Points Of View

Letter from: Jill Allen-King O.B.E. – Southend Pensioners Campaign Group Chairman.

SIR, I am pleased that some Leigh residents will now have Bus service to the Hospital.

It is about time that the Council provides a Bus service for hundreds of Passengers that live in Leigh, Chalkwell and Westcliff, to give us a Bus service to Chalkwell Station and the sea front.

Chalkwell Avenue use to have a Bus service that would take passengers to the sea front, Westcliff Station and the Cliffs Pavilion.

Who is deciding on these new routes and where is the consultation with the Bus Users Group and those of us who have to depend on Public transport.

 

Letter from: name and address supplied

SIR, iIn the last edition of Leigh News, Mr Miller, leader of the Confelicity party suggests Leigh Town Council would rise up and vigorously defend the green cliffs of Leigh against

development should the need arise.

I have to tell him that the Battle of Belton Hills he envisages has already been fought and won not once, but twice, largely by local residents.

In 1953 (before Leigh Council’s existence) Southend Council proposed building houses

on fields close to Leigh Station.

The subsequent Battle of Belton Hills was won by a group from St Clement’s Ward Ratepayers Association who leafletted residents, had a protest float in the Carnival and whose office was a caravan parked on the pavement at Thames Drive. Sufficient funds were raised to retain a KC at the eventual official enquiry, where the protesters prevailed.

In 2013 a local charity proposed to erect a large building with parking for 100 cars on the

cliffs at the end of Castle Drive.

This led to the second Battle, which was won by another generation of local residents banding together under the slogan Save our Green Belt, chaired by the late Mike King. They raised public awareness and eventually common sense won through, saving that same green part of Leigh. Leigh Council did vote against the development, but it was the residents’ group that spearheaded the main resistance.

There is a further group who deserve never to be forgotten – those who defeated the

infamous Road to the West.

In the 1960s Southend Council planned to run a main road demolishing much of Leigh Old Town, going along the cinder path to join the promenade at Chalkwell. The Leigh Sea Front Action group fought valiantly over several years to a successful conclusion.

So, while I agree local councils could do battle (unless degenerating into a forum for petty

political infighting as Leigh Council has done) it is local people who, when roused, are

probably the most effective campaigners.

They unite round their cause, largely unfettered by party politics, and that is why they are successful.

So continue to enjoy your rambles up to Hadleigh Castle, your strolls along the cinder

path, and the occasional pint in the Old Town, but give a thought for those ordinary local

residents in the past who stirred their stumps on your behalf.

 

Letter from: Victor Beadle, Queens Road, Leigh.

SIR, I disagree with Richard Jocelyne’s comments in the last edition of Leigh News.

Today’s Leigh exists solely as a result of there having been a fishing industry here since the year dot. It is around this industry that the town has grown and prospered and it is this industry that makes the town what it is today.

The proposed dredging of the creek and improvement to the quay side will ensure the continuation of our fishing industry for the benefit not only of the fisherman, but also our lovely town.

 

Letter from: Richard Joscelyne, Undercliff Gardens, Leigh.

 

Port of Leigh on Sea?

SIR, it is misleading to describe the muddy creek and the eyesore created behind the cockle sheds as a port, presumably as justification for spending 14 million pounds on dredging the creek and building a concrete quayside for the benefit of half a dozen cockle boats that are only permitted to operate 3 or 4 months a year, during the cockle season.

As far I can see, there is nothing in the public domain regarding this scheme.

Where was the public consultation for this development? Where are plans in the public domain? Where are the statistics supporting the massive employment benefits used as justification for this development? Where is the environmental risk assessment needed, bearing mind that this was once the site of the old Gas Works, so there is no telling what industrial poisons and pollutants will surface during the dredging/digging operations, risking contamination of bathing water.

