Labour candidate accuses Lib Dem councillor of “jumping on the bandwagon” over councillor expenses issue

By Rachel Charman

Labour PPC for Rochford and Southend East Kevin Bonavia has claimed that Liberal Democrat Cllr Graham Longley and Independent Cllr Ron Woodley are out of touch on the issue of councillors’ expenses.

Earlier today, Cllrs Longley and Woodley announced that they have launched an investigation into councillors’ travel expenses, involving the Town Clerk and the Borough Solicitor.

This evening, Mr Bonavia added his voice to the call for change on the issue, but attacked the two councillors for joining in on the issue too late.

Mr Bonavia pointed out in a statement that the figures on councillors’ expenses emerged in December 2009 after a request from Labour Cllr Stephen George.

Mr Bonavia said: “Mr Longley’s attempt to jump on the bandwagon of expenses claims comes a little late in the day, some two months after the figures were revealed.

“An investigation may come to nothing if it turns out councillors were ‘within the rules.’

“For me and many others, it’s the rules that are wrong.

“Councillors already receive a general allowance to reflect the time and cost that their duties take up.

“This should more than cover the cost of travelling within Southend, so such claims should no longer be allowed.

“If that means they can no longer afford a cab fare then perhaps they can see for themselves the not so wonderful state of Southend’s buses under this current Conservative regime.”

Lib Dem leader launches council expenses investigation

By Rachel Charman

Cllr Graham Longley

Graham Longley, leader of the Liberal Democrat councillor group and Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Rochford and Southend East, has teamed up with Independent councillor Ron Woodley in an investigation.

Cllr Longley told Councilbust.com that in the light of some information he recently received, he and Cllr Woodley have asked the Town Clerk and the Internal Auditor to investigate the travel expenses claims of some council members.

As of yet, those members remain anonymous.

Cllr Longley said: “Following the recent Parliamentary expenses scandal, members of the public have a right to expect all politicians to behave responsibly, ensuring they are open and transparent in any financial claims they make.

“If they think for one moment that the system is being manipulated then they also have the right to have the matter investigated.”

The total of all expenses claims for all Southend councillors in the last financial year was £7,000. Cllr Longley claims that there may have been “irregularities” with some councillors’ claims.

Cllrs Longley and Woodley have also asked the Borough Solicitor to investigate the rules regarding expense claims, and check for any loopholes or laxities.

Cllr Longley said: “In the current political uncertainty where trust in politicians is limited it is important that we do not appear to put ourselves above the law by pursuing questionable expenses claims.

“Politicians must be conscious of current public opinion and act accordingly.”

Cllr Woodley said: “Members are given a significant allowance for being Councillors and travel expenses are just an increase on the amount they receive for carrying out that role.

“This is unacceptable and we should withdraw the payment of any travel expenses claimed for journeys within the Borough boundaries.”


Lib Dem PPC calls for MPs to pay back second home profits

By Rachel Charman

Peter Welch

Liberal Democrat PPC for Southend West Peter Welch has welcomed the call for MPs to pay back any profits they made on second homes following statements from Sir Ian Kennedy.

Sir Ian, the chairman on the Independent Parliamentary Standards Committee, said in an interview in the Times:

”Gains made in that way [on second homes] should not be retained.

“The mechanism for doing it is the only question we have to decide.”

Sir Ian went on to explain that he was unsure as to whether this would be retrospective or start when the new expenses system comes into effect after the next election.

He also said that if HM Revenue and Customs lacked the power to retrieve the money, Parliament has a duty to give HMRC that authority.

He concluded: ”The position we take is that gains – an increase in the equity value of the property – should be surrendered to the state in one way or another.”

Peter Welch, who will contest Conservative MP David Amess’s Southend West seat at the next election, said:

“MPs are essentially getting the same sort of deal as people who take up low-cost, shared ownership housing schemes, but MPs get to keep all the profits.

“People on shared ownership schemes only keep the profit on the money that they put in.

“I want to see this scheme introduced now and I believe it should be made retrospective.

“At the very least, MPs should give up the profits they have made since the last General Election.”

Rochford and Southend East Conservative MP James Duddridge received some criticism over using his expenses for mortgage repayments and refurbishments for both his homes when the expenses scandal broke in May 2009.

Southend West Conservative MP David Amess was also criticised by constituents for claiming the maximum every month for food allowances and for keeping vague records of what he had used his expenses for.

Exhibition to challenge social housing stereotypes launches tonight

By Rachel Charman

A special photograph exhibition developed by South Essex Homes and Southend Borough Council will be launched today.

