A lot of issues got discussed at last Tuesday’s West Area Committee meeting (though some were discussed only briefly).
We’ve mentioned on Onlinefocus before about how someone has posted complaints about Disraeli Road on the FixMyStreet website. However when Rayleigh resident Chris Stanley asked a question about this there was some scratching of heads from people who had clearly never heard of Disraeli Road or FixMyStreet. However Conservative District Councillor David Merrick (who is the District Councillor for that road) said he was aware of the issues – they are difficult to solve because it is a private road.
Chris Stanley also raised the issue of vehicles being parked in lay-bys on the A1245 and used as mobile advertising hoardings ( or not so mobile – he reminded councillors that one truck had been there for six months, the wheels had sunk into the tarmac. ) Independent Rawreth Parish Councillor Lyn Hopkins then mentioned the big trailer now perched on the edge of the Fairglen Roundabout that was a dangerous distraction. (We don’t need anything else that could possibly cause accidents at that roundabout!) Shaun Scrutton responded by saying that “The Council is taking action against unauthorised adverts across the district and we will look at this”.
Inspector Andy Parkman was at the meeting. It’s apparent that the police now recognise there’s an anti-social behaviour problem in the vicinity of Sweyne Park. There’s a lot of discussion between various local bodies on this and one approach is going to be to find some things to distract certain persons away from the current behaviour. Chris Black made some enquiries after the meeting and it seems that one part of this is going to be a teen shelter to be put into Sweyne Park for a trial period of six months. There’s no decision taken about it’s location yet.
Jackie Dillnutt asked for an explanation of what crimes were covered by the term ‘wounding’ , bearing in mind that there’s about one per month in her ward of Sweyne Park. The answer is that wounding doesn’t have to involve a knife, it covers various serious types of assault.
We had a presentation from John Gilham , the Chief Executive of the Southend Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. We heard lots of interesting stuff, especially about the hospital’s new robot in the pharmacy. (it shifts along the aisles retrieving the drugs for each patient). Ron Oatham asked how much of the hospital’s income comes from car parking, and new Conservative Rayleigh Town Councillor Ian Page asked about catering.
We finished up discussing a number of highways issues. Our Lib Dem colleague Chris Lumley was rightly concerned about the emergency access from the Approach into Swallow Close– to provide an emergency access for over 300 houses. It’s generally agreed that yellow lines are needed to stop parked cars blocking it, but the County Council wants this handled through the ‘localism’ budget which means that 1) it will take longer to achieve and 2) instead of the County Council paying for what seems to have been a mistake at the planning stage, it will have to come from this localism budget , stopping another worthwhile scheme from being done.
Finally Ron Oatham raised the issue of the Downhall Park Way / Rawreth Lane pedestrian crossing that would already be installed if the County Council hadn’t forgotten about it and had had to give the money back to the developer. There’s no signs of anything happening soon. Chris Black pressed home the point that there was a cabling fault delaying vehicles coming out of Downhall Park Way and that this needed to be fixed soon as impatient drivers were now starting to go through red lights! Shaun Scrutton promised to take this up with County Highways himself.
A Teen Shelter in Sweyne Park?
My view is that these are expensive (how much do they cost? seem to remember one in King Georges costing a bomb!), there is no supervision and it will just attract more youths to this one area.
A shelter just encourages the unorganised gathering of often unruly youths.
NO TO A TEEN SHELTER IN SWEYNE PARK – I read with horror and disbelief the latest scheme to put a Teen Shelter in the park. Over the years this corner of Rayleigh had become the dumping ground for any idea that RDC comes up with, witness the Playground, Kick Wall & Skateboard Park each bringing a marked increase in anti-social behaviour.
It’s no good saying that the Police and RDC are aware of the problems – believe me – so are the long suffering residents. The money should be spent on more policing, not another scheme to attract even more youths hell bent on causing problems ( it’s also a fact that these kids travel from outside the area to make trouble – such is the power of the mobile phone and social internet sites ).
I urge every sane person in the area to oppose this madcap scheme before it get installed and don’t believe for one minute the temp 6 months strap line – once it’s in it’s in for good.
Chris and your fellow councillors – will you please support us in this fight as you are well aware of the situation and the problems that we have encountered from these youths over many years.
And in reply to those people who may be tempted to support this, by all means lobby for the shelter, AS LONG AS IT’S RIGHT OUTSIDE YOUR HOME – NOT OURS.
Well said Rayleigh Resident!
The “Teen Shelters” that I have seen just look like your average bus stop shelter or smokers shelter so I can’t see what “Teen Shelters” are supposed to achieve apart from encouraging kids to congregate out of the rain – still with nothing to do!
NO to a “Teen Shelter” in Sweyne Park. The Police & Council should be encouraging the kids to do something constructive or disperse NOT to congregate and cause havoc!
How is a “Teen Shelter” going to “distract certain persons away from the area”?
