BOROUGH COUNCIL JOTTINGS BY CLLR KEVIN BENTLEY & ANDREW ELLIS

From October 2010

Planning application 100928, Land Off (East of Elmtree Bungalow, Opposite Messing Park Farm) Messing Road.
Proposed stable block and new access. Resubmission of 091253.

Dear all

As promised I attended the Planning Committee meeting last night (Thursday 21st October) and represented the views of the Parish Council and a number of residents to speak against this application for new stables and a hay barn off Messing Road.

I made all the arguments about impact on the countryside and the issues surrounding access onto the road, plus the hedgerow loss etc. Despite this the Committee voted in favour but on a majority not unanimous and there were added conditions attached.

In Planning law terms the application was viewed 'on balance' to be acceptable and it is difficult to overturn this view despite trying through persuasive argument.

Best wishes

Kevin

From July 2010

Resurfacing in Messing
We are delighted to report that the road from Inworth to Messing has been resurfaced, making it much easier to drive along. We managed to have the road patched up by highways department engineers earlier this year after a very harsh winter, but we mentioned then that the entire road needed resurfacing. We are very grateful to the Essex County Council highways department for heeding our plea and we are delighted that the road has now had its new surface dressing laid. Although we are living in difficult financial times, we will continue to work alongside the parish council to have the other main roads into Messing resurfaced.

Messing Independence Day
Congratulations must go to all those involved in this great event. You will read more about it elsewhere in The Tribune, but Andrew and I were delighted to join our new MP Priti Patel at this superb day - and what brilliant weather! Many people worked very hard to make this wonderful community event a great success. Once again, our congratulations go to all those involved.

Inworth village sign Having reported on this for many years and being delighted that the new sign now stands proud in the village, I thought it would be nice to show it off to those who may not have seen it yet. I took this photograph during our travels around the ward.

From June 2010

At the recent mayor making ceremony held in the Moot Hall inside the Town Hall, Cllr. Sonia Lewis was sworn in as our newly elected Mayor of the Borough of Colchester. This is an ancient ceremony that dates back hundreds of years and is open for the public to attend. Colchester has one of the oldest mayoralties in the country and features in Defoe's Moll Flanders. Sonia and her husband Keith, who will be known as the Mayor's Escort, are well known to Andrew and myself as well as to your other Tiptree borough councillors. We all look forward to welcoming them both to the villages of Tiptree and Messing during their wonderful year.

Messing Road / Maypole junction

Andrew and I have received a number of complaints and points of concern about the new layout at this junction. Contact has been made with the County Council Highways department and officers have said that their team will monitor the scheme for the foreseeable future, with speed surveys being made and accident data being checked regularly. There have been several accidents at the site in the past and it is felt that an improvement should be seen. Andrew and I will also keep a close watch on this new layout, so please continue to let us know how you feel about this issue and we shall, of course, make representations on your behalf.

InfoPoint@Colchester - a focus on community safety

Anyone visiting Colchester Borough Council's High Street office in Angel Court can now access all the usual council services. They can also take the opportunity to learn more about locally delivered services and initiatives in the following priority areas:

1. Community safety - June 2010
2. Enabling job creation - July 2010
3. Addressing younger people's needs -August 2010
4. Community development -September 2010
5. Congestion busting - October 2010
6. Addressing older people's needs -November 2010
7. Homes for all - December 2010
8. Healthy living - January 2011

The new face of public services, known as InfoPoint@Colchester, is being led by Colchester Borough Council in conjunction with Essex County Council, Essex Police, NHS North East Essex, Colchester Borough Homes and Essex Fire and Rescue Service.

From May 2010
Thank you for your support
Borough Council jottings Councillor Kevin Bentley
First and foremost, I must say an enormous thank you to all those who very kindly played their part in reelecting me as your borough councillor. I will continue to work hard for you together with my fellow Ward Councillor Andrew Ellis.
Even if you did not feel able to support me, for whatever reason, I would like you to know that Andrew and I are always here to help everyone, and will always do so - without favour - to the best of our ability.

Once again Kevin has asked me to write the column for this edition as he is standing for re- election for Birch and Winstree on May 6th (the day after I wrote this) and he doesn’t think it right for him to write his thoughts as a candidate in order to keep a fair balance.

