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Planning and Development (Essex)

On 3 June, I formally objected to the location of a Sure Start centre at Jotmans hall school in Benfleet after residents told me of their anger at a hare-brained scheme being secretly pushed through and their disbelief at the failure of councillors to inform or consult them or to control properly the council's policies on such important matters, or even to be honest and transparent with them. I was not surprised, therefore, when I received a petition signed by many extremely decent people, each of whom care deeply about their community and environment and the safety of children at that school The petitioners are local residents who pay the council and councillors to protect them, not harm them. The petition states:"The Petition of John Hogarth, parents of Jotmans hall school, local residents and others,""Declares that the proposed development of a Sure Start centre at Jotmans hall school in Benfleet should be rejected because building the centre at that school would bring unacceptable problems including: compromising security for young children and the school buildings, including late at night and at weekends; destroying valuable green belt land and playing fields; wasting a vast amount of public money; increasing parking problems for school users and residents; and imposing highway safety dangers; further declares that the councils are pushing ahead with this plan because if they switch to other much more appropriate sites, they could lose their £500,000 budget for the project and that this demonstrates a cavalier approach by the councils to the management of public funds.""The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to encourage Essex county council and the Castle Point borough council to consider this objection and Petition and to reject the Jotmans hall site and to co-operate together in investigating more suitable sites, and to do this with public transparency and to undertake fully public consultation on any sites which are thought may be suitable.""And the Petitioners remain, etc."