We are lucky to have The Box for young people

I spent an inspiring evening last Thursday at The Box in Epping High Street. Most people in Epping will have passed the premises many times and perhaps peered through the windows and wondered what goes on inside. The Supporters’ Evening was a marvellous opportunity to find out.

The Box describes itself as “a social space, information point and education centre for young people” but it was clear that activity goes far beyond this. As well as providing open drop-in sessions, The Box enables young people to access specialist counselling, health and advice services.

Trustee Alison Dolan explains the success of the Alternative Education scheme

It also delivers alternative education sessions to pupils who are unable to complete their studies successfully at school. I was  impressed to hear how many of these pupils enter college or begin paid employment thanks to the team’s work and the much valued support of some local employers.

A wide range of organisations work in partnership with The Box to help local children and young people including Connexions, Theatre Resource, East 15, Concept Fitness, Epping Sports Centre, West Essex Primary Care Trust and Essex County Council’s TASCC team (“Team Around the School, Child and the Community”).

What shone out most of all was the sheer commitment of the trustees, staff and volunteers. We are very fortunate to have in Epping such an energetic group of people dedicated to meeting the needs of local young people. And there are exciting plans for future expansion too.

The Box is currently running a Christmas fundraising campaign. Details of how to donate are at www.theboxepping.org.uk/donate.htm.

Dragonfly artwork produced by The Box Alternative Education project for the Swaines Green Lantern Festival in September 2009

Essex County Council delivers some of the poorest children’s services in England

I woke this morning to the news that Essex County Council has, for the second year running, been rated as delivering some of the worst children’s services in England. Nine councils are rated as poor, including Essex [PDF report here] and the London Borough of Haringey, which faced massive criticism because of the way it handled the awful Baby P case.

It seems extraordinary that the Conservative councillors who run Essex County Council allowed children’s services to deteriorate so much, especially given the number of high profile child abuse cases that have featured in the national news in recent years. Effective work to protect children is difficult, expensive and unglamorous. Nevertheless it is one of the most important functions that the county council is responsible for.

Read the rest of this entry.

Cold calling warning

The district council yesterday published advice about yet another cold calling scam.

A fire and security company, claiming to be linked to Crime Stoppers and The Home Office, has been cold calling people – usually elderly residents. They offer a free alarm fitting service and once they have done this try to tie the client into a contract often leading to them parting with thousands of pounds.

Consumer Direct and Essex Police have some good advice about dealing with cold callers here and here.

At the recent Safer Communities Conference I spoke to a representative from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (or the Fire Brigade as most people still think of it). The service is heavily promoting the use of smoke alarms and in some circumstances will carry out free fire safety checks and even install a smoke alarm. Call 0845 601 2495 for details.

Epping Forest Safer Communities Partnership (which brings together the district council, police, fire service and other public services which deal with crime) can also offer advice to people thinking of installing an alarm system. Contact them by email at safercommunities@eppingforestdc.gov.uk or on 01992 564608. They will put you in touch with reputable local security companies.

Remembrance 2009

Wreath laying ceremony at Epping War MemorialThe wreath laying ceremony at Epping War Memorial and the Service of Remembrance at St John’s Church on Sunday were moving and sombre. Several people have said they throught that more people attended than normal. I am not good at judging crowd numbers but was impressed that not only the elderly and usual supects turned out. Every age-group was represented.

As the crowd stood still in the low sun during the two-minute silence – and because even the traffic along Epping High Street was stationary – we heard the low drone of an aircraft pass overhead. It brought to mind the aeroplanes which flew from North Weald during the Second World War and also those which flew across the North Sea to attack the airfeld and other targets in Essex and North London.

One of these planes missed its target and dropped its bombs on Spriggs Oak in Epping: just yards from where we stood on Sunday. Eight expectant mothers died as a result (their story is told here). The local civilian dead are commemorated by the laying of wreaths in the Garden of Remembrance at St John’s Church, immediately after the Service of Remembrance.

Eleanor Laing survives: what does this tell us about the local Conservatives?

So, Eleanor Laing survived her meeting with Epping Forest Conservative activists last night. And, to be fair, she won a thumping victory over the local Tory malcontents.

Laing Billboard

It suggests to me that many Conservatives still haven’t grasped the scale of the expenses scandal or the desire that many local residents have for a fresh start.

I can’t help wondering if the outcome would have been different if, instead of a closed meeting with the party faithful, Mrs Laing had organised an open public meeting for all her constituents, like those that attended by some of her colleagues.

Eleanor Laing: in trouble again?

I see Eleanor Laing’s expenses problems have hit the headlines again. Our Conservative MP came under fire earlier this year when the Daily Telegraph highlighted the £180,000 capital gains tax bill she managed to avoid by telling Parliament that her second home was in London and the tax authorities that her second home was in Theydon Bois.

