Chris Black had an article in the Rayleigh Times last week. Whilst we don’t normally repeat these articles here, we’d like as much feedback as possible on this. Because we do want some ideas!
If anyone would like to share it with their friends via Facebook or post it on any local Facebook group pages, please go ahead.
“What?s YOUR 2020 vision for Rayleigh?
“What?s YOUR 2020 vision for Rayleigh?
I?ve got a question for you. What extra amenities and facilities would you like to see in Rayleigh? What do you want added to our town over the next few years ? say, by 2010?
But before I go any further, let?s look at some history…
A few years ago the district council had plans to allow 1800 extra homes in Rayleigh. The Liberal Democrats felt that we’d already had too much development here, and argued that it should be more evenly spread across the district. My colleague Ron Oatham came up with the slogan “Fair shares for all”…
Anyway we campaigned against the 1800 figure, and in the end we had quite a victory. The council settled on 550 homes on ‘land north of London Road” plus 220 homes on where the Rawreth Industrial Estate is now. That?s quite a reduction.
I’m pleased we ended up with a more balanced arrangement. Some housing is needed – if we have some decent new flats and affordable homes, that will make it easier for young adults who have grown up in Rayleigh to stay here. But there are still issues to worry about:
? The council needs to find new sites for the businesses on the industrial estate – they are talking about at the Fairglen Interchange (which I support) and near Swallows Nursery (which I don’t).
? Some housing will be on green fields, when much of it could have gone on ?brownfield? sites like an old nursery and garage on the A1245 instead .
? The surface water drainage risks need to be sorted out.
? We will actually get more housing than this (any housing at the eON site will be on top of the 550 ! )
? We need more amenities to go along with this increase in population.
Now, it’s on that last point I would like your input. What new amenities and facilities do you think we need in and around our town?
I?ll start off by saying that highways are an obvious issue; those extra houses will produce extra cars , especially when you think of the hundreds of houses also coming near Watery Lane ; the congestion along Rawreth Lane is a bad joke already for residents, and London Road is hardly any better. But don?t expect developers to pay for any major new roads. The best I think we can hope for is a new bus-only connection between Rawreth Lane and London Road. This would allow a circular bus route going Rayleigh High Street ? Station- Down Hall Road ? Hullbridge Road ? Rawreth Lane- Asda ? new housing ? London Road ? Station ? High Street.
The next issue is education ?though I?m fairly confident that the County Council will make sure there are enough primary school places available. For one thing, St Nicholas School in Priory Chase was designed with room to expand.
Then there?s health care. Do we need new medical facilities? Where should they go? It seems to me that although the new housing is on the western edge of Rayleigh, we should still keep most medical facilities in the town centre.
And there?s leisure. This is the one with the widest range of answers. We?ll probably get some kind of open space with the new housing ? but what do you think should be in that open space? More tree planting? Another skateboarding area? A teen shelter? Landscaping and flowers? Or do you think we should be trying to get more facilities in the town centre? Hockley has bowling, Canvey has a cinema, Rochford has roller skating ? what should we trying to get in Rayleigh ?
These things aren?t easy to achieve. Councils are strapped for cash and most of the time we are fighting to retain things instead of getting new ones. But we can always try to encourage the private sector to provide leisure amenities.
I seem to spend a lot of time trying to get potholes fixed, and that?s an important thing to do ? residents are rightly fed up with the state of our roads. But sometimes we all have to look ahead to our town?s future.
I?d really like to hear from you ? whether you are 80 years old and remember Rayleigh before WW2, or are 10 years old and don?t think there?s good places to play near your home. Or if you are a professional in medicine or education and want to express your views off-the-record . Or if you simply live in Rayleigh and there?s one extra facility you?d really like us to have by 2020.
We probably won?t manage to get what you what ? local politics is a frustrating business – but sometimes we need to try.
Please write to me at 56 Love Lane, Rayleigh, Essex SS6 7DX or email me at cllrchrisblack@gmail.com !” [or leave a comment here]
? Some housing will be on green fields, when much of it could have gone on ?brownfield? sites like an old nursery and garage on the A1245 instead .
? The surface water drainage risks need to be sorted out.
