ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Annual General Meeting of the Billericay District Residents’ Association will be held on Friday 18 May at 8.00pm in the Canon Roche Hall, Laindon Road, Billericay. Whilst the business of the AGM will be conducted as normal it is intended that the evening will be more of a social event than in previous years, light refreshments will be served as usual.
Unfortunately this year our Treasurer of long standing, Allen Evans, intends to retire consequently we need someone to fill his shoes. Interested people who have experience of book-keeping and can manage the accounts of the Association to a standard sufficient to satisfy our auditors should send details of their experience and qualifications to the Secretary of the Association:-
Mrs M Dann
10 Cranmer Close
Billericay
CM12 0YQ
ROAD REPS REQUIRED
Attention please members living in BUSH HALL ROAD and CRAWFORD CLOSE. After 40 years of helping this Association and its predecessors your road rep., Gordon Moore, is finally hanging up his walking boots. Thank you very much indeed Gordon for all your help over this period, which has been greatly appreciated. As you must be very nice people who live in these roads, hopefully we will be able to find a successor to take over the 71 houses to which Gordon currently delivers.
Also we need a volunteer to deliver to 37 houses in LINDA GARDENS and CHERRY GARDENS.
Interested - please ring John Adkins on 01277 624298.
Many thanks to the people who offered their services in response to last months appeal. The fact that there are so many prepared to help us is very reassuring.
MORE DONATIONS
Unfortunately it was not possible
to include the following in the list of donors to the Christmas Light
Project in the last issue of the newsletter. I trust they will find
this belated acknowledgement acceptable :-
|
C B & C J M Clarke |
Inner Wheel Club of Billericay |
My thanks also to the people who wrote and made individual donations
WAITROSE CAR PARK
We have received complaints from
our members concerning the congestion which occurs at the entrance to
the Waitrose car park and consequently have written to Basildon
District Council seeking their help to solve the problem. Reproduced
below is their reply to our letter:-
"The problem of congestion at the car park entrance has been discussed with Waitrose and it has been suggested that an additional entrance barrier is provided dedicated to traffic from the High Street. Waitrose who are the site owners have declined to provide this facility and as it requires additional land from them it is not an issue the Council can pursue further. I note the suggestion to provide another entrance from Chapel Street and would offer the following comments.
I do not consider that the width of the pedestrian/cycle access from Chapel Street is sufficient to allow for a safe vehicle access at this point. I would appreciate that this was at one time a shared access but it was never particularly satisfactory. The reason for the congestion at the existing entry barrier is that the Waitrose car park is full and the barrier therefore does not open. Introduction of a new entry will not solve this problem and queueing could still occur in the busier length of Chapel Street which would be unacceptable.
I am aware of the observations on site by the attendant that problems only occur for short periods on one or two days a week although as Christmas approaches this may be more frequent. We have also resisted suggestions that a "no right turn" into the Waitrose car park should be introduced as this would encourage users from the High Street to queue around the mini roundabout and cause even worse problems for vehicles leaving the car park. I regret that we are unable to offer a solution to this problem but as you see from the above we are reliant on Waitrose to make improvements. I hope that this allows you to respond to your members."
The problem is not simply that the car park is full but that the cars trying to gain access from the High Street down Alma Link cannot do so because those vehicles queueing from Chapel Street to the car park entrance will not allow them. Hence vehicles cannot leave the car park. Seems to me a little consideration by car drivers wouldn’t come amiss but since this seems to be lacking how about denying access to the park from the High Street. Make Alma Link one way West bound and ensure that traffic can only turn left at the junction with the High Street. Sounds simple - there must be something wrong!!!!!!!!
HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE –
BASILDON DISTRICT
A short while ago, in the local
press, the Leader of Basildon Council was complaining about the
shortage of funds to enable the highways to be repaired. Since the
County Council provides the money for Basildon Council to repair the
roads the Association wrote to them to ascertain if indeed there was
insufficient money available to keep the roads in good repair. Their
reply is reproduced below:-
"As the Highway Authority, Essex County Council does allocate funding for highway maintenance to the District and Borough Councils in the County. For some time the County Council has been concerned that the financial allocation available from Central Government has been inadequate. Detailed bids for funding for maintenance, as with bids for funding for any other highway functions, are submitted to Central Government in July of each year as part of the Council’s Local Transport Policy submission. Allocations to individual Districts are made by the County Council after it receives the annual financial allocations from Central Government in mid-December.
