onlineFOCUS – News and Stuff For Rochford District since 2003

Here’s some more information about our candidate Debbie Taylor, who is standing in Rochford North:

April 30th, 2013 | Category: Ashingdon, Canewdon & Around | Leave a comment

Rayleigh Mill

If you are coming to Hadleigh for the Olympics, you might fancy coming to Rayleigh for a meal. There are plenty of cafes and tea-rooms, and a good range of restaurants – whether you want Fish and Chips, Italian, Spanish, Chinese or Indian. Plus lots of pubs….

Battlesbridge

And if you want to go a bit further, and eat by the river, you can have a very good meal at Hullbridge or Battlesbridge.

If you’ve come from abroad, and are interested in science, then you could drive to Paglesham, where the remains of Darwin’s Beagle are somewhere in the river bed. There’s absolutely nothing of H.M.S. Beagle to actually see, but the pubs do good food and it’s a very tranquil place to walk.

And if you are more religious-minded, there are plenty of ancient village churches to see, including one at Paglesham. The view from the churchyard at Ashingdon is particularly fine.

July 29th, 2012 | Category: Ashingdon, Battlesbridge, Food and Drink, Hullbridge, Olympics, Paglesham, Rayleigh, Science | Leave a comment

There’s a few new reports on the FixMyStreet website -as usual potholes are the main issue.

Near Rayleigh Weir:

Road surface breaking up in nearside lane of southbound track of A129 100m north from the slip onto the A127

Potholes in Waltham Road: (Incidentally Chris Black and Chris Lumley have also the Waltham Road potholes via the District Council – it probably has more potholes than anywhere else in Rayleigh).

I am reporting severe Pot Holes in our road which do not appear to be being fixed. I complained about this to the highways team, when I first moved into the road in September 2011 but as yet I haven’t had any feedback or seen and remedial action being taken. These pot holes have deteriorated since the recent snow fall and we would like them to be filled in as a matter of urgency. In particular there are an accumulation of ‘Bigger’ holes near my drive way which deters me from parking on my drive due to the possibility of damage to my vehicle. However, these are not the only ones – the road is full of them and they continue round into surrounding roads too. Please could you look into this as a matter of urgency. Thank you Mrs Tanya Jenkins

Pothole in Stanley Road Ashingdon:

Reported in the Potholes category by Dr j hamblin at 10:38 today
Sent to Essex County Council 1 minute later
About 100 yards on near side after the acute right hand corner bend past first house on left. Caused serious damage to two tires and wheels yesterday.

Street light out AGAIN in Little Wakering

Reported in the Street lighting category by myra pallen at 14:39 today
Sent to Essex County Council less than a minute later
Street light out opposite 4 Oldbury Cottages,Southend Rd,Gt Wakering SS3 0PR It is only about out 6 months since it was last done ! This is very urgent as it is almost the only one on this road, and it lights up our 7 cottages when the traffic ZOOMS past at 100 miles an hour!!!

February 25th, 2012 | Category: Ashingdon, Highways & Parking, Rayleigh | Leave a comment

The latest list of new planning applications can be found on the District Council website here. It’s the list dated February 17th.

There’s quite a lot of medium sized or large applications this week:

Application for a mobile home that’s already there:

11/00106/COU
Parish: Ashingdon Parish Council Ward: Ashingdon And Canewdon
Proposal:
Retrospective Application for the Use of the Site for Siting of Mobile Home for Residential Use Including Retention of Hardstanding for Parking of Domestic Vehicles, Hardstanding Base for Mobile Home and Access Track.
Location: Land End Of Oakfield Road New Park Road Hockley

Four flats in Rayleigh (a similar application has already been passed here) :

12/00018/FUL
Parish: Rayleigh Town Council Ward: Downhall And Rawreth
Proposal:
Amended Application to Demolish Existing Dwelling and Construct Two Storey Building with Rooms in Roofspace Comprising 4no. One Bedroomed Flats, Parking, Amenity Areas and Garden Shed
Location: 138 Down Hall Road Rayleigh Essex

