Lord Hannigfield's Blog

11-18 15:21

On a personal level, I was particularly enthused by the advocacy session “Participating Discussion” which was chaired by Jenny Owen, Executive Director of the AHCW service, and myself and provided some fascinating insights into how radical ideas and concepts can be introduced into an organisation – something which ECC’s Libraries service has been in the vanguard of. After a hectic day of presentations and seminars, it was a pleasure to have a meal with our guests, all of whom were incredibly complimentary about the day’s events and ECC’s revolutionary provision of Library services, and listen to Sylvia Kent’s, local author and patron of the Essex Book Festival, informative talk about Essex folklore, places, history, countryside and gardening. All in all, a worthwhile exercise which has doubtlessly further enhanced Essex’s reputation as a beacon to other authorities across the UK.

10-30 10:29

The challenge facing Colchester, with inconsistent educational standards and a declining pupil population, is one that affects not only parents, staff and students, but the town as a whole and I hope everyone takes the opportunity to have their say.

I am personally committed to providing the best possible education for every child in Essex and that is patently not what is presently on offer in Colchester. Reorganisation is, therefore, essential and I look forward to engaging with the public on this vital issue over coming weeks.  

10-10 11:00

Many people will be surprised to know that more than 70% of the county’s land is rural, including most of its 350-mile long coastline, so the work of this totally independent commission will be vital. In the wonderful rural setting of Coleman's Farm near Rivenhall, the commission outlined its priorities and plans to study a broad range of issues affecting rural communities, including the provision of local shops, post offices and schools, affordable homes, transport issues and hidden deprivation.

Essex rural areas face unique challenges given our changing climate, a global increase in demand for food and our proximity to London. The rural areas are also home to a quarter of Essex’s population and how we ensure our policies and actions reflect the needs and aspirations of these communities is an urgent priority.

Our rural communities face poor transport services and a substantial lack of affordable housing on the market, even for those earning average salaries. Following previous closures, there are now 48% of parishes without a general store, 29% of parishes with neither a GP surgery nor public or community transport to access a GP while 42% of Essex parishes have no shop, Post Office or cashpoint.

I am thrilled that Essex will be able to take advantage of a wide range of expertise from the commissioners - commission chairman and academic Prof Jules Pretty of the University of Essex; Elinor Goodman, former political editor of Channel 4 News, commentator and opinion former on rural issues (commission deputy chairman);  leading academic Prof Germaine Greer, who farms a smallholding in Essex; Great Bentley campaigner Mary Maskell; Simon Brice, a mid-Essex farmer who has much experience in the changing nature of modern agriculture; Canon John Brown, vice chairman of the Essex Rural Partnership; John Clayton, chief executive of the Essex Chambers of Commerce representing business interests; Tom Oliver, head of rural policy for the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), and Tony Tuckwell, educationalist, author and ex-headmaster of the King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford.

To deliver the best quality of life in Britain is the overarching aim of the EssexWorks programme which highlights the council’s most important initiatives this year and the priorities of local residents. So I am looking forward to ultimately seeing the development of some innovative but practical ideas which will help our communities both in the short and long-term. 

To read more about it, log on to www.essex.gov.uk/ruralcommission  or http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mSfhZ7WOp9o 

09-13 12:35

Well, I was delighted that at 9 o'clock this morning, after many months of tourtuous negotiations, Station Way Post Office in Buckhurst Hill near Loughton officially reopened for business. 

It becomes the first branch in Britain to reopen using what we are calling the ‘Essex Model’. As you can imagine the scheme has attracted a huge amount of attention with interest from more than 150 other local authorities across Britain, with many watching events in Essex as a possible model for their own areas.

This is a truly ground-breaking and a hugely significant development. I am proud that Essex County Council is delivering to our residents, particularly to many of our most vulnerable, something that they feel so strongly about and that we are the first anywhere in the UK to do this. It’s exactly what effective local government should be doing. Our pioneering scheme is now set to reopen other previously closed branches throughout the county.

09-05 03:36

The announcement confirmed that, subject to final contract negotiations, The Salvation Army owned Hadleigh Farm, together with part of Essex County Council operated Hadleigh Castle Country Park, will offer a new purpose built mountain bike course ready to host both the men’s and women’s races in the London 2012 Games.

