Press Release 19-12-2009 (Echo, Leigh Times, Yellow Advertiser)

When Will They Ever Learn....

Our council has at last, confessed their intention to devastate Priory 
Crescent, killing 18 trees, a figure we seriously doubt; no amount of trees is 
acceptable. All this for what, a road widening scheme, twice rejected by the 
public, now disguised as ‘improvements to Cuckoo Corner’, a scheme that 
makes no sense to anyone, would cause traffic chaos and place the lives of 
local residents in mortal danger.

This ridiculous plan would create a priority lane, feeding traffic, at high 
speed from Priory Crescent into Victoria Avenue. What traffic? Not a lot! 
Have the council considered the serious risk this would pose to residents 
pulling off their driveways, directly into the path of traffic coming round a 
bend at high speed? 

The council are suspiciously avoiding mentioning Priory Park. Strange, 
considering the councils own documentation clearly indicates their intention 
to impact upon the Park.

BLP Chapter 9 Transport and Parking, Policy T6 – A1159 Priory Crescent, 
states:
“The Borough Council will seek the improvement of the A1159 (Priory 
Crescent) between A127 (Cuckoo Corner)and Eastern Avenue, so as to 
achieve a capacity compatible with adjoining sections and in a manner which 
minimises impact on Priory Park”.

The council must disclose exactly what is meant by “minimises impact on 
Priory Park”, and how much precious park land is to be sacrificed to tarmac. 
Any impact on the Park would mean the hacking down of the hedgerow 
bordering the park, yet another totally unacceptable act of ‘ecological 
vandalism’.

The situation, as it now stands according to the council is thus: the plans are 
incomplete, the public consultation has yet to take place, the required 
permissions have not been sought, and yet we are told the work ‘starts 
early next year’! 

In fact the work has already started, conduits for the traffic lights, on the 
roundabout have already been laid, and core drilling survey work has been 
carried out. Therefore, public money has been spent on works that have not 
been approved, and for which there has been no consultation process. Are 
the council prepared to declare how much money this speculative 
preparation work has cost the public so far?

According to the Councils ‘Outlook’ publication (Issue 13); Cuckoo Corner 
improvements “will see a whopping 400 minutes per day saved by drivers”. 
This equates roughly to a saving 4.8 seconds per vehicle. Hardly value for 
money, what sane person would agree to this vandalism for the sake of 
saving a few seconds! 
                      

SKIPP Committee 
					                
Patsy Link
Sheena Walker
Mark Raymond Sharp
                  

"The council is forging ahead with the idea of an unaffordable and extravagant Sea Front Museum. This dogged persistence, coupled with the current economic climate, means we cannot reasonably expect to see a Museum for our treasures in the foreseeable future and certainly not by 2013. " SKIPP Press Release 22/01/2010 The goose that laid the golden egg... Why does Southend Council not want our museum service to make a profit for our town? This is the question that the public are asking, after the council’s announcement in the press, that they are considering privatising Southend Museums.

The Museum service is currently a drain on public resources, costing the town £450,000 per year. However, the Saxon Museum and Village, as proposed by SKIPP, could not fail to be a huge money spinner. King Seabert’s grave goods are, so to speak, the goose that laid the golden egg, and more worryingly, could be taken by the British Museum at any time, if we fail to provide a secure and appropriate home for them. Yet for some unfathomable reason our Council, who have no foreseeable plan, seems to be incapable of appreciating this fact, and instead appears determined to throw away the best opportunity this town has had since the coming of the railways in the 19th century.

It has been clearly demonstrated within the SKIPP Business Plan, that the proposed Museum in Priory Park would easily pay for itself within a short period of time and thereafter, provide a valuable revenue stream, feeding much needed cash into our town’s coffers.

SKIPP Committee 
					                
Patsy Link
Sheena Walker
Mark Raymond Sharp 

SKIPP Press Release 05/04/2010 Voodoo Council tries to raise the dead...... Raising the dead, that is what Southend Borough Council is attempting do with their ill-conceived seafront ‘cliff slippage museum’. An idea ridiculed by all the experts, yet as we have come to expect from this Council, for reasons best known to themselves, they are ploughing on regardless in the face of almost certain failure.

To waste at the last guesstimate £44.2m of tax payers money on a museum which heritage and geological experts have clearly stated is in the wrong location and is almost criminal in its utter stupidity.

