onlineFOCUS – News and Stuff For Rochford District since 2003

If you are interested in local history, or the Wakering area, be sure to look at http://www.wakeringheritage.org.uk/index.html   . The website is full of stuff on Wakering, Barling and Foulness, from executing robbers in Anglo-Saxon times (men were hung, women were drowned) , to a list of people living there in 1874, to the Luftwaffe dropping in during WW2.

My aim is to reveal the history of Great Wakering and its surrounding villages over the past one hundred years. This period covers two World Wars and goes far enough back to the days when, cars, telephones, mobile Phones and computers did not exist. Life was much slower and aspirations lower but most communities co-existed in harmony.

April 26th, 2013 | Category: Barling & Sutton, History and Culture, Military, Wakering & Foulness, Web Stuff | Leave a comment

Other highways stuff discussed yesterday included:

Watery Lane – this is almost beyond parody now. We had one business-owner  who explained how Watery Lane has been officially closed for flooding for the last 34 working days. Currently the water is 18 inches deep. Sometimes lorries will come through the water when it isn’t too deep, other time they have to drive a van out to collect the stuff from the lorry somewhere down the road. Apparently the collapsed culvert which is causing the immediate problem can’t be repaired by County Highways until the summer

Tescos at London Road Rayleigh – we agreed to spend £7000 on bollards on the grass verge to prevent vehicles parking.

Spa Road , Hockley  – County Councillor Bonnie Hart said there was ‘utter chaos’ near Sainsbury’s, and we agree to spend £20,000 on railings

The three entrance points to Barling – we agreed to spend £30,000 on ‘village gateways’, to make it extra clear to drives they were entering a 30 mph zone through the village.

Old London Road , Rawreth. We decided NOT to sopend money on signage stating there might be pedestrians in the road. However Chris Black did get the officers to look once again at lowering the speed limit here.

Popes Walk , Rayleigh We refused a request to remove cobble stones because of anti-social behaviour.

Cycleways and Bus Shelters . We decided not to spend any money on new cycleways or replacement bus shelters.

February 1st, 2013 | Category: Barling & Sutton, Highways & Parking, Hockley, Hullbridge, Public Transport, Rawreth, Rayleigh | Comments (4)

Early hot air balloon flight, 1784

The bookstall inside Rayleigh Lanes recently had a couple of copies of “Essex And Its Race For The Skies 1900-1939″ by Graham Smith.

As you’d expect from the title, it deals with flying in Essex before WW2. But it also covers flights in Essex before 1900. A really long time before.

Let’s go back to 1783. The Montgolfier Brothers in France invent a hot-air balloon and Etienne Montgolfier makes the first manned ascent. News of this travels fast.

By the next spring there are already flights taken in place in England. On June 3rd 1784 one arrived at Fambridge! According to the diary of John Crosier, A Maldon miller:

“3rd June, a large balloon descended in a field near Fambridge … with Major Money and another gentlemen, both heavy men. They came down about three o’clock in the afternoon, pack’d it up and convy’d it to Maldon in a cart. The car, in the form of a boat, was superb’

It’s not altogether clear that this was South Fambridge rather than North Fambridge. But even so , it must have been a startling site for anyone who saw it. Men descending out of the sky!

August 12th, 2012 | Category: Barling & Sutton, Fambridge, History and Culture, Science, Summer Snippets | Leave a comment

The latest lists of new planning applications can be found on the District Council website here. They are the lists dated March 30th and April 6th. Most of the applications are for extensions etc but there are some bigger ones:

C.F.P. Community Services ( Who provide “Community support for individuals with learning disabilities, mental health illnesses and other conditions, including personal care and transportation to community activities”) have an application in Great Wakering:

12/00072/FUL Parish: Great Wakering Parish Council
Ward: Foulness And Great Wakering
Proposal: Construct Four Bedrooms Within Existing Unit to Accommodate Patients Overnight
Location: Unit 1 Crouchmans Business Yard Poynters Lane
Applicant: C.F.P. Community Services

A retrospective application in Barling Magna:

12/00131/LDC Parish: Barling Magna Parish Council
Ward: Barling And Sutton
Proposal: Retrospective Application For A Certificate Of Lawfulness To Retain Two Detached Building Each For Use As A Dwellinghouse.
To Retain One Building For Use As Stables And One Building For Use As Stable And Tack Room
Location: Land North Of Ropers Farm Mucking Hall Road

Car Wash By Rayleigh Station:

12/00158/FUL Parish: Rayleigh Town Council
Ward: Wheatley
Proposal: Use of Area of Car Park as Car Wash Facility Including Erection of Canopy and Office Building
Location: Car Park Station Approach Station Road

Extra house in Trinity Road, Rayleigh:

