I attended the service at which the Reverend Paul Hinckley was appointed Team Vicar for Christ Church and with others welcomed him to Billericay. Coincidentally the Reverend Hinckley was Curate at St George's Church in Halifax, West Yorkshire before coming to Billericay, quite close to where I was born and spent my youth. Whilst recalling my youth I am reminded of the vicar at the church I used to attend, a middle-aged and sombre man, altogether different from Paul who is an enthusiastic, young looking 37 year old, keen to learn about Billericay and its people.
Paul trained as a Mechanical Engineer at Cranfield Institute of Technology and then found work first with the Dowty Group and then with the Rolls Royce Group. Although successful in his career he answered the call some 12 years ago and trained for ordination at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. He was and is supported by his family in his decision to work for God and has no doubts it is the right one for him.
Paul has a passion for British classic cars and is learning to drive a racing car, no doubt some of the young people at Christ Church will share his interests, unfortunately he will not be able to enjoy his other hobby - walking in the mountains and hills - there are none in Essex. At the moment he is busy settling in to his new parish, rather different from the one he left in Yorkshire, nevertheless I hope he will be happy here.
Concerned that the parking bays allocated to the disabled in the station car park were too narrow to allow easy access the Association contacted Great Eastern Railway (GER) requesting that the position of the parking bays be changed. As a result the two disabled parking bays are now wider and situated in the new car park area closer to the station. We are grateful to the Area Sales Manager of GER for his help and understanding in this matter.
We have received an enquiry from a lady living in Texas, USA (it is amazing where the newsletter is read) asking for information about her family, called Bray, who lived in "The Firs" approximately one mile from the station, possibly on Laindon Road. The family consisted of Mr Bray, who died 1943/44, Mrs Mary Sophia Bright Bray, who was our correspondent's Grandma's cousin and died in 1952 and three daughters one of which was an invalid. We think the house is on Laindon Road and is now called Brays. Can anyone help our lady from Texas to trace the history of the Bray family if so please contact Margaret Stansfield on 01277 623519 or write to 174 Perry Street, Billericay, CM12 0NX.
A Road Rep is required to deliver the newsletter to 23 houses in The Avenue. All enthusiastic volunteers should contact Brian Dick immediately on 01277 652686.
Planning Application No Bas/1324/98. - This application which seeks permission to change the use of Kitts' shop and timber yard to a hot food outlet was the subject of much discussion at the Billericay Area Committee on 11 March 1999. The layout plan submitted with the application indicates that the ground floor of the building would be used as a restaurant with the kitchens being located in the single storey section at the rear of the building. At the first floor level the front of the building would be a retail/foodhall section with additional restaurant accommodation to the rear. Extraction fans are to be situated on the rear elevation of the main building above the kitchen. The site has been the subject of many planning applications the first of which was approved in October 1956, subsequently, as a result of planning permission given by Basildon Council and by the Government Inspector on appeal, it has developed commercially and has extended into the "backlands area" at the rear much to the concern of some local residents.
When considering this or any other planning application it is advisable to refer to the Basildon District Local Plan for guidance to see which policies relate to the application. In this instance although the site lies within Billericay Town Centre it is outside the primary shopping frontage described by the Local Plan and consequently is subject to Policy BAS SH5. This policy states that changes of use from Class A1 (Shops) to Classes A2 (Financial and Professional) and A3 (Food and Drink) use are generally acceptable providing that the proposed use gives a service to visiting members of the public and contributes to the overall character, variety and activity of the Town Centre; additionally the proposed use should not be significantly detrimental to the amenities of adjacent occupiers by reason of noise, smell and fumes. Another relevant document, which is issued by the Government, is Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) Note 6 "Town Centres and Retail Development" and states that the diversity of uses in town centres makes an important contribution to their vitality and viability. It also states that whilst recognising and supporting the shopping function of the primary shopping area the local planning authority should encourage diversification of the town as a whole.
It is interesting to note that the latest retail survey carried out by the Council shows that "approximately 12% of the units in Billericay Town Centre are currently in A3 use as hot food takeaways, restaurants, snack bars and public houses. This represents 24 units out of a total of 200. In addition there are four outstanding planning applications for change of use to A3 use". I well remember the time when there was only one restaurant on the High Street.
