Elections 2021

I am writing this a week after the Parish, District and County Elections. These went much better than I expected as I won both at District, to represent Hullbridge for the next 3 years on Rochford District Council, and at Essex, to Represent Rochford West (Hockley & Hullbridge) for the next 4 years at Essex. …

Tories Fail on Climate Breakdown

On Tuesday evening Rochford Tories showed a basic lack of understanding of Climate Breakdown, they showed it to such an extent that they used it as a political stunt, akin to those we see of Tories posing with a tin of beans at a food bank. The motion put forward can be read elsewhere on …

Libraries in Essex to close, despite Tory Claims?

After an announcement last week at the Essex County Council meeting by Cllr Finch that no library in Essex would close and the surge of Tories posting pictures of themselves posing outside libraries they have "saved", we have been waiting for the detail of the announcement to be published in the new Draft Strategy after …

Still no Buses for the Dome

There was an article in yesterdays Echo about the lack of a Bus service to the Dome and Hockley Park along Lower Road.  This has been an ongoing problem since the 22 was stopped about 15 or so years ago (yes the Echo says it as though it's just happened but what else would you expect from …

Will Rochford Tories run away from declaring a Climate Emergency

The Green Group at Rochford District Council has put forward a Climate Emergency Motion to Rochford District Council, stating the intention to make the Council Carbon Neutral by 2030.  We have been joined in this by the Lib Dem Group, Cllr Chris Stanley is seconding the motion, the Rochford District Residents and Independent Cllr Mike …

How Green is our Council

At the Councils Review Committee on Tuesday the new Leader came to present areas he wanted the Committee to look at and develop as Policy.  One of the areas was about "being Green". Obviously being Green, or maybe green, can cover a vast area of ideas, concepts and actions.  From reducing single plastic use to …

Another Annual Council at Rochford

Tonight will be the tenth Annual Council I have attended at Rochford since being elected in May 2010. This has now become a familiar process where we opposition Groups have the brief luxury of appointing Members to Committees, where we hope that they can influence the Policy and perhaps the direction of the Tory led …

Finally we return

Having been away for around a year we are now able to start posting on this site again.  In the past a number of problems have led to breaks in posts, mainly time constraints but over the last year sorting out and updating the site appropriately. We have now done updated the site and will …

Rochford Tories vote to raise £200,000 with 2.98% Council Tax Increase

Last night the Council met in an Extraordinary Meeting (Council speak for an extra meeting) to debate and vote on the Conservative Administrations Budget. In the past the Green and Rochford District Residents Group has put forward opposition amendments to the budget, only to see them voted down but then resurrected as Administration proposals a …

Rochford’s Opposition have their demands met, nearly.

Tonight's Council Meeting was rather more eventful than usual with two petitions being presented expressing opposition to the closure of Hockley and Rayleigh Public Toilets, the Leader of the Council accusing Councillors of showboating  and the Council backing down over the wording of its proposed Social Media Policy, a policy which had drawn lots of …