Leigh Marshes car park is to be closed to the public for use by the contractors. One can only imagine the chaos and danger likely to be caused by heavy plant mixing with traffic queuing to turn right into the recycling centre and cars overtaking the queuing right turning cars on the wrong side of the road, on the way to Hadleigh country park. Plus, the heavy plant moving out of the car park and mixing along the narrow public roads to the site, mixing with day trippers from Leigh station, heading for the beaches.

Then there is the question of parking in the road outside of Leigh Marina, blocking the road for heavy plant, since the Marina owners closed their internal car park workers now park in the road outside the Marina, which raises the question who owns the road fronting onto the marina? A good number of years ago I was fined for parking in this area.

Last summer I approached a parking enforcement officer who had just ridden straight past row of cars parked in front of the Marina. I asked him why he had not ticketed the cars parked outside of the Marina. He told me the road in front of the Marina was owned by the Marina, so it would seem that all those who have been fined in the past for parking in this area are due a refund!

Given the state of the town it seems to me that this money should be spent elsewhere to the benefit of the whole community, not just for the benefit of the business interests involved in the cockle industry. In my opinion this is nothing short of gross misapplication of levelling up funds granted by the government for the benefit of the whole community.

 

Letter from: Jane Lovell (Chairman Leigh Seafront Action Group), Sandleigh Road, Leigh

 

SIR, a month ago I wrote the following letter to the three Chalkwell councillors because the first issue relates especially to the Chalkwell ward.

I received an acknowledgment immediately and then last weekend a message from councillor Folkard that the matter was being referred to officers for discussion. As I understand, the CIF decisions to be handled politically within Chalkwell. (CIF is an investment funds available for the use of the community in Chalkwell)

I am wondering if there are any other people who would like these issues to be addressed and if so, could they get in touch with either me, the letters page or a Chalkwell councillor.

The letter was as follows: As a long term user of Joscelyne’s beach and the initiator of the foundation of the Leigh Seafront Action Group, recently my mobility is severely limited, but I still long to go into the sea.

I was disappointed to see that the planking on Joscelyne’s beach was not going down to the sea (as it is in Westcliff).

I know that the money for the beach planking and plants for coastal erosion has been used up, but I wonder whether you would consider with your colleagues and any other interested parties like the residents association the use of CIF to put it in a ramp down to the waters edge from the concrete ramp with a rail obviously at the break water’s side to allow wheelchair or rollator users to get to the waters edge with help obviously.

I believe that many of the groups that used Joscelyne’s for years are now older and will be keen to use it and will be prepared to petition and even crowed fund as well for any extra money’s needed.

(Even a short planked area from the concrete ramp and then a fixed rail near the breakwater will be of great use). I hope you will give serious consideration to my request and I thank you in advance.

The two other mobility issues that I would like to raise briefly are: 1. Issue of forum access. I have noted as a regular user of the forum that there are 6 taxi ranks available, but virtually never used. Whereas there is only 1 disability drop off point. This seems to of been inadvertently badly planned and I am wondering if something could be done about this with new painted symbols.

Finally 2. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that there is no drop off point for taxi’s at the odeon circle and the pick up point is relatively far away for someone pushing a wheelchair, that may seem a very long way though in reality it is not. A drop off point and a called collection point would be very much appreciated and would help a large group of the population with restricted mobility.

I hope that you will be able to give serious attention to my request and thank you in advance.

 

Letter from: Name & address supplied.

Sir, I feel I need to address the road repairs to Forest View Drive, Leigh.

I have lived in Warren Road for seven years, in this time the pot holes in the above mentioned Forest view Drive have been “repaired” numerous times, badly, each time lasting until the next heavy rainfall.

After the latest bodge up, I must send you these pictures, I feel a chimp could do better, putting a dollop of tarmac in a hole, is not the correct way to mend a pothole, just who is getting paid for these inadequate repairs.

I would appreciate it if you could publish these pictures, to see what your readers think.

Thankyou, Warren Road resident.

 

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