ConservativeHome on Eleanor Laing deselction attemptI knew there was unhappiness among some local Conservative members and councillors but had not realised until today’s reports that Mrs Laing faces an organised attempt to deselect her. Conservative website ConservativeHome suggests that the Leader of the District Council, Di Collins, is behind the plot. If so, it will not be the first time she has tried to get rid of someone. Cllr Collins has form in this area. She fell out with Eleanor Laing’s predecessor, Steven Norris, to such an extent that along with colleagues she tried to deselect him as Epping Forest’s MP. They followed this up by trying to sabotage Mr Norris’s attempt to stand as the Conservative candidate to be Mayor of London with this letter to the Conservative Party Chairman.

One of the worst aspects of the affair is that the decision about Mrs Laing’s future rests not with her 75,000 constituents, but with a few hundred members of the Epping Forest Conservative Association (or the even smaller number who actually turn up to the deselection meeting). It’s another good reason to support Nick Clegg’s Take Back Power campaign, which would give voters the right to recall MPs who had lost the trust of their constituents. Sign up here and read more here.

Club 195 Licence Review – how residents can have their say

Janet Whitehouse and I have been contacted by residents concerned about anti-social behaviour and violence outside Club 195 in Cottis Lane, Epping, especially following the shocking incident on Saturday 26 September which has been extensively covered by the local press.

Last Wednesday the district council responded to a request from the police and temporarily suspended the licence of Club 195. This temporary suspension was due to be reviewed yesterday (Monday 5 October) but the hearing has been postponed until Wednesday. This is not a full review but will simply decide whether the temporary suspension should continue pending a full hearing. The agenda can be accessed here.

The full hearing is expected to take place during the week beginning 26 October, and councillors on the Licensing Committee will consider representations from Club 195, from the police and other relevant organisations.  Local residents can also submit comments if they respond before Tuesday 13 October.

The law is quite strict about the issues that the Licensing Committee can take into account. These are:

(i) The prevention of crime and disorder
(ii) Public safety
(iii) The prevention of public nuisance
(iv) The protection of children from harm

so it is best to concentrate on these issues if you submit a representation. Recent experience suggests to me that points (i), (ii) and (iii) ae all very relevant. Submissions should be sent to: Mrs Kim Tuckey, Licensing Section, Epping Forest DC, Civic Offices, Epping, CM16 4BZ or licensing@eppingforestdc.gov.uk. Please also send me a copy at jon@jonwhitehouse.org.uk.

You can obtain a full copy of the council’s licensing policy from here [PDF].

The incident outside Club 195 was shocking, and there have been far too many problems late at night in that area. According to the police Club 195 has been directly associated with at least forty seven incidents over the last twelve months including six incidents of Grievous Bodily Harm, ten incidents of Actual Bodily Harm, seven other disturbances, seven thefts and six common assaults.

This is not what we expect in Epping (or should tolerate anywhere else either). I believe these problems can be dealt with if the council and police take the right action

(Not) Building on the Green Belt

I have a map at home which shows almost every field around Epping, North Weald and Theydon Bois highlighted with green shading. These are all places where developers have expressed an interest in building large housing developments – but they can’t because the land is in the Green Belt. As long as the land stays in the Green Belt the council won’t grant planning permission unless there are very exceptional circumstances.

This hasn’t stopped some companies – including in Epping Forest – trying to sell small plots of land in the Green Belt as an “investment opportunity”. They imply that planning permission for new houses will be granted and the land will increase massively in value. (If this is the case why doesn’t the company hold on to the land and profit from the supposed increase in value itself?)

The council issued a news release yesterday with information about one of these “landbankers” which has been advertising plots of land for sale on land at Blunts Farm in Theydon Bois. Sadly this is yet another potential headache for the local residents who have already put up with all sorts of problems and issues relating to the Blunts Farm site.

The council points out that:

The land is entirely within the Green Belt, and therefore the normal restrictions on development apply. The areas of land are isolated from the existing built area of Theydon Bois, and the services it provides. No means of access has been shown to the parcels of land. The land has been submitted to the District Council under the “Call for Sites” exercise, but this does not mean that there is any certainty that this land will be allocated for development purposes. The allocation of 3,500 new homes claimed by the vendors refers to the requirement in the East of England Plan for the whole District over the period 2001 to 2021

Essex County Council Election Results in Epping Forest

All the results are now in. The Liberal Democrat highlight in Epping Forest is a victory in Epping & Theydon Bois, where Janet Whitehouse overturned the Conservative majority

  • Janet Whitehouse, Liberal Democrat: 2,481 (42%)
  • James Surguy, Conservative: 2,080 (36%)
  • Andrew Smith, UKIP: 581 (10%)
  • Tony Frankland, BNP: 306 (5%)
  • Daniel Kieve, Green Party: 219 (4%)
  • Simon Bullough, Labour: 192 (3%)

Total number of votes cast: 5,859
Turnout: 45%
Majority: 401

Read the rest of this entry.

Allnutts Post Office: re-opening preparations underway

Along with Janet Whitehouse I was calling round on people in Bower Hill and Allnutts Road on Sunday morning. We were delighted to see that preparations for the re-opening of Allnutts Post Office are already well  underway. One of the conditions imposed by Essex County Council is that Allnutts Stores should have a new shop front, so on Sunday the old one came down and a new framework went in.

Work underway on the new Allnutts Stores shop front

It’s clear from talking to residents in the area that people appreciate the hard work that Janet put into getting the post office re-opened.