The Manager of Environmental Services, Billericay Town Council and some local residents objected to the application whilst the Manager of Engineering and Highways and the Conservation Areas Advisory Panel voiced no objections.
I think members of the Area Committee were minded not to accept the application but discussions with senior officers of Basildon Council threw doubts into their deliberations and eventually they decided to seek further advice before reaching a conclusion. Perhaps the most significant fact to emerge from the discussions, which lasted well over an hour, was that even with the policies to guide them how difficult it was to reach a universally acceptable conclusion. It was suggested that the policy relating to the primary shopping frontage of the High Street should be amended to include all of the shops, this after the latest Basildon District Local Plan, adopted in March 1998, has only just been circulated - accompanied by amendments. I felt distinctly depressed when it was suggested that there should be a policy for the High Street alone which would control its future development - talk about inventing the wheel. For several years this Association, as a group and as individuals, has advocated the production of a development plan for the whole of Billericay and not just the High Street, this could have prevented the ad hoc and piecemeal development of the town which has taken place. Similarly the Association has spoken with officers of Basildon Council to determine whether or not a traffic plan exists which suggests solutions to the worsening traffic problems in the town. Granted this is not an easy task since there are outside influences over which the Council has no control, eg lack of funds, but it would appear that the last traffic study was completed in 1988, around the same time that the Residents' Association gathered information about the flow of traffic through Billericay, when it was said some of the roads in Billericay carried traffic above their designed capacity. There is much to be done but as usual where does one find the money to finance feasibility studies and who provides the bright ideas, in fact who takes the responsibility for starting the project?
The Crunch will be visiting the following locations between the hours of 9.00am and 12.00 noon :-
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Ramsden Bellhouse Village Hall |
22 May |
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Little Burstead Car Park |
29 May |
24 July |
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Radford Crescent Car Park |
24 April |
26 June |
Bring along your garden refuse and general rubbish. Not suitable for oil, paint and other waste liquids, please speak to the driver about the disposal of these items. Telephone 01268 294949 for information regarding recycling and waste disposal facilities.
FRIDAY 23 APRIL - QUIZ NIGHT at 8.00pm in the Billericay Day Centre. Teams of 6/8. Bring your own drinks. Nibbles provided. Tickets £3.00. For further information ring 01277 623519.
For the fourth year running the Lions Club of Billericay will be staging their highly successful "Music From The Lake" outdoor concert at Lake Meadows Park, Billericay on 12 June.
The acclaimed Brentwood Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by David Pickthall, will be playing a selection of popular classics, culminating in a patriotic finale accompanied by a spectacular fireworks display. The compere will be Liz Mullen of BBC Radio Essex.
This year's sponsors include Waitrose who opened a new store in Billericay in December. Store Manager Nick Sillitoe says "Waitrose prides itself in being part of the local community and I and all at Waitrose are delighted to be involved in this prestigious project which I am sure will be a night to remember".
All proceeds will go to local charities. Beneficiaries from previous years include St Johns Ambulance, St Luke's Hospice and Hamelin House.
Tickets will be on sale from April but why not put the date in your diary now and be sure not to miss it. For further information contact Richard Brown on 01277 631020
Billericay Choral Society, under the direction of David Taylor, will be performing a concert of light music with the Brentwood School Big Band including works by Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, and George and Ira Gershwin. The Concert will be held at Emmanuel Church, Billericay on Saturday 5 June at 7.45pm.
Tickets £6.00, concessions £5.00 are available from Storyteller Bookshop or members of the choir or telephone Ms Patricia Parkin on 01277 653338.
The Society meets once a month on Friday, usually the second Friday, at 8.00pm in The Fold, 72 Laindon Road, Billericay. The next meeting on Friday 9 April will be an evening of operatic music when the theme will be "Revenge".
The following month on Friday 14 May the programme for the evening will be:- Brandenburg Concerto No 3 by Bach and the Cello Concerto & Enigma Variations by Elgar.
New members and visitors are very welcome.