The Council call this project “The Saxon King Museum Project”, however, this name is full of deceit, they care little for the fate of our greatest asset; the King’s treasures don’t even get a mention in the projects vision statement. All the council really care about is how many seats they can squeeze in to the ‘privately run’ corporate conference centre and restaurant. The Treasures are to be relegated to a corner of the fifth floor of this proposed seven storey glass and steel carbuncle. The most important archaeological discovery since the 1930s and they don’t even get their own gallery. Instead they are to be jumbled together with the collection from the central museum, which basically consist of some old bones, policeman’s truncheons, dead birds and the guns that shot them.

Heritage experts have ridiculed the whole seafront project, describing the idea of breaking the connection between the treasures and burial chamber by placing them on the seafront with the kiss-me-quick hats, as ‘madness’. The alternative proposal for a Saxon Great Hall and Village built on Brownfield land occupied by the Council’s works depot in Priory Park, experts categorically agree, is far more viable and desirable.

Geological experts have warned the Council that the cliff slippage site is completely unsuitable for construction, the ground is just too unstable, subject to constant movement and prone to flooding, and would make a risk assessor faint with worry. All these facts are clear from the Council’s own feasibility study, despite their attempts to doctor the results to suite their desired outcome.

The worst aspect of this whole sorry situation is the Council’s complete refusal to even consider the alternative; a plan which could be achieved for about a tenth of the ill-fated seafront project and actually make a profit for our town, rather than for private investors.

Now for the Council’s latest act of betrayal, they seem set on spending vast sums of public money building their white elephant and then handing the Museum service, complete with the Saxon King’s Treasures, Beecroft Collection, Prittlewell Priory and Southchurch Hall, over to a private company. They are actually plotting to sell of our town’s heritage and history to the highest bidder. Is there no end to this Council’s desire to ruin our town!

SKIPP Committee 
					                
Patsy Link
Sheena Walker
Mark Raymond Sharp

SKIPP Press Release 13^th May 2010 Our Voice, Our Choice Southend-on-Sea Borough Council is made up of 51 elected Councillors who superficially at least represent the people and govern our town on our behalf. However, the reality does not match up to this democratic ideal.

Southend has a cabinet system of local government; all the powers of the council are concentrated in the hands of just 8 councillors. If you do the maths this means that about 84% of the population are effectively disenfranchised. They have no voice!

Pressure groups such as SKIPP and SAEN have an important roll to play in allowing the voice of the disenfranchised to be heard, however, there is only so much that these groups can do. It is up to the people to stand up and demand that their voice is heard, and simple acts can go a long way to achieving this.

The yellow ribbon is an easily recognised universal symbol of protest. In Southend it has come to symbolise the fight to save our trees, however, it means much more now. ''Our Voice, Our Choice' is our message. It stands for democracy in Southend... Tie a yellow ribbon to your car aerial, door knocker or anywhere prominent to tell the council's cabinet members they govern on our behalf, not just big business, they must listen to our voice too.

SKIPP Committee 
					                
Patsy Link
Sheena Walker
Mark Raymond Sharp
                      

Press Release 31st May 2010 Southend Borough Council has done it again Southend Borough Council has done it again, cutting down a mature tree without prior notice or consideration for the thoughts and feelings of local residents.

In the latest incident a mature poplar tree, which had graced the cliff top in Westcliff for perhaps 100 years, was hacked down by contractors on Thursday (27th May). The Council have claimed, in a statement after the event, that the tree in question was diseased. This may be true, however, the only proof of this now lies in the wood chip bin.

Regardless of whether the tree was diseased, once again the Council has shown its complete lack of understanding for the feelings of the people when it comes to our town’s rapidly disappearing mature trees.

SKIPP has tirelessly campaigned to save our town’s trees, and we do appreciate there are occasions where there is no alternative but to fell an individual tree which may be dangerous. However, we believe that if any mature tree is to be removed, there should be a requirement for prior notification to all residents within the immediate area, to allow anyone that wishes to challenge the felling order time to do so. Additionally, when the tree is in a particularly prominent public area, such as the cliffs, then prior notification should also be given via the local media.

