Housing and Planning
As I suggested at the meeting at the Civic Centre, the council is relying too much on Consultants and at times, they the council, seems to be totally disregarding valuable information coming from the residents of the Borough, as I have highlighted in the Public Transport Section. There are several areas of concern in connection with the development of new housing. The old Ekco site is nearing completion, consisting mainly of housing.
Roots Hall Football Ground (Victoria Avenue) has been given permission to build a large housing estate. The Schools within the area are operating at near to capacity and many are oversubscribed. As many trees with restricted root growth as possible should be planted in all new developments, together with landscaping, (green spaces) with hedges on the highway, paid for by the developer. At the present time it would appear, when there is a new housing development being planned and the developer has allowed for Social Housing and/or Affordable Housing within the development, once the planning application has been passed by the planning department of the council. The developer will then return to the council and say they (the Developer) cannot afford to put in the required amount of Social or Affordable Housing, and therefore will apply to the Council to dispense with this provision, or try to relocate the provision else ware. This problem does need to be addressed, it would appear the developer is dictating to the Council and this does need to be addressed .Any developer before they enter into an agreement to build properties would have costed out the project, allowing for price increases. Therefore when they attempt to reduce the Social Housing/Affordable Housing aspect, it can be seen as a way of increasing their profit margin over and above their original profit margins. I would like to see if the developer tries to what could look like blackmailing, the Council. The developer should be made aware, the planning decision will be withdrawn, if the developer attempts to deviate from the original Planning Application. Before any further housing is built, the problems, in connection with the essential services. School Places and the provision of new schools does need to be addressed, and where required, new Schools, Health Centres and Community Centres need to be built before any new housing developments, are completed. I am aware the Council were discussing about building new schools, twenty years ago but no one was prepared to make the decision and as we have seen we now have new residential developments throughout the town. The majority of the offices in Victoria Avenue are being converted into apartments. The Queensway site which has approx. 440 flats within tower blocks, this will now become 1500 homes. Ken way opposite the rear of the Civic Centre has been transformed from an industrial into new apartments. We do need to look to the future and when planning permission is given for new housing, alternative forms of accessing heating need to be explored and the properties need to be built with a wheel chair in mind. Access to the property and internal doors wide enough to except a wheel chair, including a downstairs shower room complete with a toilet, together with stairs designed and wide enough to accommodate a stair lift if required. This should also apply to new built flats located at ground floor level. The reason being if the suggestion was included and the resident does develop a health problem, the property would then require less alterations/cost to the council. For the resident to stay in their own home. There is a need for more Social Housing, to be built by the Council or a Social Housing provider, built to the same standards as above. In order to house working families who do not earn enough to buy their own property or to rent a so called affordable rented property or to rent a property in the private rented sector. The Social Rented Property should be put beyond the Right To Buy policy. We have got to protect our stock of Social Housing for future generations. What may be affordable to one family, is probably not affordable to another family, hence the requirement for Social Housing to be built to replace the Social Housing sold to the tenants under a previous government administration. Once the affordable housing has been built, the ability to access the affordable housing to Rent or Buy, should be restricted to people who have a long term relationship with the town (who have lived and worked in the Borough for a number of years. Attending the schools within the Borough?) If there is not the take up of the Affordable Housing, one suggesting might be worth considering, knowing Southend Hospital is having trouble in retaining essential staff. Offer the available Affordable Rented Properties to Southend NHS with the proviso, the accommodation can only be offered to staff who are employed by Southend N H Sat Southend Hospital. If the staff leaves the employment at Southend Hospital, the staff must vacate the property.
There should be a document supplied with the papers in connection with the property which says, if the property is sold at a later date, the property cannot hen be rented out by a Buy To Rent Landlord or anyone who intends to charge rent at an amount which is above a Social Rented Property within the Borough. We have got to address the problem whereby people who live and work within the borough, often cannot afford Private Rented Property, therefor there is a need for Social Housing provided by the Council or a Social Housing Provider.
This can only be achieved if, the property, when built is put beyond The Right To Buy provision, or if sold to the then tenant, and then purchased at a later date by a person who intends to rent out the property. The rent charged, cannot be any more than rent charged for a Social Housing property.
When a section 106 is issued to a developer to provide a regular bus service there should be a requirement placed upon the developer to provide the public transport over the week for at least fifteen years, once the development has been completed, not just for five/six years at present. This should also apply to new Industrial Estates.
Planning, Parking and Highways
Several of the Wards within the Borough consist of housing built before the 1940s and the majority of the properties do not have access for off street vehicle parking. Therefore when there is a planning application to turn the houses into flats and the planning application is successful the parking problems are increased. Residents are parking there vehicles on the pavements and obstructing Double Yellow Lines. Would it be possible, when future plans come before the council to convert houses into flats within the Wards, where parking is a problem, unless the developer can provide off street parking, within the boundary of the property, the planning application should be refused. In areas of the town where there is a concentration of private rented properties, over 20% of the Ward, there should be a compulsory licencing scheme for the residential rental market.
By converting houses (family dwellings) into flats within some Wards, we are losing valuable family housing stock at the cheaper end of the market.
Public Transport
Two cases spring to mind The new rail station located at Southend Airport, although residents suggested a Bus Interchange to be located outside the rail station, which could/should have been a requirement using a Section 106, this was totally disregarded. Therefore any bus user who wishes to access the Rail Station has to get off one of the three bus services which serve the main road, and then has to walk to the rail station using a narrow badly lit road. This in turn is forcing vehicle owners to use their cars which in turn adds to the congestion/parking problems within the area.
