Uncategorised – GAG2011

Basildon Council Draft District Plan Consultation

freddyh_admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 12:09:08 +0000

Here are the dates and venues of the consultations being held by Basildon Council:

Area	Date	Venue
Pitsea	Saturday 13 February 2016 10.30am – 4.30pm	The Place: Pitsea Leisure Centre, Northlands Pavement, Pitsea
	Monday 29 February 2016 2:00pm – 8:00pm
Basildon	Wednesday 17 February 2016 10.00am – 4.30pm	Upper Mall, Eastgate Centre, Southernhay, Basildon
	Saturday 5 March 2016 10.00am – 4.30pm
Laindon	Saturday 20 February 2016 10.30am – 4.30pm	President’s Community Centre, Hoover Drive, Laindon
	Monday 7 March 2016 2.00pm – 8.00pm	Womens’ Institute Hall, Samuel Road, Langdon Hills
Billericay	Monday 22 February 2016 2.00pm – 8.00pm	Billericay Day Centre, Chantry Way, Billericay
	Saturday 12 March 2016 10.30am – 4.30pm
Wickford	Saturday 27 February 2016 10.30am – 4.30pm	Wickford Community Centre, Market Road, Wickford
	Wednesday 16 March 2016 2.00pm – 8.00pm

Newsletter 5th September

freddyh_admin — Sat, 05 Sep 2015 20:09:03 +0000

View the Newsletter in the original format here

Housing Plan

The plan for the first phase of housing on Dry St Pastures has been approved by Basildon Council without putting it before the planning committee. Sadly they have the power to ignore this democratic and transparent process. Your local councillors, particularly those that serve on the planning committee are shocked and horrified.

It was quite clear during the recent consultation that the housing plan, for the first phase, was rather different to that put forward as part of the outline planning permission in June 2013. It was quite possible that the plan would have been thrown out by councillors if it had gone to the planning committee, on the basis that the details were so different to the outline. For example, Redrow have downgraded the low cost housing element of the plan; they are allowed to pay off the council so that low cost housing can be built elsewhere.

The first phase of 30 homes detailed in the outline planning permission has increased to 181. In the outline plan, following the building of 30 homes, highway improvement would commence. Those that live in Dry St will know that surveyors were there this week to begin upgrading the Nethermayne end of Dry St.

What can we do?

Local councillors are determined to challenge this abuse of power and are looking ways that this could be done. The press have been fully informed. The first article was published yesterday online by the Yellow Advertiser. Other newspaper and local radio coverage will follow next week.

You, as a resident, could complain to Basildon Council as it is necessary to make a complaint and receive an unsatisfactory response before asking the ombudsman to get involved.

You could also email the leader of the council Phil Turner ([email protected]) and share your thoughts on yet another failure to listen to the people of Basildon and their elected representatives.

Legal Case

The courts do not sit in August so our case will have joined a number of other small cases to be reviewed by a judge in September. We have asked to have our case re examined on the basis that we have suffered an injustice because previous judges did not take account of an EU law being broken, and refused us a judicial review. The odds are against us but it really is our last chance to make any legal challenge. We hope to hear news next week.

Fundraising

Many thanks to those that continue to donate and support our events. You can donate online, using our updated online donation system. We hope to be able to raise enough by the end of the year to clear our current legal fees.

Our next event is another brilliant Quiz Night at Lee Chapel South Community Hall on Saturday 19th September, 7.30pm for a prompt 8pm start. Ring Pat Roberts (see below) to book a table or just come along and join up with smaller groups for a fun night. £5 per person, children over 12 only please. Don’t forget it’s ‘wear a hat’ theme – any kind will do but there is a prize for the best head gear.

Contacts

Contact GAG:

Pat Roberts (GAG2011 Treasurer & Fundraising): 01268 544541 or 07887 481275

Miriam Heppell (Gag2011 Secretary): 01268 544541

Don’t forget you can keep up to date via our Facebook page

If you wish to contact a Nethermayne councillor about this, or any other, local issue, you can do so with the following contact details:

Cllr Geoff Williams [email protected]

Cllr Kerry Smith 01268 661812 or [email protected]

Cllr Stephen Hodge 07842 086712 or [email protected]

No! We Will Not Keep Quiet

miriam_secretary — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 10:30:25 +0000

There is a good article in the Yellow Advertiser this week by award winning journalist Charles Thompson which covers the refusal by Basildon Council to list Dry Street Pastures as an Asset of Community Value.