If any member of the public wishes to report a missing tree please contact SKIPP via the missing trees email hotline: missingtrees@hotmail.com

SKIPP Committee 
					                
Patsy Link
Sheena Walker
Mark Raymond Sharp


                  

Press Release 27 th May 2010

Open letter to Councillor Mark Flewitt:

We welcome your recent appointment as portfolio holder for transport and Planning. Given the entrenched and destructive attitude of your predecessor, we also welcome your comments about listening to the people of Southend. However, we have little trust in political rhetoric. It will be your actions, not your words that the town will judge you on, please avoid repeating the mistakes of the previous incumbent.

Our town deserves a fairer deal when it comes to all future planning and transport issues. In the future we believe a policy of comprehensive public consultation should be implemented across the board.

By comprehensive we mean: consultation across the whole Borough, not just a few selected streets; consultation that is structured in such a way as to offer real and credible alternatives to the Councils preferred option, rather than being deliberately designed to deliver the response the Council desires; and finally, consultations where all responses are in the public domain and easily accessible by the public.

We believe the only way to achieve this fairer system is to remove political meddling from the consultation process by appointing an independent outside agent to oversee, and report on all future consultations. This would be a justified use of public money for a tangible democratic gain.

With your appointment Southend, and its people expects a fairer and more inclusive future, not just more of the same.

SKIPP Committee 
					                
Patsy Link
Sheena Walker
Mark Raymond Sharp

Press Release 12 th June 2010

When is a consultation not a consultation?

When is a consultation not a consultation? When it’s a Southend Borough Council box ticking exercise! This practice of giving the illusion of listening to the public is typified by the supposed consultation for the seafront museum scheme.

Stuck with the problem of how to hold a public consultation which doesn’t blow their extravagantly expensive and unpopular scheme out of the water, the Council, in conjunction with architects AEW have set up an exhibition which excludes vast numbers of Southend residents from attending.

To this end, the venue is tucked away in a small unit under the Pier, where very few locals would even notice it. It opens three days a week during working hours (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday), closed at lunchtime, and no opening times were displayed for the first few weeks. SKIPP members and supporters have tried visiting on a number of occasions. On several of these we found it closed during opening hours. We did eventually gain entry, only to be told by the soul person on duty that we would only have a brief time, as they were closing early and going home to Manchester.

To put it bluntly, if you happen to be a Southend resident who works and pays taxes, then the Council and AEW have excluded you from this consultation process. The whole process smacks of a whitewash, not a consultation and the Council must do better if it is to regain any measure of public trust and confidence.

SKIPP Committee 
					                
Patsy Link
Sheena Walker
Mark Raymond Sharp

Press Release 13 th June 2010

Never-Never Gona Happen...

Southend Borough Council have press released pretty pictures of their never-never plans for the pie-in-the-sky ‘cliff slip’ museum. Don’t believe the hype, look beyond the artists impressions of Councillor’s dreams, and the real story of desperation begins to emerge. The figures just don’t stack up, the money is pure fantasy cash, and the time scale is dangerously long.

£35million is a huge sum of money; however, this only covers the construction costs (at 2007 prices) and does not include the cost of shoring up the cliff slip. When the hidden costs are added in, the figure is well in excess of £50million.

Where is this £50m odd coming from? At first we were told the Heritage Lottery Fund would cough up the money. Well they coughed and our Council caught a cold. Next they turned to the department of Culture only to once again have the door slammed in their face. Then most recently we were told Thames Gateway would fund the scheme. Now it seems they too have sent our desperate Council away with empty pockets. So now they are reduced to the forlorn hope that, in the worst economic situation for 65 years, a private investor will step up and fill their begging bowl. Back in the real world, away from the ivory tower our Councillors inhabit, it is blatantly obvious that this ludicrously expensive pipe dream is never going to be funded.

Even if by some miracle the money was to magically appear, five to ten years is the Council's estimate of how long the project will take to reach completion. SKIPP can reveal, you can forget the lower end of that estimate, eight years minimum is the current conservative estimate of lead time. This means that at the earliest it would be 15 years since the discovery before the King’s grave goods are on public display. The question is will the British Museum wait that long, or will they lose patience, exercise their prerogative and take our town's treasures and exhibit them in London. Sadly, if we follow the current course as prescribed by the Council, then it is almost inevitable that we will lose our town’s greatest asset to the all powerful British Museum.

