What We Were Saying 4 Years Ago – Car Parking and Overdevelopment

March

17

19 comments

We’ve just found a copy of an old leaflet put out by Lib Dem campaigner Chris Stanley 4 years ago. (In Trinity Ward)
Main issues : car parking and overdevelopment!
Ah well, at least it shows we’ve been consistent on these issues for a long time…! (click on the images to enlarge them)

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About the author, admin

  • Admin – that is an interesting look back , can you explain the Town Council role in respect of the broader RDC function , what sort of defence can they mount via the
    Consultation and Planning Application phases ?.
    One would assume they should be particularly interested in the overloading of the local infrastructure in general ( roads/ schools/doctors/ dentists/ hospitals/emergency services/support services/ leisure facilities etc;etc; ), ie: the over-development forecast in your feature item above.

  • Chris and Co – if you can’t be seen to taking sides prior to planning applications ,can the Town Council take up the Construction traffic issue , neither Countryside nor RDC are showing any leadership on what will be years of heavy construction traffic in Rawreth Lane & London Rd.
    Seriously – tens of thousands of vehicle movements overlaid on the existing problems can only be a negative impact , especially with double the traffic due to Hullbridge building traffic through the only roads available ( can you imagine Hambro Corner)?.
    A campaign for a serious traffic management plan needs to start now – how can we lobby for this if the Ward Councillors are not allowed to express the residents views?.

  • Chris & Co – If a well researched factual objection & petition is ignored, Ward Councillors are not allowed to comment on planning issues and the Town Council cannot ( or will not ) request an audience with RDC ( Planning & Transportation ) to
    ask for answers on Traffic / Infrastructure / Sewage , then the only route left is Class Action.
    French Farmers use it to good effect …………..

  • Jim @ 2 – yes, Town and Parish Councils can certainly take up issues like this. And District Councillors (including ward councillors) can certainly take up issues like construction traffic management. That isn’t regarded as taking sides, just trying to get appropriate conditions in the event of an application being passed.
    I have spoken to Countryside about this, response wasn’t very positive, they are saying that the north and south ends of the site won’t be connected at the start of the construction anyway.
    But the issue isn’t going to go away, and we need more discussion with Countryside on this, and data about traffic movements at similar construction sites.

  • OK Chris , but there is no doubt the scheme will be passed ( it will be approved by the same people who dreamed up the concept in the first place ) .

    Countryside have no interest in designing the site build sequence / traffic flow to suit anyone but themselves ( phases and so on ) – the dialogue must start now so that the site layout / build sequence is designed to minimise the impact on the area ( ingress & egress etc;).

    Rayleigh Town Councillors and impacted Ward Councillors should be lobbying the Planning / Transportation department now – it needs a joined up traffic management plan imposed on the Developers appointed contractor – not the other way round!!!!!.
    If nothing else the section 106 monies should be spent on sorting London Rd and Rawreth Lane – before it becomes even more of a problem.

    What is the point of Ward and Town Councillors if they don’t go into bat for those who elect them?.

  • Chris , just read my last bit ( in #5 ) and it was’nt a pop at you – I know you try hard,
    but where are the Town Council on this , all along the way I have seen very little comment from them as a group?. You cannot do it on your own it needs a group effort to get the impactts on the agenda – starts with that group getting together and agreeing the approach I would suggest.
    It is no good waiting for the Planning Application ( only 21 days to object ) – we need to drive the agenda ASAP.

  • Rayleigh Town Council aren’t going to say anything are they. Several Councillors are members of both the Town Council and the RDC, and they are part of the Tory majority – so why would they bother saying anything with their town council hat on when they don’t with their RDC hat on. Seems to me that this is a case of joint membership leading to a clear conflict of interest, they won’t buck the RDC party whip to fight for their town. Yet another example of local democracy actually being an absolute farce. {EDITED}

  • Christine, being on a Town Coucnil and District Council at the same time shouldn’t give you any conflict, providing you represent the same area on each. Because we are mainly there to represent residents to the council, not the other way round.
    But if there is an overweening party whip, that wrecks that theory…

  • Christine, that is exactly the point I was provoking – the Town Council seems to be pointless, and Chris can’ do it alone.
    Chris , to be honest if you (and others) are going to lose the vote 29-10 anyway ,then you might as well campaign loudly and let them bar you from voting (that would get media attention).
    Frankly I am fast losing any faith in the ‘system’ and can see the public at large
    taking to Class Action (like Billericay recently perhaps)……JIM.

  • Jim is right, Chris and his fellow Lib-Dems/Independents can’t do it alone and while that party whip system is in force then the councillors are not representing the people, they are representing the wishes of a few Councillors who seem to make up a ruling cabal. It is deeply frustrating for the public, and must be even more so for those Councillors who truly are working hard for their constituents but are frustrated at every turn by this system. From what I read in both local and national papers though we are not alone in this, seems Councils all over the country are run this way now.

    I still think there is a good case for banning this system of running local democracy. Take party politics out of local decisions completely and let councillors do what they were elected to do, i.e. work for their residents.

  • Christine (and all others)see the other thread “A New Group” – how many of you would
    rally behind a group of Councillors trying to represent us (the electorate) in the Council Chamber?. And attend a public meeting with Rayleigh Town Council if we can get it on?.

  • Jim, I certainly would, especially if said public meeting involved members of the public actually being allowed to talk to Councillors, ask question, give their viewpoint. So far this seems to be something RDC and Rayleigh Town Council have avoided at all costs. I was very disappointed to find that there was to be no-one to actually talk to at the Councils various exhibitions. If Countryside, who after all don’t really need to win over the public, only get their planning permission, can send out a whole team surely the Council could have sent one planning officer.

  • Christine , I have asked Bruce Smart how to get a meeting with “our” Town Council (via a post on here ) which is the right way to go about it – if that is not possible then I see ( on their website ) there is a Town Council meeting at Sweyne School on 24/04,
    I’m sure we can get a big turnout via FB.

  • A starting point for engaging with the Town Council would be to go along to one of their meetings, as Jim suggests. They actually have a 15 minute public Forum at each one of their Full Council meetings.
    The Annual Town Council meeting on April 24th is an even better opportunity.

    Rawreth Parish Council, who have a very creditable record in opposing much of the core strategy also have a public question time and offer cups of coffee and tea as well.

    I’ve also been conferring with colleagues about asking the District Council to hold a public meeting.

  • Absolutely a public meeting is needed ASAP , my idea was to start by recruiting the Town Council in order to gain unstoppable momentum for an open meeting with RDC,
    because there is no way they are going to volunteer for one otherwise.
    And we need it ASAP in order set criteria for the Developers to meet , not have them do as they like ( roads / infrastructure etc; ) .

  • Chris – you imply there are regular Town Council meetings ( before the Annual meet?),
    when and where is the next one please ? , the 15 minute Forum is enough to outline public concerns – which they can research and answer on the 24th April.

  • Chris – is it not time for one of your Yellow Leaflet drops , asking the public to come on this Forum and keep track of the efforts to get a meaningful dialogue between the Councils and the electorate?.

    Sorry if it looks like I am bombarding you but time is now of the essence – the Countryside Planning Application is intended for the Summer ( and that means
    whena lot of people are absent during the School holidays and cannot respond !!).

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