A barn in Canewdon:

12/00096/FUL
Parish: Canewdon Parish Council Ward: Ashingdon And Canewdon
Proposal:
Construct Barn to Contain 3 Stables and Feed/Tack Store
Location: Mill Hatch Lark Hill Road Canewdon

2 bungalows in Hawkwell:

12/00061/FUL
Parish: Hawkwell Parish Council
Ward: Hawkwell North
Proposal:
Demolish Existing Dwelling and Construct 2No. 3-bed Detached Bungalows With Off-Street Parking
Location: 1 Clifton Road Ashingdon Essex

Change of use in Hockley from warehouse to “retail warehouse”:

12/00100/FUL
Parish: Hockley Parish Council Ward: Hockley Central
Proposal:
Change of Use from Warehouse to Retail Warehouse Including New Front Facade, New External Staircase to Rear to Provide Access at First Floor Level.
Location: 27 Eldon Way Hockley Essex

Keep a temporary road at Southend Airport:

12/00102/FUL
Parish: Rochford Parish Council
Ward: Rochford
Proposal:
Retention of the existing vehicular access off Southend Rd for emergency access (access having previously been constructed pursuant to a temporary planning permission), Retention of vehicular access track and retrospective permission to retain reprofiling and grading of site
Location: Land On The Eastern Side Of Southend Airport Rochford

Extend the airport terminal !

12/00103/FUL
Parish: Rochford Parish Council Ward: Rochford
Proposal:
Extension Of Passenger Terminal Building; Configuration Of An Aircraft Parking Area For 5 Aircraft Stands; Passenger Walkways; And Associated Works
Location: London Southend Airport Southend Airport Rochford

Knock down a bungalow in Hullbridge , build a house:

12/00106/FUL
Parish: Hullbridge Parish Council Ward: Hullbridge
Proposal: Demolish Existing Bungalow and Construct Detached Four Bedroomed House With Integral Garage. Widen Existing Vehicular Crossing.
Location: 37A Hilltop Avenue Hullbridge Hockley

Covered parking at the new flats in front of Asda:

12/00107/FUL
Parish: Rayleigh Town Council Ward: Downhall And Rawreth
Proposal:
The installation of 3 double carport photovoltaic systems to provide covered car parking for the approved commercial/retail units.
Location: Land At Junction Of Rawreth Lane Priory Chase Rayleigh

Convert a pair of industrial buildings in Rayleigh into a home:

12/00110/FUL
Parish: Rayleigh Town Council Ward: Wheatley
Proposal: Change of Use of Two Light Industrial Buildings to a Single Dwelling. Extend External Wall/Roof and Form Porch and Covered Parking Area 72 High Road Rayleigh Essex

Have we missed out anything that you think we should mentioned? If we have, please let us know.

February 19th, 2012 | Category: Airport, Asda or Makro, Ashingdon, Canewdon & Around, Hawkwell, Hullbridge, Planning Applications, Rayleigh, Rochford, Weekly Parish List | Leave a comment

Rochford Life has an interview here with Kelly Holland, the Parish Clerk for both Ashingdon and Canewdon Parish Councils.

Here’s some extracts:

RL: How would you sum up the purpose or role of the Clerk?
Kelly: It’s so difficult to define the role because there is so much that we do. We are minute takers, we do the finances, we instruct contractors, we get grants, we get consultations from government that we have to put into normal terms for the Parish Council to comment upon. There is just so much. In Canewdon we do the allotments, we have the street lights, we’ve got benches; basically it is managing the Parish Council.
_
RL: You are essentially the executive arm of the Council?
Kelly: Yes we are, but in so many people’s eyes we’re just secretaries. Writing letters is about 1% of the job; a lot of it is around the law and all the things that are coming in from the Government like the Localism Bill. We have to know exactly what they are talking about and then inform the Parish Council accordingly……

…….RL: Do you see being a Clerk something that will just go on, perhaps as part of your lifestyle now?
Kelly: Yes, it’s very fulfilling; no two days are the same so it’s not a job you get bored with. It’s a profession even though it is not seen as a profession, and now I have the two it’s full-time hours so it’s what I hope to continue to do.

