The First Meeting of Real Significance So Far

Although we have had the annual council Meeting to elect he new Mayor, the leader of the council and the short meeting to determine the chairs of all committees, on Thursday, it was the first meeting of the Traffic & Parking Working Party which was the first meeting of the Civic Year at which any meaningful council business was discussed and debated.

Significant transport items relating to Shoeburyness were debated and I am happy to inform residents that the Working Party agreed to advertise for consultation the proposal to introduce parking bays to ease the parking situation for residents who wish to use local shops on Shoebury High Street.

Also the proposal to fill in the underpass at the Renown and create crossings overground to help residents, especially school children, bypass the roundabout. This was an interesting discussion as the underpass does the job in allowing people to cross the road at a busy roundabout, but the reality is very few people use it.

This is for a variety of reasons, but by and large it is because of the of the vandalism and anti-social behaviour. At the annual Debate Shoebury event this issue has been raised for the past three years by the students. Due to the anti-social behaviour and bullying that the students say they face they would rather cross a busy roundabout without any crossing points than use the underpass.

As this issue was accepted by the Working Party as an anti-social behaviour and vandalism issue, the Working Party authorised officers to see if the works could be funded away from the transport capital programme if not then the scheme should be considered for inclusion in the transport capital programme next year.

It was interesting to hear some of the feedback on the meeting by opposition members. I was pleased to hear that Cllr Gilbert described the meeting on his blog as being by and large non political and also the kind words from Shoeburyness Ward Independent Party councillor Mike Assenheim for allowing him to speak at length on this issue were appreciated.