Suggest the Council takes a look at the “Teen Cafe” held at Great Wakering Primary School were Teenagers are actively encouraged to get involved with activities to assist the community and enjoy themselves by having a youth club 2/3 times per week. The Teenagers who volunteer at this club also work towards their Duke of Edinburgh awards giving them something positive to work towards and also something to show future employers.
I agree with the above comments – NO – to a teen shelter in Sweyne Park, it will just encourage youths to congregate where they are already causing problems.
No to a teen shelter!, this is not going to solve the problem its just going to move the problem to a different area of the park, the same problems will still happen!
RDC should think long and hard before wasting tax payers money on this.
I grew up in Rayleigh in the Sweyne Park Ward 15 years ago, I would of been one of the Kids hanging around, the problem is Rayleigh has no facilities for Young people in the area.
I think a youth club would be a really good idea, the Grange Community Church used to run on a Thursday every week of the year, it was really good, we got to do all sort of different things, even got taken out by the volunteers to places like Thundersly woods, swimming at Riverside in Canvey, we even got taken camping in the summer.
It didnt cost my parents a lot money apart from doing the camping and even then it was a minimal amount.
The kids that hang about are bored and they want to spent time with there mates they dont want to be stuck indoors with mum and dad, the problem starts when you get lots of bored kids hanging about together!
I know that Fitzwymarc School has a youth club but thats too far for the kids to travel too form the Sweyne Park Area.
In certain areas there is a curfew on children without adult supervision after 8pm. It would be a really bad state of affairs if this had to happen in Rayleigh.
I think the council should consider opening up a youth club and asking volunteers to help run it, I certainally would consider helping.
From the state of the Cloverleaf playground, I would imagine the introduction of a youth shelter wouldn’t bring any more trouble makers into the area, they already congregate in the playground of an evening.
Having said that, Lake Meadows in Billericay has a youth shelter next to their skate park. It didn’t stop the newly built climbing frame being torched on a number of occasions, and when I last visited for the Firework display, the climbing frame had been removed completely.
The teen cafe sounds like a good idea, interesting to hear it has been trialled successfully elsewhere. Not sure where it should be held though. How can we get feedback for local teens, to gauge if it would be any good in Rayleigh?
It would also help to get some pro-active policing in the area. Perhaps the following Echo item could show a move in the right direction:
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/4764949.Police_officers_for_Rayleigh/
Some of the comments attached to the article are quite interesting, particularly the one questioning the statistics.
As far as the three of us are concerned, we don’t accept any kind of ‘done deal’ on this.
The three of us agree that location is blooming critical for these things. The one in Kings Georges Field seems to have definitely worked in reducing youth nuisance – try asking some of the Conservative Town Councillors. And if it works there, we would be negligent as councillors if we rejected this idea out of hand without discussing it in depth with residents , council officers and perhaps the people who might use it.
Its’ a big park. If we found the right location – away from houses, but properly-lit, it might distract young people away from anti-social behaviour and improve people’s lives as a result. Or it might not – there’s no certainty of it being ‘adopted’ by local youths. That’s why a temporary shelter is a much better approach than a permanent one.
We will each be thinking about this VERY carefully before coming to a view. Keep faith with us on this for a bit longer….
As for teen cafes etc , interesting idea. And if anyone has any time to volunteer, they could always contact the Warehouse Centre in Brook Road…..
Related to Sweyne Park, but not directly to the teen shelter issue is there any chance that lighting could be introduced along the bridleway between Priory Chase and Victoria Avenue?
I regularly walk this path after dark and see many commuters and people in Asda uniforms use it, along with cyclists, and feel this is an accident waiting to happen.
Being the parent of a teenage daughter and another one leaving primary school shortly, I feel that some sort of organised youth club or activities would be a good option. There is nothing at all for teenagers to do, even at our local Leisure Centre, unless they have lots of money. Most activities there are geared for younger children or over 18’s – nothing for those in the middle!!
Incidentally, I am aware that some staff working late shifts at Asda are facing intimidation from youths who are gathering in THEIR smoking shelter. In fact some staff feel anxious on leaving their work and are having to ask to be escorted to their cars by other colleagues.
Sean, I agree it would be helpful if this path were lit. I do not use this bridleway after dark because I think it is too dangerous for a lone female to use.
Having it lit may also discourage some of the anti-social behaviour we have seen in Priory Chase as this is the culprits escape route where they can just disappear into the dark.
I think the Teen Cafe at Wakering Primary School has been a documented success – I’ve certainly seen good press in the Echo about it.
The local Teenagers themselves are the main volunteers at the youth club and virtually run the Cafe – this is how they get the Duke of Edinburgh Award credit – I think it is run three evenings per week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday.)
St Nicholas Primary school is probably a reasonable venue for a “Teen Cafe” for local young members if it were run on a similar model and supervised as successfully and as trouble free as the Great Wakering example?