The original Travel Centre was on the present site, this was demolished to make way for the present Travel Centre, the reason being, not fit for purpose. Residents said the site was too small but the Council disregarded our views and built the present Travel Centre on the present location. The Travel Centre located in Southend is still not fit for purpose. At the present time we have a travel Centre which cannot accommodate all of the buses. Therefore some services start from the Travel Centre, some are behind Marks and Spencer, with the rest on the opposite side to Marks and Spencer.
The council even admitted some time ago, the present Travel Centre is too small and does not fulfil the basic requirements.
Serious consideration does need to be given to the relocation of the Travel Centre to a larger site, possible on the site of the Tyler's Avenue car park, using all of the car park, for the Travel Centre, having independent shops at an affordable rent within the Travel Centre and possible three/four floors, above the Travel Centre for residential use (Flats). The problem we are having in several areas of the town is in relation to the lack of provision of Public Transport and this does need to be rectified. Areas of Southend are not served throughout the week by Public Transport (Buses).
Travel to West Yorkshire, where there is a PT E (Passenger Transport Executive), this covers the whole of West Yorkshire. Therefore depending on the ticket purchased, a passenger can travel on all Trains and Buses, throughout West Yorkshire, weekday, after 09.30am, anytime Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. Many of the towns in West Yorkshire have new Travel Centres which can accommodate all of the bus services and the travel centres also provide additional services (Information Services and Shops). I understand South Yorkshire also has a PT E. In connection with the PT E in West Yorkshire If I understand correctly, a Resident who lives in West Yorkshire who is in possession of a Senior Citizen Bus Pass. Can obtain a discount on the trains, therefore relieving the resident Of the responsibility and ongoing cost of having to obtain a Senior Citizen Rail Card. I therefore do believe the idea should be explored, of Southend, together with Essex (Basildon, Rayleigh, Rochford, Wickford, and Billericay Shenfield) and Thurrock, working together, to form a North Thameside PT E. As it would appear with the Councils working together with the Transport operators (Buses and Trains) can only be of a benefit to the residents who live in this part of Essex and would encourage visitors to the town, to use the buses and trains. We could also see an increase in businesses relocating to the borough, which would improve the employment opportunities of the residents who live within the borough and bring additional revenue into the town.
The Sea Front
The Sea Front is one of our most valuable assists but it is time some parts of the sea front do need to be revitalised, however in order to attract not only Visitors but also attract other attractions, however before any improvements are made In order to attract and cater additional visitors, there is a need and requirement to improve the infrastructure to support the additional visitors many of whom will use their own transport to visit the town.
At the present time the council is allowing attractions on the sea front (like the Shakedown) which does bring financial benefits to the town, but there is a cost involved, very little consideration is being given for the accessibility to the sea front by the additional vehicles using the A 127 coming to view the attractions. Consequently many of the side roads leading from the A 127 are being used as rat runs to access the London Road A13 and the Sea Front, and this causes severe traffic problems including congestion and problems to the residents who live in the roads affected.
Westbourne Grove, between Fairfax Drive and the London Road A 13 is a case in point. With at certain times of the day, the constant stream of traffic, including coaches and large commercial vehicles using this road, on a normal day. The problem is further compounded when there are attractions in the town and the unprotected crossing at the junction with Westborough Road. The uninterrupted volume of traffic using Westbourne Grove, makes it almost in possible for pedestrians to cross the junction safely or vehicles using Westborough Road to cross the junction safely. This is the only road junction in Westbourne Grove between the A 127 and London Road A 13, not protected with Traffic Lights. Over the last few years we have seen a reduction in the trees within some of the ladder roads including Westbourne Grove within the Westborough Ward. This has resulted in the loss of shade in the summer together with a loss of wild life. New semi-matured trees with restricted root growth should be planted at every opportunity.
Attractions
One of the many features' of the Borough are the Parks and Green Spaces including the cliffs, located throughout most of the Borough and these does remain an attraction to residents and visitors. However there is a need to increase the amount of landscaping and green spaces within the Borough and this can be achieved by making it a requirement on the developer for every new housing, commercial or industrial development, to have green spaces of a sufficient area for the planting of semi mature trees, this will encourage wild life, With the town increasing in population there is a need to reintroduce additional green spaces/landscaping at every opportunity, together with semi matured trees with restricted root growth. This will encourage wild life and in so doing improve the health of the residents. Reintroduce community buildings where people can enjoy meeting other people living within their area, socialising and the locations could also incorporate other services for the community, thereby reducing the feeling of isolation and loneliness. The Southend Borough is narrow in depth, but long in length, with several shopping centres, Leigh Broadway including Leigh Road, London Road A 13 between the boundary and Southend, Hamlet Court Road, Southend High Street, Southchurch Road, Thorpe Bay and Shoebury. With the exception of the High Street all of the other shopping centres within the borough do have access to small independent retailers and many of the areas mentioned do seem to be thriving. However when you walk down the High Street with all of the empty shops and some of the nationwide chains, there is very little encouragement for the resident or visitor to visit the High Street, and this will have an adverse effect on the small independent traders with shops who trade in the side roads leading to and from the High Street. We have got to remember it is the small independent retailer who will support the town and the service given will attract people to the town.