September 29th, 2011 | Category: Ashingdon, Canewdon & Around | Leave a comment

:

Today we received the following press release from Regal Busways

Regal Busways are set to introduce three new bus services from Tuesday 30th August. Two of the new services, numbers 2 and 6 are special shopper services and the third service, the R3, is a special commuter service to Rayleigh rail station, connecting buses with morning and evening London train services.
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The number 2 service will link Southend, Ashingdon, Hockley and Rayleigh to Chelmsford and operates every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The service will provide a direct link to Chelmsford for Ashingdon and Hockley residents for the first time.
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The number 6 service will link Southend, Eastwood and Rayleigh to Chelmsford every Tuesday and Thursday.
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The R3 service will inter-work with Regal Busways’ existing number 3 service and operates between Rawreth Lane (Asda) and Rayleigh rail station. The services will see the number of journeys between Rawreth Lane (Asda) and Rayleigh rail station in the morning peak increase from 2 to 7 and similarly on the return evening services.
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A special promotional ticket will also be introduced on the R3 service until the end of the year. Daily fares will be just £1 single, £2 return or £10 for a weekly ticket.
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Adrian McGarry, Managing Director of Regal Busways said, “Using the new R3 service to Rayleigh station rather than the car is an excellent way to make significant savings on station car parking and fuel costs and helps to reduce congestion on the road at peak times. I’m also delighted to offer two new shopper services to Chelmsford, which will open up new journey opportunities for Ashingdon and Hockely residents”.
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For more information about the services visit www.regalbusways.com or call Regal Busways on .

August 26th, 2011 | Category: Ashingdon, Hockley, Public Transport, Rayleigh | Comments (9)

This might particularly interest you if you live in the Green Belt, or are a parish councillor….

A government inspector has dismissed an appeal for a house extension in the Green Belt. The house is in Ulverston Road , Ashingdon, and the extension is a loft conversion to create two bedrooms and a bathroom, plus a garage conversion to create a larger kitchen. We say ‘is’ because the work has already been carried out - the applicant claimed that he thought he could do this without planning permission, under the category of ‘permitted development’.

However the inspector has now ruled that there are no exceptional circumstances to justify the breaking of Green Belt policy. The applicant wanted the bedrooms for his children, and claimed that any disruption to the arrangements would be a breach of their human rights in terms of their private family life. However although the inspector did consider the disruption, he didn’t think it outweighed the importance of Green Belt Policy.

The applicant also referred to other extensions being built nearby.

You can find the appeal here.

Presumably the extension will have to come down now. Green Belt policy can seem very harsh, but overall it does protect the semi-rural nature of our district. So it’s important that it applies equally and fairly – whether you are travellers, occupiers of houses, or big developers.

August 21st, 2011 | Category: Ashingdon, Planning Applications | Leave a comment

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

Ashingdon Parish Council are holding surgeries for residents to raise any concerns or issues:

Tuesday, 22nd March 2011 – 7.45pm to 8.30pm

Kilnfield House, Foundry Business Park, Station Approach, Hockley

Monday, 28th March 2011 – 7.45pm to 8.30pm

Ashingdon and East Hawkwell Memorial Hall, Ashingdon Road, Ashingdon

More information on surgeries and other stuff is on the Ashimgdon Parish Council website here.

One item of interest is about a new bus service launched last month (albeit only two days a week but reaches out as far as Wallasea….)

CROUCH VILLAGE LINK Bus Service

A new bus service will be launched on 1st February 2011 called the Crouch Village Link. The service will run on Tuesdays and Saturdays serving Wallasea, Canewdon, South Fambridge, The Dome in Hockley, Ashingdon Medical Centre, Rochford Station, Tesco, Southend Hospital and Southend Central train station.