Securing such an exciting event in such a prestigious competition means in four years time all eyes will be firmly focused on Essex offering us a great opportunity to showcase to a worldwide audience the beauty and economic potential of the area.

Work will start immediately to engage local businesses and communities to ensure everyone makes the most of the opportunities the Mountain Biking will bring to the county. We want to ensure that after the Games we have a positive lasting legacy for the environment, the economy and the people who live and work in Essex.

09-05 03:36

30 students from Jiangsu arrived in Harlow to stay for nine days as guests of 30 Essex students. I would like to say welcome to Essex to them all, I hope they have a great time in our county.

The summer sports camp is a great way to engage our young people. All the students will have the opportunity to try new activities, take part in competition and will hopefully form lasting friendships. With the Olympics and Paralympics so imminent what better way build relations between two very different countries than through the power of sport. I’m sure that students will enjoy the camp and feel inspired to make sport a constant part of their life.

09-05 03:36

We spent a lot of time working up a strategy that would not only reduce waste and increase recycling but would make sure residents were not bearing the brunt of the increasing rise in landfill tax through their Council Tax. I’m proud to say this strategy has listened to the views of residents, taken on board their concerns and will deliver them value for money.

The agreed strategy will deliver a high recycling and bio treatment policy, including the ambition to increase recycling to 60% in 2020. It also – and I can’t make this point strongly enough – does not look to use mass burn incineration as a solution.

The strategy considers the need to find alternative ways to generate renewable energy in a time when the cost of fuel is rising and there is pressure on resources. If we can produce an energy form from waste then this surely must be a good thing and be no more controversial than how we use oil or gas.

It is a strategy for the future and one we should be proud of. Doing nothing is not an option.

09-05 03:36

This joint initiative between the council and the police will help keep the younger generation safe over the long break by providing them with information about a range of positive activities that they can engage in via text message. I am confident this initiative will help children to have both a safe and an entertaining summer holiday. The students were also an absolute credit to the school

09-05 03:36

As a county we made the ambitious yet achievable pledge to increase recycling to over 40% by 2008 / 09 and with this level of commitment from communities and district and borough councils we are easily on course to achieve this. Therefore I want to use this opportunity to say thank-you to all residents who are making this lifestyle change and recognising the need to do more to protect our environment for future generations.

09-05 03:36

As an organisation we employ 38,000 staff within a multitude of disciplines that is constantly striving to deliver excellent services to the 1.3 million residents of Essex – how many private sectors organisations can say that? The challenge and rewards are clear to see and Essex County Council is at the very forefront of transforming modern service delivery and delivering real value for money at the same time. Essex as a county has a reputation for producing hardworking entrepreneurial people, which is one reason why, I’m sure, Sir Alan based his company here. We should not be ashamed of having ambition and wanting to be as good as the private sector at providing services and respecting our customers, and we should certainly not shy away from paying for good quality staff to do this for us. Essex County Council is as ambitious as any private company - I unashamedly want the best and brightest to come and work for us and will not apologise for that.

09-05 03:36

Today’s meeting also saw the appointment of a new Chairman of Essex County Council, Councillor Elizabeth Hart. The Chairman acts as the civic head of the organisation as well as representing our county. Elizabeth has been a passionate representative of Essex for a number of years, and I am sure she will do a wonderful job as Chairman. I would also like to thank our outgoing Chairman, Councillor Gerard McEwen, who has been a tremendous ambassador for Essex County Council over the past two years.

08-21 12:40

If the Competition Commission orders BAA to sell Stansted we believe that a change of ownership will make no difference to residents who still have to live with the possible destruction of their countryside and way of life.

We won’t be distracted by the issue of ownership and we will continue to make the case that building another runway in this rural location would be an environmental calamity.

08-05 17:21

Both The Olympic Games and The Paralympic Games are the forums where dreams are made and I hope that the hours of training, practising, and perfecting technique will pay off and these dreams will become a fantastic reality for our county’s men and women. I look forward to watching their progress and hope to welcome them back as medal winners and Olympic and Paralympic champions.” 

07-28 14:52

After three months of hearing evidence and deliberations, Sir David Rowlands, the former permanent secretary at the Department for Transport, eminent transport professor Stephen Glaister, transport academic Dr David Quarmby and former Roads Minister, Lord Whitty have put forward a series of recommendations. There are 28 in all and I won’t go into them all as the report can be easily found at www.essex.gov.uk/a12inquiry however, the key ones are that the A12 is upgraded to a modern dual lane standard and that a wide range of short term measures are introduced to improve safety and reduce driver stress.

