Fairglen proposals are misleading us

HAVING attended the recent Fairglen interchange display at King John’s School, I fear the long term proposals are misleading the public.

The literature quotes that south Essex has a forecast growth of over 25,000 homes up to 2031 and the scheme must ensure it has a lasting legacy.

I pointed out that there are potentially 86,000 homes proposed for this part of the county and was advised that that was the forecast for 2034 - just three years later.

So if the proposals are catering for traffic flow in 2031, it will not be able to cope after that date when new homes will have more than trebled.

Whatever plans there are for the short term option, there will undoubtedly be additional congestion in 2021-22 when the work will be carried out.

This will involve greater pollution from construction vehicles and excavations as well as idling traffic in jams and queues which will adversely affect the health of residents.

With no-one knowing precisely what the state of the NHS will be in the 2020’s, residents’ health obviously takes a back seat to developers’ profits.

ROBERT BAILLIE

St Marys Road, South Benfleet

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Give consultant fees to the elderly

HAVING read Councillor Hedley’s comments in the Echo (February 13) I think it is a disgrace that the council are axing Careline as it provides a lifeline to many elderly people.

The morning call-over is sometimes the only voice some of these people hear all day. It makes no sense closing all these services for the elderly when the elderly population continues to grow year on year.

The council should be looking at ways of funding these services.

Even with a new provider, the elderly will not have the service they currently have. No-one will come out to them in an emergency. They will have to wait for an ambulance, alone and afraid.

Is it because they are easy targets for making savings as they are mostly afraid to complain.

It would be interesting to compare what the council spends on consultants against what the elderly services cost.

CHRISTINE NURSE

Bartlow Side, Basildon

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Marathon should not be cancelled

DESPITE being a councillor, I am often behind the curve when it comes to local big news.

A recent example was the announcement that the “Southend Marathon cancelled three weeks before the race” on the BBC website.

I wish Southend was more welcoming to cruise nights. I wish it was welcoming to bikers and their shakedowns. I wish it was more welcoming to those who want to run twenty-six miles, and help charity whilst doing it.

Apparently road closures proved unpopular for some businesses so the event was cancelled. I understand the demands of business, and I want a commercially vibrant borough. I realise that jobs and prosperity hang on the success of local businesses. However, we cannot be hostage to profits, and sometimes we have to push back against commercial interests.

Of course, runners, biker and drivers could find alternate venues. But the seafront is a great place to host these events, and this natural and shared resource is theirs too.

I do not blame the Council entirely, although I find their conservative and mean-spirited approach at times somewhat at odds with their stated desire to see the borough become a magnet for more visitors.

The news that the marathon has been cancelled was a surprise to say the least. I get a mountain of emails most days, but I am sure that I did not get any advanced notification of this.

I have yet to receive an explanation, and although this is now promised it has only come as a result of my prompting.

It does seem that some decisions are not explained to us - and yet we still attract some blame.

I find the decision baffling, and in anticipation of an explanation - wrong. We are meant to be encouraging exercise, less car use, and the idea of enabling a big society through charitable endeavour. This latest cancellation fails on these criteria.

I doubt the decision will be reversed, but I think it important that this councillor (whose ward hosts a part of the marathon course) shows that he does not endorse this decision.

Cllr Julian Ware-Lane

Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff

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Review stood up for the disabled

I HEARTILY congratulate your reviewers for their review of the disgraceful disabled facilities at Grand Central (Echo Taste Test, February 23).

Sadly, this is typical of so many restaurants in Basildon, where abuse of disabled parking facilities is endemic!

A few months ago the Festival Leisure park announced a blitz on parking abuse.

It lasted a couple of weeks then lethargy ruled again.

COLIN TAYLOR

Wickhay, Basildon

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I welcome a Pizza Express in Leigh

I THINK Pizza Express would be good for Leigh.

The building’s exterior means it wouldn’t be too intrusive on the surrounding businesses and little change would be caused to the aesthetics of the Broadway.

It would be somewhere that all family members and visitors to Leigh would enjoy visiting.

This looks to be an ideal place where all ages can go.

We have many shops, all catering for the same clientele.

The Broadway will die if we allow our councillors to remain blinkered.

We need to allow it to evolve or more and more places will remain unoccupied and in turn the Broadway will not remain the attraction it is.

Caroline Parker and other members of our council who have the idea that only independent traders are the way forward need to change their view if our town is to survive.

In reality we need a mix of both.

LIZ SIBLEY

Grasmead Avenue, Leigh