COACH TRIPS - TO BOOK PLEASE RING BILLERICAY 652686 - PAYMENT METHOD - by cheque made payable to BDRA and sent to 4 St Peters Walk, Billericay, CM12 0JU. NOTE: receipts are not issued for cheques. Children's rate normally applies to those under 16 years. Where applicable tickets will be issued as you board the coach and there is NO SMOKING on board.
STANDBY LISTS ARE KEPT FOR ALL TRIPS WHICH ARE FULL.
DEPARTURE POINTS FOR ALL TRIPS: - GG - Gooseberry Green, bus stop on roundabout. OA - Orchard Avenue, approaching Stock Road. LR - Laindon Road, bus stop near Sun Corner. SG - South Green, bus stop to Wickford, opposite The Plough.
EASTER SATURDAY MATINEE 3 APRIL - OKLAHOMA, LYCEUM THEATRE. FULL. 2.30pm performance. Depart GG 11.30am, OA 11.35am, LR 11.40am, SG 11.45am. Time for a meal after the show. Back in Billericay about 8.30pm.
SATURDAY 17 APRIL - PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA, FESTIVAL HALL. 7.30pm. Christian Thielemann conducts Brahms Piano Concerto No1 (soloist Andreas Haefliger) and Schumann Symphony No 4. Cost £9.00. Depart GG 5.00pm, OA 5.05pm, LR 5.10pm, SG 5.15pm. Back in Billericay about 11.30pm.
WEDNESDAY 28 APRIL - BLUEWATER SHOPPING CENTRE. Your chance to view Kent's answer to Lakeside - albeit with the same shops - 320 of them!! There are over 40 cafes, bars and restaurants, even a mutilplex cinema should the lure of the shops pall. Cost £4. Depart GG 9.00am, OA 9.05am, LR 9.10am, SG 9.15am. Back in Billericay about 6.00pm.
FRIDAY 7 MAY - THE 25th LIVING CRAFTS EXHIBITION - HATFIELD HOUSE. FULL - Second coach is now running. PLEASE PAY NOW. Inclusive cost - Adults £10, Children £7. Depart GG 9.00am, OA 9.05am, LR 9.10am, SG 9.15am. Back in Billericay about 6.30pm.
SATURDAY MATINEE 15 MAY - WEST SIDE STORY, PRINCE OF WALES THEATRE, 2.30pm performance. FULL. Depart GG 11.30am, OA 11.35am, LR 11.40am, SG 11.45am. Time for a meal afterwards. Back in Billericay about 8.30pm.
SATURDAY 29 MAY - MILDENHALL AIR SHOW. The largest air show in Europe, with more than six hours of flying. Inclusive cost Adults £9, Children £7. Previous traffic problems seem to have been sorted out so departure times are GG 8.00am, LR 8.05am, SG 8.10am and finally OA 8.15am. Back in Billericay about 8.00pm.
TUESDAY 15 JUNE - BLENHEIM PALACE. Nr Oxford. A guided tour round the Palace is available, visit the Pleasure Gardens complex, Park and Gardens plus other attractions. Inclusive cost - Adults £14, Seniors £13, Children 5-15 £11. Depart GG 9.00am, OA 9.05am, LR 9.10am, SG 9.15am. Back in Billericay about 7.30pm.
SUNDAY 27 JUNE - PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA, FESTIVAL HALL. 7.30pm performance. An all Beethoven programme, conducted by Kurt Sanderling - Piano Concerto No 5 "Emperor" (Soloist Alfred Brendel) and Symphony No 4. Inclusive cost £8. Depart GG 5.00pm, OA 5.05pm, LR 5.10pm, SG 5.15pm. Back in Billericay about 11.30pm.
THURSDAY 8 JULY - HAMPTON COURT FLOWER SHOW
SATURDAY 31 JULY - THE LAST ROYAL TOURNAMENT
SATURDAY 21 AUGUST & WEDNESDAY 15 SEPTEMBER - BUCKINGHAM PALACE
THE RESIDENT is published by Billericay District Residents'
Association Editor - Trevor Stansfield, 174 Perry Sreet, Billericay,
Essex CM12 0NX. Tel: 623519 E-mail:vice.chairman@bdra.org
Printed by New Realm Design, Fortune Works, Wash Road, Laindon,
Basildon, Essex
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