It is a very comprehensive report running to 45 pages with many annexes of research. Several of the recommendations relate to ECC and what we can do to help get the A12 moving in cooperation with others, such as the idea of forming an “A12 Alliance.” That is certainly something we will be looking at very closely as we consider the report over the summer and decide what we can practically do to deliver the recommendations. It is also of course puts the onus on the government and Highways Agency to rethink their future strategy and funding for this crucial artery. However, I do think that today’s recommendations now provide us with a very comprehensive way forward for the A12 which after decades of neglect we finally have a chance to improve.

07-12 10:02

Today I'm heading to the east of the county and visiting the Tendring Hundred Show. I will be there to celebrate the launch of Essex County Council’s pledge to plant 250,000 additional trees in Essex. I hope that planting trees across the region will have multiple benefits for the county – including new, protected woodland and areas for walking, rest and relaxation. The Council will be represented at the show so do come along and visit our marquee. It is always a pleasure to meet Essex residents and hear what you think makes Essex such a great place to live.

07-10 16:06

This joint initiative between the council and the police will help keep the younger generation safe over the long break by providing them with information about a range of positive activities that they can engage in via text message. I am confident this initiative will help children to have both a safe and an entertaining summer holiday. The students were also an absolute credit to the school

07-03 11:11

As a county we made the ambitious yet achievable pledge to increase recycling to over 40% by 2008 / 09 and with this level of commitment from communities and district and borough councils we are easily on course to achieve this. Therefore I want to use this opportunity to say thank-you to all residents who are making this lifestyle change and recognising the need to do more to protect our environment for future generations.

06-10 15:47

As an organisation we employ 38,000 staff within a multitude of disciplines that is constantly striving to deliver excellent services to the 1.3 million residents of Essex – how many private sectors organisations can say that? The challenge and rewards are clear to see and Essex County Council is at the very forefront of transforming modern service delivery and delivering real value for money at the same time. Essex as a county has a reputation for producing hardworking entrepreneurial people, which is one reason why, I’m sure, Sir Alan based his company here. We should not be ashamed of having ambition and wanting to be as good as the private sector at providing services and respecting our customers, and we should certainly not shy away from paying for good quality staff to do this for us. Essex County Council is as ambitious as any private company - I unashamedly want the best and brightest to come and work for us and will not apologise for that.

05-07 09:12

Today’s meeting also saw the appointment of a new Chairman of Essex County Council, Councillor Elizabeth Hart. The Chairman acts as the civic head of the organisation as well as representing our county. Elizabeth has been a passionate representative of Essex for a number of years, and I am sure she will do a wonderful job as Chairman. I would also like to thank our outgoing Chairman, Councillor Gerard McEwen, who has been a tremendous ambassador for Essex County Council over the past two years.

04-10 15:41

I use the road myself and have grown increasingly frustrated along with thousands of road users at our government's apparent unwillingness to do what is necessary to sort out the problems of this major road. Our launch received a lot of interest in the national media and commentators have praised our efforts but now I want to turn that interest into action and with Sir David's help to find long term solutions to the problems facing the A12.

02-12 13:40

I will make sure that resources within the Council will be focused on making a real difference through the EssexWorks programme, and providing value for money will have even more emphasis than it does now. The things closest to your hearts will become our priorities.

Our nine pledges are centred around Our People, Our Economy and Our World. 

·         Support young people in Essex to fulfil their sporting potential

·         Increase by ten fold the number of ASC users who, through personal budgets, have greater choice and control over their care

·         Introduce radical initiatives to ensure diverse, high-quality secondary schools in every area of the county

·         Deliver 12 congestion-busting schemes across the county

·         Keep next year’s Council Tax increase below the level of inflation

·         Promote Essex’s ‘Year of Culture’ to increase tourism and inward investment

·         Make Essex the safest place to live in England within five years

·         Increase recycling of waste to more than 40% in 2008 in partnership with the Districts

·         Plant an additional 250,000 trees to support the ecology of Essex

01-29 11:20

And ECC will be putting the proceeds of the sale to good use. Last year, one young driver a month lost their life on Essex roads as a result of their own actions. Consequently we are putting more effort than ever before in ensuring a young person passing his or her driving test leads to an increase in their personal freedom and not a drop in his of her life expectancy. The money raised from the sale will go to the education and training of young drivers. Hundreds of young and recently passed drivers will be given help to take the Pass Plus test, which gives advanced training in driving techniques. The test, designed by the Driver Standards Agency, gives youngsters knowledge of how to drive on motorways and in poor weather conditions, all thanks to 'F1'.