A system of priorities is used to ensure that those defects that present the greatest risk to safety are dealt with most urgently. Basildon District Council, as agent for the Highway Authority, has Inspectors who examine the highway network, including footways, for defects. Any identified problems are then assessed and allocated to a priority category for treatment. The Council will always attempt to rectify Category 1 defects, which are those presenting the greatest hazard, within 24 hours. Inevitably, this means that the repair of many lesser defects has to be deferred as a result of inadequate funding. Indications are that the settlement for this year may be better than in previous recent years, particularly in respect of highway maintenance. While this will enable much needed additional repairs to be carried out, the poor condition of our highways and footpaths is very much the result of several years of underfunding by the Government. It will take several years of increased funding to outweigh ongoing deterioration and make significant inroads into restoring the network to a desirable standard." What else is there to say?
BILLERICAY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Larry Powles, Chairman, writes for The Resident.
Have you noticed that none of the supermarkets have any packets of runner beans in their frozen vegetable freezers? Plenty of those french beans in various forms but no good old scarlet runners. I suppose last year’s odd weather conditions were responsible.
The commercial seed growers must also have had a poor harvest. One popular seed catalogue is, this season, quoting a price of 6p to 7p per seed! If space in your garden is limited set some tall canes, tied at the top, to form a wigwam in a flower bed. Do not plant the seed yet but buy them now. They could be in short supply.
If you have a garden and the tools but have not managed to grow those chrysanthemums or dahlias with football sized flowers, then come to our next meeting at the Day Centre on Monday 19 March at 8.00pm when Alan Buller will demonstrate this skill. The following Saturday 24 March there will be a plant sale at the Reading Rooms. Come early for the best bargains. For more details ring 01277 651447.
ROTARY CLUB OF BILLERICAY – "HEART START" BREATH OF LIFE SKILLS.
Heart Attacks and Strokes are major health problems for today’s society. It is likely that, during a lifetime, everybody will be affected by an incident within their own circle of friends or family. WHAT HAPPENS IMMEDIATELY AFTER AN ATTACK CAN BE CRUCIAL. The Rotary Club of Billericay is promoting a campaign to increase public awareness concerning the causes and first aid treatment of heart attacks.
An introductory event which is supported by the Mayflower School, the British Heart Foundation and the Red Cross will be held in the Mayflower School at 7.30pm on Wednesday 21 March. Following this introduction it is planned to arrange short courses in resuscitation techniques and to raise funds for the purchase of defibrillators for use in the Billericay Area. It is hoped that this will appeal to all age groups and everyone is invited to join.
Admission is by free ticket which can be obtained from the Mayflower School, Stock Road, 01277 623171, or from Peter Murray Insurance, 98 High Street, 01277 630015.
SATURDAY 10 MARCH – 10.00am to 4.00pm – "CRAFT FAIR" at QUILTERS INFANT & JUNIOR SCHOOL, LAINDON ROAD presented by Quilters PTA. Lots of different crafts. Hot and cold refreshments will be available throughout the day. Admission 50p.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY 16/17 MARCH – 10.00am to 5.00pm - BUTTSBURY ART SOCIETY present an ART EXHIBITION at the FOLD, 72 Laindon Road, Billericay.
FRIDAY 16 MARCH – 7.30pm for 7.45pm start - Parents and Friends of Sunnymede Schools are holdiing a Leon Lewis Italian Cookery Demonstration and Buffet Meal at SUNNYMEDE JUNIOR SCHOOL, THE MEADOWAY, BILLERICAY. Admission £6.00 per ticket (bring your own drink). For additional information ring Jenny 01277 659337.
SATURDAY 24 MARCH at 7.30pm in the SHENFIELD HIGH SCHOOL, OLIVER ROAD, SHENFIELD. The Howard Wallace Chorale is presenting a concert entitled "Music from around the World" which will consist of songs and choral items evoking impressions of such places as France, Germany, America and the British Isles.
Tickets priced at £6.00 (children aged 14 and under £2.00) are available from Mrs E. Williams, 45 Ayr Way, Romford, Tel 01708 767961.
MONDAY 26 MARCH – 7.45pm. NORSEY WOOD SOCIETY. Illustrated talk by Mark Hanson in the DAY CENTRE entitled "The Natural History of Epping Forest" and the work of the Essex Field Club. All welcome, for further details ring 01277 653852.
SATURDAY 7 APRIL - BILLERICAY UNITED REFORM CHURCH – CHARITIES TABLE SALE in the MAYFLOWER HALL, CHAPEL STREET, BILLERICAY, from 9.00am to 1.30pm. Local and national charities will be selling goods to raise funds. An excellent opportunity to support the work of the charities present. Everyone welcome.
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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