There is an alternative viable plan, which is cost effective and implementable within a reasonable time frame. SKIPP is proposing a museum and Saxon educational experience to be built on the Brownfield land in Priory Park currently occupied by an under used Council Works Depot. Just seconds away from where the King lived, ruled, died and was buried, thereby maintaining the vital connection between the grave goods and their site of origin.

This plan would have education at its heart, unlike the Council’s plan which has a purely commercial perspective. The main exhibition building would be in the form of a Saxon Great Hall as befitting a King. A Saxon village would surround the Hall, providing facilities such as an interactive workshop, forge and classrooms to aid in teaching. The centre would also contain the usual facilities such as a cafe and shop, all self contained on the Brownfield land and enclosed within a Saxon style palisade wall.

Common sense must prevail over commercial and political considerations or our town will lose its greatest ever opportunity.

SKIPP Committee 
					                
Patsy Link
Sheena Walker
Mark Raymond Sharp

Press Letter (27/07/2010) Say No To TescoDear Editor

Big business speaks and Southend Council in the form of Cllr John Lamb rolls over in a display of weakness. Tesco have unveiled its latest plans for their giant store on the old B&Q site; plans which have one vital component missing, the affordable housing which was promised from the beginning.

The mighty corporate vampire lays the blame at the door of the recession; a feeble excuse, given the massive companies bloated profits and the desperate need for affordable housing. Deputy Tory leader John Lamb is quoted as saying “we’re disappointed the affordable housing situation has been dropped”. He may well say he is disappointed; however, he has still given his, and by implication, the Council’s seal of approval to the massive development, despite the complete absence of the promised housing. Tesco are desperate to build their new megastore, as well they would be, given the huge profit the store will rake in, so why does our Council not hold out and demand the promised affordable housing, or refuse planning permission?

Countless units remain empty in Victoria Shopping Centre, yet our Council is allowing the biggest retail predator to open up right next door to the desolate centre. Small outlets cannot compete against this level of competition. Southend needs a variety of retail outlets not just coffee shops, and surely there must be a limit to how many coffee shops our town can sustain.

It would appear that Southend-on-Sea, or should we call it ‘Tesco-on-Sea’, is run by a bunch of corporate lackeys, we should cut out the wasteful middlemen and just install Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Stobarts in the Civic Centre, as the de facto council cabinet.

Whilst Tesco behave like a parasite, inexorably taking control of its seemingly helpless victims, we do have in our town a shining example of how big business can behave responsibly and add immeasurably to the life of the community. KeyMed (part of the Olympus Group) is the polar opposite to Tesco, for over a decade they have generously given to the community where help is needed, not taken, happy to be a part of the community rather than leaching off it.

SKIPP Committee 
					                
Patsy Link
Sheena Walker
Mark Raymond Sharp


                  

SKIPP Press Release 26 th July 2010

Nightmare on Cuckoo Corner

The ‘nightmare on Cuckoo Corner’ is now clear for all to see. However, around 50 people gathered in support of SKIPP (Saxon King In Priory Park) at the Junction on Sunday (25th July), to inform the public and try to prevent the situation worsening by halting the installation of traffic lights at Cuckoo Corner.

The message is “Don’t add insult to the loss of trees; stop the pointless traffic lights”.

Sheena Walker speaking for SKIPP Said “We are here today to tell Southend Council, installing traffic lights on Cuckoo Corner would be a pointless waste of public money. This roundabout works well and the installation of lights would result in traffic chaos, with the knock on effects extending across the road network beyond the roundabout. Across the country local authorities are removing, or coving up traffic lights, yet for reasons best know to themselves, Southend Borough Council is bent on installing them.”

Mark Sharp presented a recent study commissioned by the GLA (Great London Authority) which concluded that traffic lights, create congestion, increase pollution and damage the economy.” He added “SKIPP has commissioned its own academic study into the recent transport planning ‘fiascos’ in Southend and we hope to present it to the town early next year”.

Patsy Link from SKIPP added “despite the overwhelming evidence, Southend Council is still planning to install these lights and no doubt cameras aimed at catching the amber gambler as frustration builds. The installation of these lights would be a shameful waste of public money at a time when essential services such as health and education are having their budges cut to the bone.”

