The Cabinet, Rawreth Parish And A Lonely Bus Stop

Rochford District’s Cabinet and Rawreth Parish Council both had meetings at 7:30 last Wednesday night.
There isn’t too much to report from the cabinet meeting. Lib Dem Chris Lumley observed it from the public seating. Echo journalist Geoff Percival was there as well – it will be interesting to see what he writes about.

Meanwhile Rawreth Parish had 5 members of the public along (including Chris Black) , and we were all allowed to ask questions and generally discuss things during the public session halfway through. We also got a hot drink and chocolate bourbon biscuits….

The two most important items discussed were the continuing smells from the sewage treatment site in Watery Lane and the loss of the 35 bus service.

Regarding the sewage problem , Parish Chairman Alistir Matthews said that the stuff on the trucks smelt appalingly – ‘like dead bodies’ – and although there were predictions that some of this stuff would be going to Tilbury in future, the Parish Council should be asking RDC to put things on the same footing as the Stambridge treatment works and get some consultants involved.

As for the 35 bus, Parish Clerk Hayley Bloomfield said that the County Council staff were still try to get a bus service along Rawreth Lane, there was no news yet. Wyvern Community Transport were being very helpful, and if residents wanted to become members of Wyvern, they could get an application form from her. It was clear that the situation was causing real distress for some residents, especially elderly ones.

Councillor Rita Coombs said that although there was no bus service, there was a new bus stop opposite Asda. On Monday morning she saw a guy waiting there, and she stopped to tell him that there were no buses. He told her that he’d heard that there was going to be a bus at 7:42, but as it was now 7:50 he would walk.

Also present was the Rector of Rawreth, Paul Trathen. He said that the ecclesiastical boundaries of Rawreth had been adjusted to include the Park School site, and so they would include the Wimpey homes in the new Parish Newsletter delivery. (we suspect that any volunteers to deliver it in Priory Chase and Temple Way would be welcomed!)

PS Do other parish or town councils provide biscuits and hot drinks for the public?