March 16th, 2011 | Category: Ashingdon, Public Transport | Leave a comment

There’s been quite a few reports made recently on the FixMyStreet website:

Dangerous Pothole in Ashingdon “A recent road repair has been left unsafe, please fix. This is right on the corner as you drive up Ashingdon Road from Rochford and turn left in to Stanley Road.”

Potholes in Wakering ” Two number large potholes on carriageway at mini roundabout.”

From Brian Guyett – deep pothole in Hawkwell : “B1013/Hall Road on Rochford bound carriageway just past Rectory Rd junction”

Pothole in Nelson Road Rayleigh : “I hit a seriously deep pothole in approx. this area last night. As cars, vans and even lorries are being parked on both sides of this road there is little room to manouvre. This has possibly damaged my car and could cause an accident. It has been there for several months. This time I was not able to avoid it.”

Potholes in Rochford: “Have only been allowed to click one place in Hyde Wood Lane but there are so many potholes its is difficult to pick the most dangerous. Coming from Brays Lane on the left hand side there are numerous potholes of varying sizes and depth and they run practically the whole length of the road. Some at the Canewdon Road end were repaired last year eventually, but the ones at the other end of the road have just got worse. As a lot of drivers use it as a cut through and bomb up the road it is very difficult and dangerous to try and get out of their way or even let anything bigger than a car pass. I am reporting these potholes again so the Council have a note of them for when I damage my car and make a claim against them!”

6 Potholes in Wakering : “Heading west from southend road between star lane and silchester corner, there are 6 large potholes on the road”

West Street Rochford… “Hole in road , just before speed bump.” and in Weir Pond Road

… and from Ron Oatham regarding Brixham Close Rayleigh ” Surface of road between no7 and no8 Brixha Close completely breaking up since the recent snow “

January 29th, 2011 | Category: Ashingdon, Highways & Parking, Rayleigh, Rochford, Wakering & Foulness | Comments (3)

There’s an application in Ashingdon recommended for approval by officers. It’s to extend a mobile phone tower in Ashingdon to assist with digital TV when it comes:

Application No : 10/00183/FUL Zoning : Metropolitan Green Belt
Parish : Ashingdon Parish Council
Ward : Ashingdon And Canewdon
Location : Rouncefall The Chase Ashingdon
Proposal : Extend Existing Tower by 2.5 Metres and Add 6m
High Climbable Mounting Pole (Overall Height 31
Metres) Install 4 Tiers of UHF Antennas , One x
0.75m Diameter Dish and Install One x Meter Cabinet
and One x Feeder Gantry One x Equipment Cabin at
Mast Base, and a Compound Extension.
Ashingdon Parish Council: No objection.

NOTES
Planning permission is sought to extend the existing tower by 2.5 metres and
add a 6 metre high climbable mounting pole (overall height 31 metres), to
install 4 tiers of UHF antennas, one 0.75 metre diameter dish and to install
one meter cabinet and one feeder gantry at the mast base at Rouncefall, The
Chase, Ashingdon.
.
…..Whilst the existing tower supports antenna for mobile phone operators ‘Tmobile’
and ‘3’, the proposed development is not required to support any new
mobile phone antenna or operations but is required to enable this existing
transmitting station to become one of the nine new television sites required to
close identified gaps in coverage associated with the digital switchover.

One resident is objecting:

o At present we can only see it from our front bedroom windows but
when this is extended it will be seen from all the front of the property
and this will detrimental impact on our view of the countryside
o Having more dishes on this mask will also impose on our outlook.
o We are very worried about the health risks from this mobile tower and
feel that if this extended it may give off more radio waves which can be
detrimental to our health.
o When the wind is blowing in the direction of our property we can hear
the generator at present and this may be louder if they extent the
tower.

You can find the full report here (105kb)

June 7th, 2010 | Category: Ashingdon, Essex & East, Planning Applications | Leave a comment