SKIPP Committee 
					                
Patsy Link
Sheena Walker
Mark Raymond Sharp

SKIPP Press Release 2nd August 2010

Southend Airport Expansion

The SKIPP Committee expresses its full support for SAEN (Stop Airport Expansion Now) in the launching of a judicial review into the legality of Southend Borough Council’s decisions to grant planning permission for the expansion of Southend Airport.

Additionally we offer our full support to the campaign launched by David Amess MP (Con – Southend West) for a Public Inquiry into the airport decision, and we back the MP’s petition to the European Parliament on this issue.

As local residents, we object to the expansion of the airport on grounds of increased pollution, increased noise and increased road congestion. However, as responsible citizens of our planet we also object to the expansion on worldwide environmental grounds.

The planned expansion would create a major short haul airport, just at the time when we should be doing all we can to discourage short haul flights and decreasing the unnecessary environmental damaged created by these flights.

SKIPP Committee 
					                
Patsy Link
Sheena Walker
Mark Raymond Sharp

SKIPP Press Release (07/08/2010)

The Ruination of Old Leigh

Southend Borough Councils fantasy of Prada-on-Sea looks set to bring its twisted brand of modernistic ruination to beautiful Old Leigh.

Despite the objections of Leigh Town Council, and the conservation group The Leigh Society, Southend Council’s development and control committee looks set to approve the demolition of one of Leigh’s cockle sheds. The demolition of the iconic Ivy Osborne shed, situated in the car park of the Peter Boat will clear the way for owners the East Anglian Pub Company to construct a 16 seat cafe on the site.

Leigh Town Council, backed by the Leigh Society object to the development, describing the proposed structure as far too large, domineering and inappropriate for the location. Additionally they object, in principle to the destruction of a piece of history, the cockle sheds are an important and integral part of Old Leigh. Furthermore the Council do not wish to see yet another cafe opening in an already saturated market.

Yet true to form Southend Borough Council are set to ignore the wishes of the people by approving the demolition and redevelopment, regardless of Leigh Town Council’s objections. Once again it is made clear, Southend Council does not care what we the public think. The only opinion that matters is ‘theirs’.

SKIPP Committee 
					                
Patsy Link
Sheena Walker
Mark Raymond Sharp

SKIPP Press Release (09/08/2010)

The last majestic Plane tree on Vic Circus roundabout slaughtered!

Part one (Write statement to all press).....

The last majestic Plane tree on Victoria Circus roundabout has been slaughtered!

Despite a written undertaking by Lorraine Butler (Southend Borough Council interim head enterprise tourism and regeneration), Southend Council Contractor Tree Fellas have butchered the last remaining London Plane tree on the Victoria Circus roundabout.

Additional SKIPP supporters had received assurances from Andrew Meddle of Southend Borough Council, stating that the London Plane would not be removed.

In an acting reminiscent of the underhanded slaughter at Victoria in the early hours of Black Sunday (10th Jan 2010), this despicable act of betrayal took place in the early hours of Monday 9th August whilst the residents of Southend were sleeping.

In a meeting on 12th January 2010 Lorraine Butler gave SKIPP acting on behalf of the people of Southend, a guaranteed that the felling of trees at Victoria would cease, and no more trees would be killed. Ms Butler gave that guarantee on behalf of Southend Borough Council in writing.

The tree which has been a thorn in the side of the Council since it was saved, by SKIPP, along with a further 37 trees, from the original killing spree back in January. SKIPP has always suspected the Council would find some spurious excuse to break its word and remove this embarrassing tree.

On Black Sunday, Tree Fellas told SKIPP they would be back for the remaining 38 trees. With the taking of the London Plane, despite the councils promise, we have to ask are the other 37 trees safe from the chainsaw gang?

The fact that the slaughter once again took place without warning, under the cover of the night emphasises the Councils treachery.

This sickening act highlights that this Council is out of control and willing to stoop to any low to get their way. The views and feelings of the people of southend mean nothing to them.

The new is spreading like wild fire throughout the town. The people of Southend will not forget or forgive this heinous act.

Part Two (verbal statement to Echo)....

What an utterly disgusting betrayal of the already fed up and beleagered residents of our town!.