The exhibition presents portraits of 20 Southend residents, including some from various countries of origin such as Albania and Sri Lanka.

Executive Councillor for Adult Social Care, Health and Housing, Councillor Mark Flewitt said:

“We hope as many people as possible will visit this exceptionally innovative exhibition.

“It really is heartwarming to see how people who may have previously lived elsewhere, are now delighted to embrace Southend as their home.

“We hope they have found a warm welcome in our borough.”

Stuart Long, Project Manager for South Essex Homes said:

“This project has developed a real sense of community cohesion among residents, Board Members and staff.

“The aim of the project was to initially encourage resident involvement across all local communities, but as it developed, it was clear; with so many stories to tell there had to be the opportunity to showcase the different peoples stories, and Southenders was born.

“By using art as a medium, the message of community cohesion could be clearly communicated, with the portrait photos alone telling a story and being a representation of the person’s soul and history.”

Chair of South Essex Homes Phil Lyons said: “Southenders is a fresh and unique way to bring communities together and challenge stereotypes about the people who live in social housing.

“We also wanted to send the message that you can be proud to live in an area, even if you weren’t born there.

“We want people from every background to come down and look at the artwork and to read the stories.

“Hopefully, like me they will find them both captivating and inspiring. This is an excellent project we are proud to unveil.”

The exhibition will be open to the public from Tuesday 16th until Friday 19th February at South East Essex College, Luker Road, Southend, from 10am to 4pm daily.

The entire project has been self sufficient, with South Essex Homes officers using their creative writing and photographic skills to produce the photographs and autobiographical stories themselves.

The exhibition was Funded as part of a successful bid from the BAME focus group to South Essex Homes’ resident led project board.

Labour councillor demands apology over “dodgy” teenage pregnancy stats

By Rachel Charman

Ian Gilbert, Labour councillor for Victoria, has called for Southend’s Conservative MPs to apologise over recent teenage pregnancy statistics released by their party.

The Conservatives recently released “Labour’s Two Nations”, which the party claims is a “comprehensive assessment of the level of inequality under this Labour government:, and “exposes the truth” about Labour’s alleged failings.

In the document, it is claimed that in Britain’s most deprived areas, 54% of young women are likely to fall pregnant under the age of 18, compared to 19% in the least deprived areas.

Official records, it emerged last night, actually show that the statistics are 5.4% and 1.9% respectively.

A spokesman for the Conservatives said: “A decimal point was left out in a calculation.

“It makes no difference at all to the conclusions of a wide-ranging report which shows that Labour have consistently let down the poorest in Britain.”

Cllr Gilbert has claimed that in Southend, a number of agencies ahve worked together to reduce teenage pregnancies, and that there are 22% fewer teenage pregnancies in Southend now than there were in 1997.

Cllr Gilbert said: “This is a shocking misuse of statistics by the Conservative for the second time in a fortnight.

“Not content with misrepresenting crime figures, they now attack our country’s teenagers and those who work with them.

“What David Cameron and his party don’t realise is that these sort of stories are a slap in the face for all the people who have been working very hard on a difficult and sensitive problem.

“I’d like to see our towns Conservative MPs apologise for their party’s scare-stories on crime and teenage pregnancy.”

The document, “Labour’s Two Nations”, is available here.

Southend Conservative MPs David Amess and James Duddridge had not responded to Councilbust.com’s requests for comment at the time of publication.

Southend environmental pressure group holds first public meeting

By Rachel Charman

The Saxon King In Priory Park (SKIPP) committee staged its first public debate event on Saturday 6th February.

The event, held in Westcliff, was reportedly well-attended, and focused on the group’s objections to Southend Borough Council’s Cuckoo Corner road developments.

A spokesperson for SKIPP told Councilbust.com:

“We were able to reveal information gleaned after painstaking research, which is confusing and vague, or just not shown on the Council’s published plans.

“However, despite uncovering much the public has not previously been privy to, the plans are so vague it is proving very difficult to pin down just what the scheme is about.”

SKIPP claims that the public support them in their objections to the development of Cuckoo Corner, which they see as “pointless”. The group also claims that installing traffic lights at the junction will lead to “frustration and traffic chaos” and that the current roundabout “functions perfectly well.”

The group, as its name suggests, was set up originally in opposition to the Council’s plan to widen the road around Priory Park, potentially threatening the site where the remains of a Saxon King were found in 2003.

A group of protestors squatted on the site for six years in a sit-in protest known as “Camp Bling”.

Since then, the remains have been taken to the Museum of London as there were no adequate facilities in Southend to properly care for such a rare find.

