News In Brief

Two Tree condom boxes removed –  Condom dispensers which were installed at a “dogging hotspot” in Leigh have bene removed.

The bird boxes, which contained condoms and wipes, had been installed near the entrance gate of the nature reserve at Two Tree Island in July 2021.

This was the initiative of Brook, a sexual health service contracted by Southend council.

Whilst this was not to encourage public sex, it also aimed at the reduction of sexually transmitted infections

Southend Council confirmed that the boxes were now not in place, following objections by Essex Wildlife Trust.

A spokesman from Essex Wildlife Trust said: “This initiative was a council-funded project with Brook. Essex Wildlife Trust were not involved in its installation. The initial project in 2021 saw many visitors negatively impacted by its presence.

“Although the trust understands the rationale around the initiative, we actively want to discourage this behaviour and this is not in keeping with the trust’s work to protect the site for wildlife and for the local community.”

 

 

Leigh teen banned from parts of Westcliff

 

A TEENAGER from Leigh has been handed a criminal behaviour order after committing a number of serious offences using weapons and causing “fear in the local community”.

The 15-year-old boy is now under strict conditions for two years under the order, which will see him not able to enter an exclusion zone in Shoeburyness or Westcliff.

He is also prohibited from being within a group of more than two persons in public.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “On Tuesday, June 13^th, officers from our violence and vulnerability team secured a criminal behaviour order against a 15-year-old male from Leigh.

“The male has committed a number of serious offences involving the use of weapons and has caused fear in the local community.

“He is now subject of a Criminal Behaviour Order for two years with strict conditions, including he must not:

“Be located within a group of more than two persons (with one being himself) in a public place. This excludes family members and members of professional organisations, such as but not limited to, social worker, Youth Offender manager etc.

“Walk or run away from a police officer after they have exercised lawful policing powers to stop him

“Enter an exclusion zone inside Shoeburyness, Essex

“Enter an exclusion zone inside Westcliff on Sea, Essex.

“This is the result of a lot of hard work by the team.”

 

 

Evening parking to be scrapped

 

SOUTHEND Council’s new Conservative administration is honouring promises to scrap controversial evening parking charges.

This change means that the planned 6pm to 9pm charge could be ditched, in a bid to help seafront traders and encourage visitors.

Previously, the plans would have seen parkers paying £2.80 an hour to park on the seafront during evening hours, where before it would have been free after 6pm.

Kevin Buck, councillor responsible for highways, transport and parking, reportedly said: “I had a meeting with the highways team this week where we discussed several of our manifesto pledges and how to put the wheels in motion to make those happen.”

At resent the charges are to be suspended, with a longer term abandonment of the plan in the pipeline.

Coun Buck said: “The expectation is that the parking charges from 6pm to 9pm should be at least suspended if not removed altogether by the beginning of the school holidays. There’s a legal process that has to be gone through to remove them completely, but what we can do as a local authority is introduce a temporary suspension to the charges while the final process is completed.”

Plans to introduce a charge for parking in several of the city’s parks are also being shelved.

Mr Buck added: “There had been one park where they had started to introduce it. The highways and parking team have been given clear directions that needs to be removed.”

The council is also planning set to create more than 100 new parking spaces, which is planned to generate additional revenue to offset the removal of charges.”

 

Hospital volunteers thanked

 

SOUTHEND Hospital thanked over 100 volunteers at a special celebration.

The volunteer annual summer party, held at the Saxon Hall, Aviation Way, was attended by leaders from Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, including Chairman, Nigel Beverley.

Volunteers enjoyed a slap-up lunch of sandwiches, tea and cake as a small way of the Trust saying thank you for all their efforts.

Paying tribute, Mr Beverley said: “This is a small token of our appreciation for all you do –

day in and day out. That’s from helping people get to their appointment – thank you, Carecars [hospital voluntary transport scheme] – to being a friendly face when patients arrive at the hospital – thank you Outpatient Department volunteers! – To being encouraged to eat and drink as inpatients – thank you, Feeding Buddies.

“We are also hugely grateful to all the volunteers from our three charity shops, plus our volunteer fundraisers who bring in money to help our patients. And to the admin volunteers who help lessen the load for staff, the volunteers who run errands for ward staff, the volunteer chaplains and Hospital Radio volunteers whose presence is such a comfort … I could go on!”

Two volunteers also received their Long Service Awards, denoting a decade or more of support for the hospital.

Peter Thorn, Feeding Buddy is a much-loved member of Chalkwell ward, and Windsor ward, and is well-known to many of the staff there.

Peter, 75, was a former bank manager who then became a bursar at St Michael’s School in Leigh before retiring.