I do not agree with St Nicholas Primary school being such a venue. There are already to many kids who loiter at the round about at all hours. Then within view of this is the skate park with too many turning up in cars and parking along Priory Chase and not the Leisure Centre car park. Then the new field that I guarantee will attract loads of youths into the night next summer!
Give this end of Priory Chase a rest please.
An article on the Teen Cafe appeared in the Echo today:
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/4776979.Rochford_chairman_visits_thriving_teen_cafe/
The Teen Cafe at Wakering Primary School is on the High Street. This doesn’t compare to St Nicholas Primary School which is in a quiet residential area. Great idea but new location needed.
David, on reflection I think that you are probably right about St Nicholas Primary not being the ideal location for a Teen Cafe type youth club serving the whole of Rayleigh.
I’m sure there are other suitable sites in Rayleigh but the general idea is to make such a facility easily accessible by the teenagers and youngsters of the local community.
I know of a young person who volunteers at the Wakering “Teen Cafe” and also lives a few doors away from Wakering Primary School. I have been told that there is no increased traffic in the Wakering area as the vast majority of the kids live in Great Wakering and walk to the club. There has also been a decrease in anti-social behaviour locally because its gives the kids something to do and increases their sense of civic pride.
A Teen Shelter in Sweyne Park would achieve precisely nothing!
As the Echo recently reported above (thanks ST1) “the project has been supported by Rochford District Council, Great Wakering Parish Council, Rochford Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, the Great Wakering Primary School children’s centre and the national youth volunteering programme”
Maybe these organisations could advise the local Parish and Town Councils?
How about Rayleigh Fire Station for a Teen cafe. A reasonable size indoor space and a large open yard for volley ball or summer outdoor activity.
Greenbelt – seems a very good idea to me, though I suspect the Fire Authority will want to sell the land for housing!
Admin, we will never know unless someone in authority makes enquiries. Any suggestions?
NO TO A TEEN SHELTER: So: Cllr Stephen Castle, the local member who chaired the consultation meeting said: “This makes it clear that the County Council does listen to the views of local people in making these decisions.”
If this is true then the Teen Shelter will not be installed…although I very much doubt it. This will follow on from the Kick Wall – the objections were ignored, particularly about the potential for grafitti – since then it’s become a complete eyesore with no effort to keep it clean. I don’t hear much now from the people who supported it ( including the people who run this web site )
Some Teen Shelters in the District work well but there have been problems in Hawkwell. From my web site http://www.girltalk.pcs-net.com/rol/community-shelter-vandalised/ There have been subsequent incidents.
We’ve been advised that the temporary shelter the district council is proposing does NOT require planning permission. (Not because it’s temporary, but because of its limited size and because it’s being installed by a local authority).
At the moment we are waiting for more information from the district council about what they are proposing – including location, and when we have more info we will be sending out our own letter to a sizeable number of homes to get people’s opinions.
NO TO A TEEN SHELTER: I urge everybody that objects to this scheme to make sure they respond to the letter from Chris and his colleagues. Have no fear, if this is installed it will never be removed and the lives of the people who live around the area will be blighted for ever.
For your info here is some of the text taken from the link provided by Mr Mason:
VANDALS left a trail of destruction when they destroyed an £11,000 community shelter opened just six months ago.
The roof of the shelter, in the Clements Hall Recreation Ground, Hawkwell, has been badly damaged, along with much of the brickwork surrounding it.
Vic Leach, chairman of Hawkwell Parish Council, hit out at the destruction caused by the “mindless vandals”.
He said: “Part of the roof is ripped off and the bricks badly damaged. I would say it is damaged to the point of being dangerous.
“We put the shelter up for the benefit of the community and it is used a lot by dog walkers.
“We are incredibly disheartened the council tries to improve the community facilities, only to have it wrecked.”
NO TO THIS PROPOSAL !!!
Admin: Presumably there will be further discussion of this to a specific anddetailed proposal at the West Area Committee with WAC making a recommendation to the RDC Executive Board for decision?
The Hawkwell one was consulted upon by Hawkwell Parish Council using the parish newsletter, the Echo and other free papers. That is because Hawkwell Parish Council was raising the funding and managing the whole project.
There needs to be a consultation.
Regards to All, John
John I’d like to think so. However the proposal for a teen shelter wasn’t actually mentioned at the last meeting, hopefully it will be discussed at the next one.
Admin, this comment seems strange…
“We’ve been advised that the temporary shelter the district council is proposing does NOT require planning permission. (Not because it’s temporary, but because of its limited size and because it’s being installed by a local authority)”
Why then have both RDC and Essex CC wasted tax payers money sending individual letters and leaflets out regarding the planning permission being sought to extend the existing boundary fence in front of St Nicholas Primary School? Surely a fence enclosing the entrance to the school and therefore helping to prevent further vandalism is for the benefit of all and have absolutely zero detrimental impact on anybody! (other than wannabe vandals)
It seems to me that these local authorities just love wasting money on worthless consultations!
Good question – I think it’s probably because it’s long enough to require specific planning permission.