Echo news from Southend, Basildon, Castle Point,Rayleigh, Rochford, Wickford, Billericay, Thurrock

Badges too hard for some

3:52pm Monday 10th September 2012

I agree with Dee Gordon and M Stokes. A person’s entitlement to a Blue Badge should be fully assessed and the application process did need to be tightened up to prevent fraud (September 6).

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Councillors must be on a different planet to residents

3:45pm Monday 10th September 2012

With 600 new houses to be built on Canvey, I am now totally convinced this council is on a different planet. These houses will mean a minimum of 600 cars, but of course it will be suggested Jeff King will pay £18.5million to complete Roscommon Way (the road to nowhere), which according to Ray Howard will be the answer to all Canvey’s traffic problems. Anyone with an atom of common sense knows all traffic converges at Waterside Roundabout, the only exit from the Island. Jeff King plans to build a Care Home. Big deal. I would imagine this will be right next to the gas storage terminal. When the methane terminal was in use, and gas stored underground, there was a blanket restriction on building within a 1.5km radius. Now the Calor Gas plant stores gas above ground, which poses a far greater risk, houses already border this plant. Why will the council not reveal what is stored in the Oikos complex? Probably because it would cause mass panic. Councillor Norman Smith, who lives in Benfleet, said it would be better for the occupants of caravans to live in houses. Would he care to explain how they can buy one of these houses? The majority are on benefits and live there because they cannot afford to rent houses, let alone buy one. Now is the time for the residents of Canvey to stand up and be counted, and demand another exit road is built and the infrastructure updated. Until then, no more houses! Mike Brown
Leigh Road
Canvey ...Councillor Ray Howard said “I would rather see 600 homes at Thorny Bay than at the Dutch village”. Can he guarantee there will be no houses built on that site, or was that just wishful thinking? Mr B Dixie
Delview
Canvey ...Just how much does Castle Point Council care about its residents? Since I have been a councillor I have to sadly say, not a lot. On the planning committee the Conservative members were whipped into doing what they were told, not one even entered the debate. I think this showed lack of knowledge on issues of flood risk and hazardous sites, subjects of great technical know-how, which I believe they were very uncomfortable with. Did the council fail in its duty of care? Yes. The inducements mattered more, as it’s all about house bonus money from the Government. Christchurch Council has a policy of not developing flood risk areas. It really cares for its residents. Cllr Neville Watson
Eastways
Canvey

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Why not employ youths?

11:44am Friday 20th July 2012

Why has G4S had so much trouble recruiting security guards for the Olympics? Do we not have untold thousands of unemployed, champing at the bit to work?

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Act now to be heard later

11:42am Friday 20th July 2012

The planning application for the proposed development at Kiln Road/Wensley Road is to be considered at the Development Control meeting on July 31 (July 12). Those who have submitted written objections and who wish to speak at the meeting should not wait for notification from Castle Point head of planning.

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Real poverty is here too

11:40am Friday 20th July 2012

I read Basildon Council is to set its agenda to cut services. Chief executive Bala Mahendran said “in Sri Lanka there is real poverty”. I worked as a welfare rights adviser, helping people claim benefits.

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Committee 'had not read seafront museum report'

11:38am Friday 20th July 2012

I attended the meeting at which Southend’s seafront museum was approved.

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High price of a trip to the cinema

2:22pm Thursday 19th July 2012

I GREW up in the Seventies when Southend had a choice of cinemas with the Odeon, ABC and the Classic.

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No ultimatum to schools

2:21pm Thursday 19th July 2012

AS we come towards the end of the school year, I would like to congratulate schools and pupils across Basildon for the successes they have achieved over the past year.

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Cliffs museum saga had killed off local democracy

2:15pm Thursday 19th July 2012

DO we live in a democratic Southend or not as far as the Cliffs museum is concerned?

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Defending green belt, not green space

2:14pm Thursday 19th July 2012

I FIND it sickening that Basildon ’s Conservative administration vehemently defends any piece of green belt land, no matter its actual quality, yet continues to sell off huge chunks of our children’s parks and recreation grounds for housing development.

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