliged to follow national policy on bedroom tax.

The tax, introduced across the UK in April 2013, charges social housing tenants who have spare bedrooms in their homes. In April 2014, Basildon Council took a resident to court to apply for possession of her home after she fell into rent arrears.

A council scrutiny commission meeting this month ruled the authority had been correct not to accept the petition.

Dave Murray, of Basildon Against the Cuts, spoke at the scrutiny meeting and believes the group will now pursue their case by complaining to the Local Government Ombudsman.

He said: “I didn’t feel I was given an adequate hearing. I wanted all the correspondence before the committee, but the councillors refused to do so.”

8. PLANS to turn former offices into flats have been turned down.

The first floor of Warrior House, in Southchurch Road, Southchurch, is being used by the NHS and an accountants, but both are moving out.

But Southend Council has turned down application for 19 flats.

9. A COUPLE are retiring from their post at the Salvation Army in Leigh.

Major John Carmichael, 65, and his wife Major Teresa Carmichael, 61, are retiring and moving to Yorkshire.

David and Margaret House, from Colchester, will be taking over from the coupler.

Mr Carmichael said: “We’d like to wish them all the best and pray for God’s blessing on their ministry.

“We’ve had a great time and we’re sorry to leave, but looking forward to beginning a new life in Yorkshire with our family.”

10. A CHARITY shop is in need of extra volunteers.

Cancer Research UK in Southchurch Road, Southend, is appealing for volunteers to work in the shop in shifts of 9am to 1pm, 1pm to 5pm, all day or as much time as they can give.

Ten volunteers currently work at the shop.

For more information, and to register an interest, call 01702 614735 or pick up a volunteer form at the shop.