There is also an article about the long campaign for a 20MPH zone in Dry Street which we also support. This is a country lane and single track in several places. It is unsafe for pedestrians and the planned new development will only increase the traffic. After the death of Justin Bowman, Denise Briggenshaw led a strongly supported campaign but Essex CC refused to lower the speed limit. We learned recently that Essex CC were planning to introduce quiet lane 20MPH speed limits in some rural areas. Dry St surely must qualify.

Yellow Advertiser – We’ll not be silenced on this

GAG2011 will be there!

miriam_secretary — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 16:51:26 +0000

Basildon Council Cabinet Meeting
Thursday, 8 January 2015
TIME: 7.00 p.m.
VENUE: St George’s Suite, The Basildon
Centre, St Martin’s Square,
Basildon, Essex SS14 1DL

Item 4 is to approve a great deal of public money to smooth the path of the new college. Please attend to show support if you can. We will not be able to speak.

Basildon Council Cabinet Meeting

freddyh_admin — Sun, 04 Jan 2015 14:56:22 +0000

On Thursday Basildon Council Cabinet members are meeting to approve a large sum of of money being used for compulsory purchase of those properties around the current market place which are not owned by the council as apparently they have legal rights to light and access and could take legal action which would impede the building of he new college. Why is public money going to be used to ‘buy off’ property owners when we are facing unprecedented cuts in council spending on valuable services? The supporting documents confirm that there is a significant financial risk.

It is not clear whether the meeting is open to the public as some items are apparently confidential. I will confirm via Twitter, Facebook and on the website.

Here is a link to the agenda on Basildon Council’s website http://www.basildonmeetings.info/mgAi.aspx?id=39394&LLL=0

We also have copies of the documents on our site:

Our New Petition

freddyh_admin — Sun, 23 Nov 2014 16:06:47 +0000

We have a new petition directed at the government Department for Communities and Local Government and its Homes and Communities Agency. We are asking for the HCA, who own most of the land for the planned development, to withdraw it’s plans for Dry Street Pastures. If we can reach 10,000 signatures then the matter can be debated in parliament. We have asked only Basildon and Essex residents to sign as it makes a better case for localism and underlines the fact that local people have been ignored. Even if you have signed other petitions in the past please sign this one and ask friends and relatives in the area to sign too. Thank you

Sign the Petition »

Yellow Advertiser Today

miriam_secretary — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 17:24:34 +0000

Please note we are still considering our options.

http://www.billericay-today.co.uk/news.cfm?id=14714&headline=Dry%20Street%20campaigners%20take%20fight%20to%20Europe

My suspicious mind

patroberts_treasurer — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 19:57:50 +0000

You will be pleased to know our fundraising is still going well. I have just paid the latest solicitors bill. Couldn’t help noticing, that extra avoidable fees were incurred, when council officers apparently, didn’t understand our solicitors answer to one of their enquires. So that further correspondence had to be paid for by GAG. Then, of course,whats a little more expense, we only have to raise the extra! Good job we are strong.They won’t get us down!

Dont forget to order your Christmas Disco tickets for 20th Dec. at the community hall in The Knares.More details on the events page.make it your Christmas party night..Give me a ring. 01268 459349.

Meeting for Lee Chapel South Residents to Discuss Community Issues

miriam_secretary — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 11:55:13 +0000

A message form Andrea Purser:
Allan Handley and I have been very busy coordinating a meeting to support the community request on this forum to discuss the recent increase in crime and anti social behaviour. With greatly appreciated support and contributions from our local councillors and other departments the following has been arranged.

Meeting to be held this Sunday 26th October at Lee Chapel South Community hall at 11:30 am.

This meeting will approximately last upto 1 hour and can hold a maximum of 200 people.

We do not have time to leaflet drop so we are requesting that you knock at your neighbours, engage in conversation and spread the word. Most of your neighbours will not be on this FB page so if you can’t speak to them pop a note through their front door. This is about us all coming together to reduce this problem so talking to our neighbours is the best place to start.

Attending at present: Neighbourhood Watch, Geoff Williams, Allan Davies Andrew Gordon

Requested to attend and declined/unable to attend:
PCSO, Basildon Council Community involvement team, Anti Social Behaviour Team.

Awaiting response to the request to attend: Kerry Smith and Police Representation.

If there is anyone else that can speak (or be on hand for questions) please suggest and let me know. If they do not wish to speak please still invite them.

Is there anyone in our community that works in the home security industry that could give a basic overview on the current systems?

The aim of the meeting is to get residents together. The ‘what happens next’ is up to all of us.

Hope to see you all there.

Nature Not for sale

miriam_secretary — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 19:35:06 +0000

Sign the petition to the EU here

http://naturenotforsale.org/letter2eu/