Messages/questions are flooding in to SKIPPS 'Missing tree' hotmail line,with comments like "we feel so helpless, how can we possibly stop them". Some have suggested a constant vigil on the remaining 37 trees from Victoria Circus to the Sainsburys roundabout, which we were given written assurances from two council officials, that along with the London plane, butchered in the early hours of this morning (clearly an embarrassment and a thorn in the side of the council as they didnt have time to fell that one on 'Black Sunday') were safe from the chainsaws.

The council now claim they knew the tree had to go in April, so why were so many of the councilors not advised of this until 6.28am this morning when the tree had already been butchered and fed into the Tree Fellas chipper? Apart from a section of the trunk (we are told) which will be fashioned into some sad dead relic of the once majestic tree?

Once again a wave of depression has descended on our town as people try and make their way through the traffic mess!! and more people say they are selling up and moving out of Southend.

SKIPP Committee 
					                
Patsy Link
Sheena Walker
Mark Raymond Sharp

SKIPP Press Release (15/08/2010)

Not to be trusted...

After the Council’s shameful betrayal of the people at Victoria Circus, when despite written assurances, the Council cut down the last remaining London Plane tree on the roundabout. How can we ever trust the word of our Council again?

Now the Council is trying to convince the public that the former York Road Market site will not become a car park. This dubious claim was made in statements on the progress of plans for a temporary market on the site of the ‘Victorian market’, shamefully demolished at short notice earlier this year.

The key word in the statement is “temporary”; if the new market is temporary, then this, by implication clearly suggests the Council have other plans for the site, plans they which we the people are once again to be kept in the dark about!

SKIPP Committee 
					                
Patsy Link
Sheena Walker
Mark Raymond Sharp

SKIPP Press Release (24/08/2010)

Prada-on-Sea

Why doesn’t Southend Borough Council just come clean about their Prada-on-Sea plans for Southend, and admit that traditional Southend, with its kiss me quick candy floss image, doesn’t match up with their culture vulture aspirations? Instead, they are taking the town apart piece meal, and destroying what we once had and were proud of.

This elitist vision which excludes us plebs, residents and visitors alike, can be seen everywhere you look. You can see it in the destruction of the tradition seafront shelters for the city beach project: a project which will ultimately see the Golden Mile, arcades and all, ripped out and replaced with expensive fancy restaurants and boutiques.

It’s all there in the ludicrously expensive plan for a Seafront Saxon King Museum, which is better described as a restaurant, conference centre and wine bar, with a museum added on the side, in a vain attempt to attract government funding.

The ‘Prada’ ideal can also be seen in the poorly conceived ‘open air theatre’, great in the winter, planned for the end of our once magnificent Pier.

Inland, the Vultures are responsible for the deliberate neglect of York Road Market, which led to its hasty demolition. Forget the temporary market; it’s just political miss-direction, a cheap conjurer’s trick to keep the public from seeing the truth until it’s too late. The real future of the area can be seen in the Renaissance Southend Central Area Master Plan, a future which again consists of exclusive boutiques, restaurants and apartments. Further evidence can be found in the shameful neglect of empty houses in Herbert Grove (Echo 23rd August), where it appears the Council is deliberately leaving empty houses to rot, in order to run the area down, devalue the remaining homes, and allow compulsory purchase and demolition on the cheap. Again all part of the Council/Renaissance Southend ‘Prada-on-Sea’ plan.

The list of atrocities goes on; the Lego block student building, the huge plastic bubble (the towns long awaited University), the two newly planned seafront hotels destined to fail as visitor numbers plummet, the poorly planned and underhanded redevelopment at Victoria Circus, and the futuristic flower shaped snack wagon planned for Warrior Square, being built at the expense of the promised children’s play area, which due to incompetent budgeting they apparently cannot now afford!

Now Southend Borough Council seems set to impose its twisted brand of elitism on beautiful Leigh Old Town. Ignoring the wishes of residents as expressed by Leigh Town Council, and the Leigh Society, they have granted permission to demolish the traditional Ivy Osbourne Cockle Shed, replacing it with an imposing swanky Seafood restaurant, which will block views of the estuary.

Left unchecked our Council will create a modernistic ghost town, a town of sterile steel and concrete, devoid of spirit and life. A town resented by the excluded residents and abandoned by the tourist which once made it prosperous.

SKIPP Committee 
					                
Patsy Link
Sheena Walker
Mark Raymond Sharp

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