? We will actually get more housing than this (any housing at the eON site will be on top of the 550 ! )
? We need more amenities to go along with this increase in population.
How about extra NHS dentists?
NHS stats show once again that the Rayleigh/Rochford area has the lowest pro-rata NHS dental provision in South Essex. The PCT is currently seeking to allocate extra capacity.
They are using a tiered approach. The most deprived area gets first option – that’s Southend. The area with the best existing NHS dental provision, gets second chance – that’s er, ‘mm, Southend. The area with the worst existing provision, that’s us, gets last chance if any capacity left. So the best get better and the worst can only hope.
This is not new, and I’ve raised it before, but no one seems willing to fight the PCT. What chance a better future?
My son has 5 friends round today and I have just asked them and they all come back with the same answer a swimming pool that is easy to get to… Where I live there is all housing and no actual parks within a reasonable distance for the kids to play in, therefore they end up playing outside and unfortunatley at times annoying the neighbours in school holidays and on rainy days a local swimming pool would be just the answer…
Its a shame Rayleigh leisure center never had one built, I know several people all of which have said that they would more likley to join if RLC had a swimming pool, although the one in clements hall is great it is a mission to get there if you do not own a car.
On another note there used to be a youth club run on a thursday’s by Grange Free Church this catered for children 7+ – 12 and then a later one for 12+, this is no longer run its a shame that no one could use a hall like the grange comunity center to run a youth club in this part of Rayleigh.
Along with this I think a small cinema in the town would be good and having a market on a Saturday morning would be good as I work during the week and never get chance to use the market on a Wednesday especially as this is a commuter town.
My parents struggle with the poor bus services provided on the number 25 route 2 an hour is not good especially when 1 gets cut out my parents are in there 70’s and having to stand at bus stops waiting for this bus is not good the route should be increased to 3 an hour.
People are continually having to travel into Southend Hospital to get there blood tests done as the clinic in Rayleigh is so busy, this is difficult as when your ill you dont want to travel to Southend hospital and when you dont own a car this is made even worse, there should be a medical center built in Rayleigh that could deal with all these minor things and take the pressure off of Southend Hospital this could also include a large NHS dentist.
As I get older unfortunatley the way things have been going the council will only do certain things because of cost restraints, this erks me some what, when I still see Mark Francoise MP (sorry not sure of the spelling) getting a first class ticket on the train and paid for taxis, I dont get this to travel to work.
The council sold off the council houses and never built anymore what happend to the money ? Although I am against building more homes it is needed, but these wont be built by the council this will be housing association and furthermore this probably wont go to many people in rayleigh who require the housing, if Rayleigh is to be bombarded with more housing the local people should have the first choice, the problem is local jobs pay so little and unfortunatley people cannot afford to buy these expensive builds even when these are done by housing associations.
Brian and Debbie, thanks for your comments, we are also getting them by email, facebook and letter post as well……
I can’t agree with Debbie more. It astounds me that Rayleigh Leisure Centre does not have a swimming pool. I and others have said this on these pages before so it is nothing new but is much needed! I don’t have kids but I would join the Leisure Centre if it had a pool, steam room and sauna. I find the gym quite intimidating and too small in the Rayleigh Leisure Centre and the classes don’t suit because I work full time in London with a minimum 2 hour commute each way. As Debbie rightly says (like it or not) Rayleigh is a commuter town so Leisure Facilities should account for this. Unlikely that the Council will oblige but even a privately owned Leisure Centre would be a plus – if it could get planning permission from the Council!
An all day Saturday Market is also a good idea, and would attract more shoppers to the high street, and hopefully some nicer shops!
More Dentists and GP’s also a great idea – trying to get an appointment that fits in
with commuting times is a nightmare!
This may be controversial but I think Rayleigh already caters very well for senior citizens but scores very badly with a lack of facilities, decent shops or activities for the young or the middle-aged like me! a lot more money would come into the town, instead of being spent elsewhere if the residents that commute to work for a living are considered more! It’s easier and more rewarding to go shopping or for a nice meal on the way home from work in the evenings i.e in London! Rayleigh continues to miss a trick by catering predominantly for the elderly – who may have less money to spend.