Thursday May 22, 2008

I was delighted to be able to announce earlier this week the launch of an annual award that will go directly to one soldier from Essex Company, 1^st Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment. It was an honour also to meet so many members of the company at a reception that the council hosted for them. The Regiment lost nine men, three from Essex, during its tour last year of Afghanistan so anything we can do that recognises and honours such sacrifices is I believe incredibly important. We have also placed on the ECC website, a direct link to the Regiment’s association homepage so that anyone can find out how to get involved in supporting the regiment.     

Wednesday May 07, 2008

This morning I attended Full Council at County Hall, along with all the other elected county council members from across Essex. These meetings take place every two months, and I always look forward to them as they are an excellent opportunity to have an open debate about the current issues affecting our county. Today we discussed a range of issues, including our Corporate Plan, which will help us deliver improved services to all Essex residents.

Thursday May 01, 2008

Busy day trying to solve issues regarding infrastructure and then seeing how we are helping to provide school children with a better understanding of the importance that farm and fooding play here in Essex.

Thursday April 10, 2008

Together with Sir David Rowlands, who is a former head of the Department for Transport, I launched our inquiry into the A12 yesterday. This is a road which has the embarrassing and ignominious title of 'worst' in Britain and costs people living in Essex millions of pounds a year in missed deliveries, late meetings and delays. (more)

Thursday February 21, 2008

Last week I announced that ECC had become the first council in Britain to enter into serious negotiations with Post Office Ltd and the government about the possibility of keeping open a number of post offices that had been earmarked for closure as part of the current nationwide closure programme. We, of course, have a lot of work still to do and therefore it is still too early to be able to name specific branches. It is important also to stress that we will be unable to keep every branch open simply because quite a few of the post masters – who also own or run the co-located shop – in a number of branches have expressed their intention to retire at this time. We of course, rightly, must look at the viability and user criteria of each specific branch. However, we do hope to be in position to announce the results of our discussions in the next few weeks.  

Tuesday February 12, 2008

Today in our Full Council I announced EssexWorks, our commitment to deliver to you, the people of Essex, the very best quality of life in Britain. Each year from now on we will set out and deliver a series of pledges to achieve this. The pledges I announced today are in direct response to what you have told us are important, and it is our duty to make sure that the activities of the County Council will support these pledges in order that you see an improvement in your environment, wealth and wellbeing.

Tuesday February 05, 2008

A few days ago, I had the enjoyable but challenging task of helping to choose which school would win a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Beijing Olympic Games. Students from Notley High School, Braintree, Saffron Walden County High School and Mayflower High School, Billericay, were judged on their interpretation of the intricate morning exercises with which Chinese pupils traditionally start their new day. They fought it out in a grand final at Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford, with Notley High School ultimately coming through in an incredibly tight contest, and Saffron Walden County High School the runners up.

Tuesday January 29, 2008

Yesterday saw me first thing with the UK's media, bacon sandwich and cup of tea at a freezing and foggy North Weald airfield to meet the man who'd just spent £440,000 on purchasing a 104 year old Essex County Council asset; the 'F1' numberplate. Afzal Kahn, a Bradford car entrepreneur is the new owner of the plate which was the first ever registration plate produced in Essex.

Sunday December 23, 2007

I would just like to wish everyone a very happy and peaceful Christmas. I am taking a few days off and will be spending it with my family and friends and I hope that many of you will be able to do the same. I would also just like to thank all those county council staff who will be working over the festive period in order to keep crucial services running. It is appreciated. Thank you.    

Thursday December 20, 2007

So we now know that Post Office Ltd intend to shut 29 out of 31 post offices in the county that had been earmarked for closure, though the 2 that have been saved have simply been replaced by a proposal to close 2 more that will now go through a further six week consultation process. The County Council has been fighting against the closures since the announcement in October. I am truly saddened that this decision has been made, coming especially just a few weeks before Christmas. It is now obvious that the consultation undertaken by Post Office Ltd was just a sham to try to give credibility to a decision that had already been taken.

Monday December 10, 2007

Last Friday I, like thousands of others in Essex, was caught up in the latest travel fiasco to hit the county as I was trying to get to Colchester for one of our regular staff road shows. Once again, virtually the whole of Essex was brought to a standstill following the suspension of rail services and the partial closures of the A12 and A120. This was the second time in a week that the A12 was closed. Things simply cannot go on like this.

Tuesday November 27, 2007

You may have seen the announcement made last week by the government over its plans and support for a third runway at Heathrow. This, combined with the Transport Secretary’s comments that Britain needs a hub airport to compete with the likes of Schiphol and Frankfurt, is obviously the clearest indication yet that the government is preparing to ditch its long terms support for a second Stansted runway.

Monday November 05, 2007

A few weeks back I had the privilege of meeting one of Essex County Council’s new TASCC teams (Teams Around Schools, Children and Communities) - an innovative new method of working for the council, bringing professionals dealing with children together at the local level and so facilitating effective communication between these important services.

Friday October 26, 2007

I believe that the Government’s proposals to close 2,500 post offices nationally – including 31 in Essex – is a crisis for the communities and businesses which depend on these valuable assets.  Many of these are in rural areas, and prove to be vital lifelines as well as important to the fabric of those communities.

Wednesday October 10, 2007

Well despite our urging and lobbying the government’s spending plans for the next three years, announced yesterday, have done little to tackle some of the more entrenched problems that we are facing here in Essex. The pressures are well documented; we are seeing an increase, far higher than the national average, in our elderly population, including those on fixed incomes and those that need ever greater levels of help. Coupled with the significant costs we are facing over waste disposal, this announcement leaves us in a situation that is increasingly perilous.

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