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Local Government
Rochford District Council
Rochford District Council
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richard.evans@rochford.gov.uk
01702 318044
01702 318044
Talking with Richard Evans and Mike Steptoe (29th June 2011)
Continuation - Part 2
RL: Any ideas when these further things will happen?
RE: Well, as we’ve said, we’ve agreed a five year Management Plan and that includes a fair amount of capital investment, about £300,000, and we hope to get some facilities installed. I think predominately it will be at the Cherry Orchard end that we’ll get the facilities in the first instance but we’re also looking, because of the position we’re in, at external funding opportunities, and if that can be achieved, other facilities at other parts of the park can be opened up as well.
MS: A couple of other projects are also happening with the park. We’re looking at bridle-ways through the woods at the other end to establish proper bridle-ways, working with the horticultural fraternity. The other small project that we are doing is looking at providing bench seats built from timber actually from Hockley Woods, bringing us back to the recycling subject.
Overview of the Future
RL: You have quite a lot of things clearly still under development.
RE: Yes, referring back to the recycling, we are in the final stages of rolling out the recycling scheme so we are just finalising dealing with flats, where some of the more interesting scenarios are being tailored for them because they have to have storage. The project we are looking to moving on to now is probably around street scenes and those sort of issues. There is a national project, ‘Love where you Live’ which is championed by the Keep Britain Tidy group over the next three years. That is about engaging with the community and trying to get some pride into it and trying to see what can be done on the street scene. The Council are looking for anyone who wants to become involved in that – please get in touch. (see Spring Edition of Rochford District Matters, P.13 and RDC web site extract on next page)
Continuation -
RL: Any ideas when these further things will happen?
RE: Well, as we’ve said, we’ve agreed a five year Management Plan and that includes a fair amount of capital investment, about £300,000, and we hope to get some facilities installed. I think predominately it will be at the Cherry Orchard end that we’ll get the facilities in the first instance but we’re also looking, because of the position we’re in, at external funding opportunities, and if that can be achieved, other facilities at other parts of the park can be opened up as well.
MS: A couple of other projects are also happening with the park. We’re looking at bridle-
Overview of the Future
RL: You have quite a lot of things clearly still under development.
RE: Yes, referring back to the recycling, we are in the final stages of rolling out the recycling scheme so we are just finalising dealing with flats, where some of the more interesting scenarios are being tailored for them because they have to have storage. The project we are looking to moving on to now is probably around street scenes and those sort of issues. There is a national project, ‘Love where you Live’ which is championed by the Keep Britain Tidy group over the next three years. That is about engaging with the community and trying to get some pride into it and trying to see what can be done on the street scene. The Council are looking for anyone who wants to become involved in that – please get in touch. (see Spring Edition of Rochford District Matters, P.13 and RDC web site extract on next page)
RL: How far does ‘Environment’ go? For instance, say cleaning up the River Roach? Would that come under ‘environment’?
MS: The Roach is looked after by the Crouch Harbour Authority.
RE: There have been some community groups that have got together to do some cleanups in particular areas and we’re always interested in facilitating that. If we can assist by removing the items that have been collected by willing participants we would always respond positively to that, so I suppose it is slightly outside our remit but at the end of the day if it’s on the radar of local residents we’re interested in playing our part.
The Localism Bill
RL: There is increasing interest in the Localism Bill. Do you have any comments about it?
RE: On one level, I think it’s about the ‘friends’ groups, for example, trying to set them up and engage with them and get feedback about how we manage our assets. At another level it might be that there are some local community groups that could physically manage the assets. This year, with the budget pressures, we’ve actually been engaging with the parishes and seeing if they are interested in any of the assets we are running, whether they would be interested in managing those in a different way. There are opportunities there and it will be interesting to see how the Localism Act will eventually come into being.
MS: I think with the buzz of the localism idea, when you talk with residents, I am worried that their hopes are being set too high, but there a lot of people who are very keen to get involved and I think given time there will be a lot more people coming up with projects and ideas and things like that and I really think that will be a good thing.
RE: Reflecting on the ‘friends’ groups, I think the one that we are most pleased with at the present is the Sweyne Park group, where it has been very much about letting them take the lead and bring to the party what they want. They bring in volunteers, they work on community events and attract large numbers of people, and we’ll do what we can to facilitate the use of that land.
MS: It’s very much a two-way situation because residents often don’t understand how the Council has to work and the constraints placed upon the Officers and the Councillors, so with people getting involved with the localism thing, they are starting to see both sides of the coin and understanding why we can’t just, say, build a new footpath there or stick a bridle-way in there. We have to go through the procedures. I think it helps and will make our job easier by enabling them to get a better understanding of what is going on and how things happen.
RL: Well that is music to my ears and is, after all what this discussion has been all about. Thank you both so much for giving your time and particularly for the grace you have shown in response to my prods. I believe that has been really excellent and will hopefully achieve exactly what you’ve just said, Mike. Again, thank you both very much.
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MS: The Roach is looked after by the Crouch Harbour Authority.
RE: There have been some community groups that have got together to do some cleanups in particular areas and we’re always interested in facilitating that. If we can assist by removing the items that have been collected by willing participants we would always respond positively to that, so I suppose it is slightly outside our remit but at the end of the day if it’s on the radar of local residents we’re interested in playing our part.
The Localism Bill
RL: There is increasing interest in the Localism Bill. Do you have any comments about it?
RE: On one level, I think it’s about the ‘friends’ groups, for example, trying to set them up and engage with them and get feedback about how we manage our assets. At another level it might be that there are some local community groups that could physically manage the assets. This year, with the budget pressures, we’ve actually been engaging with the parishes and seeing if they are interested in any of the assets we are running, whether they would be interested in managing those in a different way. There are opportunities there and it will be interesting to see how the Localism Act will eventually come into being.
MS: I think with the buzz of the localism idea, when you talk with residents, I am worried that their hopes are being set too high, but there a lot of people who are very keen to get involved and I think given time there will be a lot more people coming up with projects and ideas and things like that and I really think that will be a good thing.
RE: Reflecting on the ‘friends’ groups, I think the one that we are most pleased with at the present is the Sweyne Park group, where it has been very much about letting them take the lead and bring to the party what they want. They bring in volunteers, they work on community events and attract large numbers of people, and we’ll do what we can to facilitate the use of that land.
MS: It’s very much a two-
RL: Well that is music to my ears and is, after all what this discussion has been all about. Thank you both so much for giving your time and particularly for the grace you have shown in response to my prods. I believe that has been really excellent and will hopefully achieve exactly what you’ve just said, Mike. Again, thank you both very much.
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To return to the previous page, please CLICK HERE
To continue to the various documents referred to in this interview, please CLICK HERE
Councillor Michael Steptoe
297 Little Wakering Road
Little Wakering, Barling Magna
Essex, SS3 0LB
01702 219 594
0785 087 1377
297 Little Wakering Road
Little Wakering, Barling Magna
Essex, SS3 0LB
01702 219 594
0785 087 1377