12/00003/FUL
Parish: Rayleigh Town Council Ward: Rayleigh Central
Proposal: Subdivide Plot and Construct One Four Bedroomed House with Rooms in Roofspace
Location: Land Adjacent 57 Trinity Road Rayleigh

Extra house in Church Road, Hockley:

12/00147/FUL Parish: Hockley Parish Council Ward: Hockley West
Proposal: Subdivide Site and Construct Two Storey Four Bedroomed Detached House and Detached Garage
Location: Westview, Church Road Hockley

April 9th, 2012 | Category: Barling & Sutton, Health and Care, Hockley, Planning Applications, Rayleigh, Wakering & Foulness, Weekly Parish List | Leave a comment

The latest list of new planning applications can be found on the District Council website here. It’s the list dated March 16th

As usual, most of the applications this week are for house extensions etc. But there are some bigger ones:

Office in Great Wakering to become takeaway:

12/00116/COU
Parish: Great Wakering Parish Council Ward: Foulness And Great Wakering
Proposal: Change of use From Office (B1) to Takeaway (A3)
Location: Units 13 To 15 Star Lane Industrial Estate Star Lane

Purdeys Industrial Estate – from retail to childrens play:

12/00144/COU
Parish: Rochford Parish Council Ward: Rochford
Proposal: Change of Use from A1 Retail to Class Use D2 And Use As Childrens Soft Play and Famly Entertainment Centre
Location: 6 Purdeys Way Rochford Essex

Extending a bomb shelter in Barling Magna… for a nursery

12/00151/FUL Parish: Barling Magna Parish Council
Ward: Barling And Sutton
Proposal: Single Storey Extension/Re-Roofing and Refurbishment of Existing Air Raid Shelter to Form Ancillary Room to Main Day Nursery
Location: The Old School 400 Little Wakering Road Barling Magna

Demolish one bungalow in Hockley, and build two:

12/00154/FUL
Parish: Hockley Parish Council Ward: Hockley Central
Proposal: Demolish Existing Bungalow And Construct Pair Of Semi-Detached Bungalows With Parking And Garages, Provide New Vehicular Crossover To Buckingham Road
Location: 58 Main Road Hockley Essex

March 18th, 2012 | Category: Barling & Sutton, Hockley, Planning Applications, Rochford, Wakering & Foulness, Weekly Parish List | Leave a comment

Two of the main items at the Development Committee on August 25th deal with Southend United’s proposed new stadium.

Although these applications are just inside Southend Borough, Southend Council are consulting Rochford as the neighbouring authority. The applications are for:

11/00538/EXTM DEMOLISH NIGHTCLUB AND TRAINING FACILITIES; ERECT 22,000 SEAT FOOTBALL STADIUM INCLUDING 114 BEDROOM HOTEL, CONFERENCE FLOORSPACE, PLAYERS HOSTEL, FOOD AND DRINK CONCESSIONS, BARS AND OTHER ANCILLARY FACILITIES; ERECT 67 FLATS WITH BASEMENT PARKING, ERECT RETAIL UNITS (CLASS A1) TOTALLING 16,400 SQ METRES OF FLOORSPACE OF WHICH AT LEAST 20% SHALL BE RESTRICTED TO BULKY/DIY GOODS, ERECT RESTAURANT (CLASS A3) COMPRISING 279 SQ METRES OF FLOORSPACE, ERECT HEALTH CLUB (CLASS D2) TOTALLING 3205 SQ METRES OF FLOORSPACE, LAY OUT PARKING AND CYCLE SPACES AND ASSOCIATED LANDSCAPING AND FORM VEHICULAR ACCESSES ONTO EASTERN AVENUE AND FOSSETTS FARM LINK ROAD (APPLICATION TO EXTEND THE TIME LIMIT FOR IMPLEMENTATION FOLLOWING PLANNING PERMISSION 06/01300/FULM GRANTED 30/06/2008) PART OF FOSSETTS FARM AND SUFC TRAINING GROUND EASTERN AVENUE SOUTHEND-ON-SEA ESSEX SS2 4DU

5.1
The above consultation was received from the Head of Environmental Planning and Transportation, Southend Borough Council. It was not possible to provide a written report on the schedule for Members’ information, however, further details will be provided in advance of the Committee.
5.2
Southend Borough Council is expected to consider the application at Committee in September 2011. District officers will, therefore, provide a full report to the meeting to allow Members to form a view and this will be forwarded to the Borough Council.
5.3
For Members’ information; officers have already relayed to Southend Borough Council the comments raised at the Development Committee in June 2011 with regard to the stadium development. Namely, the need for Section 106 agreement monies to be made available for the maintenance of the ditches of the flood attenuation pond and for the travel plan to include provision for away supporters to be directed to the stadium via the A127 rather than via Sutton Road.

You can download the agenda here if you wish (1.16 Mb), though there’s not much more about the stadium.