12-20 12:27

It is clear to me that they had no intention of listening to what residents, and indeed their customers, really wanted. Indeed having looked at the Post Office Ltd decision announcements for the four areas nationally that so far have been reported, in each case, Post Office Ltd decided not to close 2 or 3 sub-post offices. This looks rather suspiciously as though someone made a decision at the beginning of the process that they would give in on two or three in order to give the appearance of listening to respondents. That aside, six weeks was not nearly enough time to fully appreciate the impact these closures will have and Post Office Ltd have given insufficient justification for ignoring information provided to them during the consultation. Now we are meant to believe that they will actually listen during the consultation on the two new post offices that are under threat of closure. It really is a joke. It is a real betrayal of the residents who have made their views very clearly known through a variety methods and petitions; just to ignore this is a blatant disregard of the consultation process. We will continue to fight these closures using every avenue and opportunity we have in the remaining weeks that we have left until they start closing.

12-17 10:14

It is worth of course emphasising that no official announcement has been made from either BAA or the government as yet. However it does increasingly look as if a second runway is now more unlikely to happen. If this is the case then it is beginning to look like the government’s plans around Stansted were effectively designed all along to simply divert attention and opposition away from Heathrow until it was able to put together a fully worked-up case for the west London option. Indeed when one considers that the economic justification and support from the big airlines for a second Stansted runway were both virtually non-existent, this argument begins to look more credible. If so, this of course raises a very serious issue regarding the blight, anxiety and worry that people have already had to put up with around Stansted. Indeed, the Stop Stansted Campaign estimates that 400 people have left the area because of fears over a second runway. The government would therefore have some very serious questions that it would need to answer on this front. And of course we must not for one moment lose sight of the many thousands of people who will be adversely affected with the plans for a third runway at Heathrow.   

12-17 10:14

I am committed to fighting the proposed changes, and is why I launched our campaign at the Houses of Parliament to get our message across and highlight our stance on the matter. Our aims are twofold: we are asking the Post Office for a full review of its policy on closures, and are pressing for more time and space to consider the proposal: six weeks is woefully inadequate for such a major change. We have organised a petition, which I would encourage all to put their names to before our deadline of Monday 12^th November. You can access details of this from our home page. Additionally, we are pioneering the use of the Facebook networking site as part of our campaign: people assume that the issue is one for older residents only, so we are hoping the campaign will encourage the more  IT savvy (both young and old!) to get involved.  If this is proves a success, we aim to use the technology more frequently in the future to better communicate with our citizens. I do hope you, as Essex residents, will join us and show your support. 

12-17 10:14

I know myself that when such incidents occur it is difficult and frustrating to imagine why it takes so long to clear but in this case I can assure you that the emergency services were dealing with hugely challenging circumstances. It is only right that the safety of the public is the highest priority of the emergency services. I can however confirm that a thorough investigation will be conducted into the incident. This will allow us to put in place any measures necessary to return the transport network to normal as quickly and safely as possible following any similar incidents in the future.

12-17 10:14

However, such are the vagaries of the local government system in this country; we have different tiers each doing different things. For example, the district or lower level will take away your rubbish but it’s for the county or upper level to actually dispose of it. Again, the district with sort out accommodation and housing for the elderly but it’s for the county to actually provide the care services to look after them. And I could go on. We are left therefore with a system that makes no sense at all and which, in some places, duplicates each others work and costs more to run. Therefore, what we announced on Monday is actually the first time such a ‘vertical’ tie-up has ever been attempted in the UK. It goes to underline my determination to do everything we possibly can to get better value for money whilst improving the quality of our services we can offer. No longer can local services be delivered by separate organisations with silo mentalities. Therefore over time as the benefits of this new approach are felt, we will be able to deliver a much more joined-up and seamless service with hopefully one single point of contact for all local needs. The savings that will result from this partnership will then be able to be ploughed back into front line services whilst also helping to reduce the overall council tax burden. So, believe it or not, Monday’s announcement was actually a fairly radical step-change in how local services are delivered.