Messing to Kelvedon Road
As I reported last time, a number of residents have contacted Cllr. Kevin Bentley and myself regarding the extremely poor state of the Kelvedon Road surface.  For some time we have been requesting that something permanent is done to rectify the situation, as the temporary patching has been living up to its name!  We are delighted to report that ECC Highways Department have included Kelvedon Road, Messing in their surface dressing programme for this year, with the dressing being programmed for June.  

In the meantime they will be carrying out repairs to the existing surface, which includes some isolated patching and some larger areas where they will overlay the complete road width, so that the road is suitably prepared for the permanent surface dressing.
I hope that this reassures residents that despite seeing the pot holes marked up with 'red circles' once again, the works will be of a permanent nature rather than the temporary repairs, which have previously been undertaken to try to keep the road safe. Once we are informed of the specific date for the works we will let you know.

From May 2010

Once again Kevin has asked me to write the column for this edition as he is standing for re- election for Birch and Winstree on May 6th and he doesn’t think it right for him to write his thoughts as a candidate in order to keep a fair balance.

Illegal Hare Coursing

Over the past few months our Ward has been suffering another bout of visits from Hare Coursers; this is an illegal activity and needs to be stamped out.  In the past there have been questions raised about the speed Hare coursing incidents have been attended to by the Police.  I am delighted to report however, that the new Policing team headed by Sergeant Andy Drake from Tiptree, ably assisted by PC Mel Wilson, PC Mark Dundon and their supporting officers have taken this rural crime issue very seriously and have been reacting to reports quickly and effectively.  Everyone can and should help to stop illegal Hare coursing; if you see it happening please contact the Police as a matter of urgency, thanks to Andy and Mel the Police call centre now has a better understanding of the importance of dealing quickly with this rural crime and dispatches officers to the scene rapidly.
 
Tesco’s ‘Eyesore’ Houses

I read with interest the letter in last months Tribune, asking the Parish Council what they were doing about the two semi-derelict houses at the entrance to the Tesco site.  Whilst not strictly within our Ward I feel I should write in defence of the Parish Council; they have consistently raised the issue at their meetings, and sought assistance from the Chief Executive and their Borough Councillors, who in turn have sought help from the CBC Planning department.  Unfortunately, as the houses are boarded up and their surroundings are gravelled and tidy (at least they were when we organised a site visit with the Planning Services Manager) CBC cannot issue a Section 215 (untidy site) notice against them, nor can we force Tesco’s to do anything with them, despite the fact that they are in many peoples opinion, including my own, an eyesore in the heart of the village.  I know that the Parish Council would welcome the support of residents in their quest to get something positive done with these buildings and would urge those interested to visit the Parish Council office to find out how you might help to achieve this aim.

Kelvedon Road, Messing

Several residents have contacted us about the dreadful state of the road surface between Messing and Inworth, there are now so many potholes it really needs resurfacing.  Kevin and I travel this route regularly and agree it is totally unacceptable.  We are pressing Essex County Highways to take action as a matter of urgency.

From April 2010

Kevin has asked me to write the column for this edition as he is standing for re- election for Birch and Winstree on May 6th and he doesn’t think it right for him to write his thoughts as a candidate in order to keep a fair balance.

Further financial help with potholes

The work undertaken by the highways department has been tremendous in recent weeks and while not all the potholes have been filled, much work has been undertaken in a very short period of time. The weather is getting better and we now hope attention will be drawn to getting the remaining potholes repaired. As your local Borough Councillors we have reported many incidents and we continue to do as these holes can be dangerous to all road users. The good news is that the County Council has received an extra £2 million from central Government to help with repairs. Essex is a large county and the pothole issue is not just a county issue but across the Country. However, rest assured we shall be lobbying hard to ensure our area gets its fair share of that extra money.

Messing Village hall extension

Congratulations to the team that have worked so hard to raise funds for this essential work. Recently the project was awarded another valuable grant to help ensure this vital village facility goes ahead. Kevin and I have been, and remain, very supportive of the team involved; from helping during the planning process through to our regular letters in support of their applications for grant funding.  That this exciting scheme is becoming reality really is a testament to their hard work, and their efforts will ensure that Messing has a new and improved village hall that the whole community can enjoy and benefit from in the years to come. 

From January 2010

Roving warden

We have just been told that our area of Colchester has been allocated a new  roving warden. We will be able to contact him to help us with a number of important jobs that arise from time to time, such as collecting litter etc. If you see anything that you think needs urgent attention, please call either of us and we will get hold of the roving warden on your behalf.