The Council regained control of the site in July 2009 after agreeing to refrain from carrying out any developments on the Saxon King site, and mark the site with commemorative plaque.

The Council’s development of Cuckoo Corner, due to start in June 2010, will cost £5 million.

On the official webpage detailing the plans, the Council states that “the new plans ensure that no space will be taken from Priory Park, and allows for further education excavation to take place on the site of the ‘Prittlewell Prince’ as legally required.”

The developments will include the installation of new traffic lights to reduce long queues, which the Council claims will save 400 hours of driver waiting time a day.

Other aims of the development include improved capacity on the roundabout by increasing the lanes from two to three; introducing an additional lane from the Prince Avenue approach; an extra lane on the Priory Crescent exit; and improved pedestrian access across the junction by installing signalised crossings at Victoria Avenue and Priory Crescent.

Southend Mayor to commend local foster carers

By Rachel Charman

Mayor Brian Smith will honour Southend’s foster carers at a special ceremony tonight at the Park View Suite, Chalkwell.

Mayor Smith will present 24 foster carers with certificates and tokens to recognise and reward their dedication to local children in need of care.

Cllr Roger Hadley, who is responsible for Children and Learning, said: “We are very proud indeed of our tremendous group of foster carers in Southend who work incredibly hard to help our looked after children develop and flourish.

“We really appreciate the magnificent efforts they and their families continually make throughout the year, sharing their hearts and their homes to help transform the youngsters’ lives.

“Between them, these particular 24 foster carers have given an awe- inspiring 114 years of service to looked after children.

“We are always looking for more people to take on the rewarding and exceptionally worthwhile role of being a foster carer.”

Currently, Southend Borough Council’s Children and Learning department is responsible for 300 looked after children, 240 of whom are in foster placements.

The council has 100 foster carers but is calling for more, particularly those from ethnic minority backgrounds, or who can offer a home to groups of siblings, children with disabilities and teenagers.

If you are interested in becoming a foster carer, go to www.southend.gov.uk/fostering, contact fostering@southend.gov.uk or 01702 354366.

Deeping entrance at Victoria Circus to close

By Rachel Charman

As development work at Victoria Circus roundabout goes ahead, the deeping entrance will be permanently closed from Monday 15th February.

Victoria Circus under constructionThe developments are part of Southend Borough Council’s £25 million investment programme to reduce congestion. £7 million is being invested to replace the roundabout with a signal-controlled junction and create a new green public space linking Southend Victoria station with the town centre.

Southend Borough Council claims that the current 50 year old roundabout “can no longer handle peak-time traffic” and that “the new design will bring improvements for public transport users, cyclists and pedestrians.”

Some Southend residents are unhappy at the development of the area. The Saxon King In Priory Park (SKIPP) committee has voiced its concerns over the plans.

SKIPP claims that the Council arranged to meet the committee to discuss the tree replacement policy in the full knowledge that the meeting would take place after trees on the Victoria Circus site had been cut down.

An artist's impression of the new Victoria Gateway

Cllr Anna Waite, who is responsible for planning and transport, dubbed SKIPP’s approach as “ridiculous” and said that 80% of respondents to public consultation about the developments were in favour of the plans.

Episode 2 of Councilbust.com’s podcast series now live

From left: Kevin Bonavia, Lord Andrew Adonis and Tom Flynn

The latest Councilbust.com podcast is now available for download or to listen to online.

In this week’s podcast, Councilbust.com editor Rachel Charman talks to Transport Secretary Lord Andrew Adonis about Labour’s transport plans and Southend Airport.

Southend Borough Council to investigate consultation process

By Andrew Harrison

Southend Council has launched a consultation on the way it consults with the public.

This is particularly relevant in the light of the recent furore over Southend Airport and Priory Park consultations.

The new consultation has been received by a number of pressure groups in the area such as the Saxon King in Priory Park Committee (SKIPP).

SKIPP member Mark Sharp told Councilbust.com that he believes the current consultation process to be akin to a “box ticking exercise” and that it is “cynical in every way.”

Mr Sharp also wants to see all residents in Southend being given notice of a consultation, full public records of what the public’s replies are and neutrally-worded questions.

The council is hoping to streamline the consultation process so that the amount of paperwork does not prevent members of the public becoming involved.

Leader of the council Nigel Holdcroft said: “This strategy aims to connect decision-making between the partners in Southend Together and our communities via proactive engagement.”

In order to take part in the consultation, visit either www.southendtogether.co.uk or www.southend.gov.uk. The process runs until the 7th March.

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