He decided to become a Feeding Buddy after visiting his brother-in-law at a hospital in London, Peter said: “I became aware that some people have no friends of family to check in on them,”

Until recently, Peter’s fellow buddy on the ward was Joyce Upton, a volunteer awarded 10 years’ service at the Christmas event.

Joyce is currently awaiting surgery and could not join the celebrations, but for the time being, her place has been taken by Michelle Davis, who joins Peter every Tuesday in helping patients at mealtimes.

Claire Buckell, Clinical Development Nurse said: “Peter is an amazing man, he is so kind, he

really cares.”

Maureen Holmes, 74 volunteer at the Leigh charity shop, and grandmother of three from Southend, wanted to volunteer as a way of saying thank you for the care members of her family had received there.

After being made redundant, she helped out with admin tasks in the neurology department, and then moved to the recently opened charity shop in Broadway West, Leigh in 2013.

There she operates the till, sorts through stock and chats to customers.

Maureen said: “I love it there. They are a good bunch of girls and we have our regulars who come in. We have a good laugh. I’m not the type to sit around and have a quiet retirement.”

The Trust has an ongoing volunteer programme and anyone interested in join in should visit:

https://www.mse.nhs.uk/get-involved

 

 

Rayleigh brawl charge

 

A MAN has admitted his part in a Rayleigh brawl, that saw five men assaulted in the High Street in the early hours of March 12 this year.

Cody Hurren, of Danbury Down, Basildon, appeared at Basildon Crown Court where he admitted five counts of assault.

Hurren was arrested by police at the scene and charged the following day.

Initially, he had also been charged with a count of sexual assault, which was dropped when CCTV footage failed to support the allegation.

Hurren is currently on bail awaiting sentencing in July, on conditions of not entering parts of Rayleigh High Street, Eastwood Road, Websters Way and High Road for any reason, and making no contact with prosecution witnesses.

He has received previous convictions of summary-only matters and has not served a custodial sentence before.

The case was retained within the crown court, despite attempts to move it to the magistrates’ court, when the sexual assault charge was dropped.

Recorder Campbell said: “The case is to be retained by the crown court given the seriousness of matters and number of assault counts.”

 

Extension

PLANS have been filed with Southend Council, requesting permission to erect a part single / part two storey extensions to the north, south, west (rear) and east (front) elevations to 1 St James Close Westcliff. Plans also include alterations to the existing two storey front projection including flat roof and skylight, erecting a juliet balcony to south elevation, and the conversion of the garage into habitable accommodation.

 

Garage

SOUTHEND Council has received plans requesting permission to convert a garage into habitable accommodation.

The plans, for 80 Cricketfield Grove Leigh, also request to alter front elevations and extend existing vehicle crossover onto Cricketfield Grove.

 

Loft

SOUTHEND Council has received plans requesting permission to convert a loft into habitable accommodation.

The plans, for 40 Galton Road Westcliff, include erecting a single storey side and first floor side extensions, and to erect two storey rear extension with balcony at roof level and two first floor balconies, as well as a single storey rear extension with roof lantern and the forming of new bay window to the front ground floor and two box windows to first floor.

In addition, they plan to erect a porch and install replacement windows and doors (amended proposal)

 

Loft

PLANS have been filed with Southend Council, requesting permission to raise the ridge height and change roof formation at 32 Hillway Westcliff, with a view to installing a dormer to the rear to form habitable accommodation in the loftspace.

 

Loft

SOUTHEND Council has received plans requesting permission to install a dormer to the rear of 104 Woodfield Road Leigh to form habitable accommodation in the loftspace. The plans involve erecting a single storey rear/side extension, and installing an angular feature window to the rear and altering elevations.

 

Extension

PLANS have been filed with Southend Council, requesting permission to erect a single storey rear/side extension to 73 The Ridgeway Westcliff.

A separate application also makes pals to make a half hipped to gable roof extensions on the main roof and rear dormer of 73A, with a first-floor rear extension and altered elevations.

 

Porch

SOUTHEND Council has received plans requesting permission to erect a single storey front extension and porch to the side of 465 Arterial Road, Leigh.

 

Units

SOUTHEND Council has received plans requesting permission to install two air conditioning condenser units on the flat roof of 17 – 18 High Street, Old Leigh

 

Extension

PLANS have been filed with Southend Council, requesting permission to erect a single storey rear/side extension at 46 Dawlish Drive Leigh

 

 

Extension

PLANS have been filed with Southend Council, requesting permission to erect a single storey side extension at 350 Westbourne Grove Westcliff

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