August 17th, 2011 | Category: Barling & Sutton, Leisure and Sport, Planning Applications, Southend | Leave a comment

You may remember that Southend United Football Club were given planning permission in 2008 for their proposed new stadium complex at Fossetts Farm. In fact they were given planning permission by two councils – Southend and Rochford, because although most of the site is in Southend Borough, 3 training pitches, 1 allweather floodlit training pitch , a flood attenuation pond and a 454 space car park were ‘over the border’ in Rochford.

Nearly 3 years has passed and the complex hasn’t been started yet, so Southend United had to apply again to extend the time limit for building.

Ron Martin, who came to speak in favour of his application, said hye could confidently predict they could start work in the autumn.

Councillors views were on this mixed.

The ward councillor , Cllr Michael Steptoe, wasn’t a district councillor when the original application was passed. Although in the end he voted for the application, he had some concerns, notably on flooding and the impact of surface water run-off on ditches downstream. Hopefully this will be looked at by Southend Council.

Councillor Colin Seagers said he had supported the original application but would vote against this time. opposed the original application and would still vote against this time.

Councillor Chris Lumley made the point that refusing to extend the time limit would only lead to an appeal, and probably heavy costs awarded against the council. He was immediately backe up on this by the committee chairma, Phil Capon.

In the end, the application was passed

July 2nd, 2011 | Category: Barling & Sutton, Leisure and Sport, Planning Applications | Comments (9)

In three wards of the district the Conservatives were not opposed by any other candidates, so three Conservatives are automatically re-elected:

Ashingdon & Canewdon Con unopposed – Tracy Capon
Barling and Sutton Con unopposed (Mike Steptoe)
Foulness & Great Wakering Con unopposed – Colin Seagers (so hopefully we will still get some detailed comments

This seems to happen nationally in some hundreds of seats every year. There’s some national coverage of this (mentioning Rochford as an example) on the political betting website here.

“No doubt there many many more instances like these and several hundred candidates, mostly Tories, have been elected unopposed.

My guess is that the Lib Dems have, in many cases, pulled back from fielding candidates with the aim of putting available resources into defending the seats where they are incumbents.

On top of that I wonder whether being a councillor is simply not an attractive a proposition as it was – after all, for the foreseeable future their main role will be over-seeing cut-backs. “

Incidentally, the Lib Dems are still fighting the same number of seats in Rochford District as four years ago. And in 2007 four Conservatives were elected unopposed.

April 6th, 2011 | Category: Ashingdon, Barling & Sutton, Canewdon & Around, Conservatives, Elections, Wakering & Foulness | Leave a comment

Here are two new planning applications that have been submitted.

One is in Barling:

10/00333/LDC
Parish: Barling Magna Parish Council
Ward: Barling & Sutton

Proposal:
Existing Use of Aircraft Taking Off, Landing On, Manoeuvre On, For The Purpose Of The Transport Of Passengers and/or Flying Instruction, Aircraft To Be Fuelled and/or Stored At The Airfield, The Use Of Existing Three Grass Runway Strips, Hangers And Standing For Stored Aircraft
Location: Baldwins Farm Little Wakering Road Barling Magna

You can view it here.

the other is for some 4 metre high signs to the Rayleigh Leisure Centre:

10/00407/ADV
Parish: Rayleigh Town Council
Ward: Downhall And Rawreth

Proposal:
3no Double Sided Non Illuminated Freestanding Signs 4000mm High x 1600mm Wide. 3no Double Sided Directional Lamp Post Signs 1200mm High x 500mm Wide Hung 3m From Pavement Level
Location:
Rayleigh Leisure Centre Priory Chase Rayleigh

You can view it here.

October 3rd, 2010 | Category: Barling & Sutton, Leisure and Sport, Planning Applications, Rayleigh | Comments (4)

There’s been quite a few new entries on the FixMyStreet website, some people are clearly finding it useful…

Today : Barling – Flytipping near Mucking Hall Road

Today : Rayleigh In Eastwood Road: “Top surface of foot path completely gone in many areas, thus making it dangerous for elderly people, several people have tripped-up.”

Yesterday: Hockley : In Hawkwell Road “There has been a serious pothole in the centre of the road for many months. It is necessary to divert or damage your car.”

Sunday: Hawkwell – Collapsed drain cover in Larkfield Close

September 16th, 2010 | Category: Barling & Sutton, Hawkwell, Highways & Parking, Hockley, Rayleigh | Comments (7)

The following items have been reported on FixMyStreet this week:

A large pothole in Sutton Road

A 3-piece suite dumped in Bedloes Avenue

A deep pothole in Ashingdon Road

You can report a problem on FixMyStreet here.

February 6th, 2010 | Category: Barling & Sutton, Highways & Parking, Rawreth, Rochford, Web Stuff | Leave a comment