JOB OPPORTUNITY: CLERK TO EPPING TOWN COUNCIL

Epping Town Council is currently advertising the vacancy of Town Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer.

The position requires a self-motivated person with experience of a local government (or similar) environment, and with proven financial, administrative and management skills. Preference will be given to applicants with CILCA or the Cert. H.E. (Local Policy).

Epping is a vibrant market town 16 miles to the north of London. The successful street market, allotments, cemetery, 2 public halls, a public toilet, 11 recreation grounds and engagement with nearly 70 local organisations ensure this Quality Council, and its 11 staff, is one of the most active in the West Essex area. You will manage a precept of £428,000 and expenditure of around £600,000.

Salary Scale 45 - 49 (£38,042 – £41,616), dependant on qualifications and experience. Applications are invited for the post of Town Clerk to Epping Town Council following the retirement of the current Clerk in January 2012. The closing date for applications is Monday 3rd October 2011. Please contact Bob Whittome for further information and an application pack on 01992 579444 or at rwhittome@eppingtowncouncil.gov.uk

WEST ESSEX POLICE CHIEF OUTLINES POLICE SERVICE REFORMS

Essex Police’s West Essex Division Commander, Chief Superintendent Simon Williams, is due to attend Epping Forest District Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on Tuesday 6th September at 7.30pm. The meeting will take place in the Council Chamber at the Civic Offices, High Street, Epping.

Committee Chairman Councillor Richard Bassett said: "Superintendent Williams will be giving a presentation to councillors about reforms to the police service in Essex. I would therefore encourage residents to become involved. If anyone has any queries on the future of operational policing in Essex, I would suggest they contact their local ward Councillor so that questions can be put to Superintendent Williams on their behalf. Should there be insufficient time to address all issues during the meeting, Councillors can follow up any outstanding queries at a later stage. I hope as many residents as possible will either attend or watch this meeting so that they are aware of what to expect from the police in the future during a time of having to find savings in the police service."

The presentation will set out the blueprint for Essex policing, including the Chief Constable's proposals for the future structure of policing in the county and how these will affect the Epping Forest district. Essex County Councillor Anthony Jackson will also be attending to express Essex County Council's views. Members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting. However, seating in the Council Chamber is limited.

The meeting will be webcast live and can be viewed on the council's website www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk

TALK ABOUT EPPING - THE TOWN’S OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER

For those of you who are not already aware, the ‘Talk About Epping’ magazine is Epping Town Council’s official quarterly community newsletter, packed full of information from the Council as well as dozens of local organisations.

The newsletter gets delivered to every house in the town, however, for those of you who have an interest and live slightly further afield, here is a quick and easy way to keep up-to-speed with events and news.

If you wish to have updates on a more regular basis, I would recommend visiting the Everything Epping Forest website, which is run by David Jackman. It’s a fantastic site which helps so many local people stay in touch with what is happening in their communities.

HOLLY HOUSE HOSPITAL – COMMUNITY OPEN DAY

Buckhurst Hill based Holly House Hospital has played host to a community open day today, giving local residents a rare opportunity to see behind the scenes of the private medical centre, including theatres, outpatient consulting rooms, diagnostic centre, day unit, decontamination department and physiotherapy unit. The event has taken place as the Hospital embarks upon a £21 million redevelopment and expansion project.

Visitors were able to take part in a variety of interactive games and activities for the whole family to enjoy, such as trying your hand at keyhole surgery, learning how to resuscitate somebody, taking on a fitness challenge, having your blood pressure and BMI checked, carrying out a laboratory test and so much more! Healthcare staff were available throughout the day to meet visitors, offer advice and answer any questions, including a former Paralympic gold medallist and physotherapist, providing tips on getting fit and preventing injuries.

One of the invited guests was Eleanor Laing MP who explained: “I was most impressed by the wide range of activities going on. It was a brilliant idea to involve local people in the work of the hospital and to use the occasion to educate us about many aspects of healthcare. I was pleased to have the opportunity to have my BMI checked, and relieved that it is okay! It was also good that people were learning how to give immediate first aid in the event of a heart attack – and children were learning to wash their hands properly – all very useful information.” Further information about a career in healthcare or to ask about any job vacancies or work experience opportunities are available from Holly House on 020 8936 1214 or e-mail at info@hollyhouse-hospital.co.uk

PICTURE CAPTION: Epping Forest MP Eleanor Laing pictured with hospital director Jackie Row, deputy director Matthew Hayday & Holly the Hippo.

CHANGE OF COUNCIL LEADERSHIP AT DISTRICT’S CIVIL OFFICES

Immediately following the district council elections last night, the controlling Conservative Group met to elect / re-elect their leadership team for a period of 1 municipal year. This meeting takes place in private and only elected Conservative Councillors on Epping Forest District Council are entitled to vote.

Sitting Leader of Council, Cllr. Di Collins, was proposed and seconded to remain as Leader and the post was contended by Chigwell Village Cllr. Lesley Wagland, the sitting Legal and Estates portfolio holder. Following a vote, Cllr. Mrs. Wagland won the contest with 20 votes to Cllr. Mrs Collins’s 16. Sitting Deputy Leader and Epping Councillor Chris Whitbread, who was proposed to remain in the post withdrew his candidacy following Cllr. Mrs. Collins’s defeat. Theydon Bois Councillor, John Philip, was proposed and elected to the post of Deputy Leader.

Di Collins has worked tirelessly to bring about improvements in Epping Forest and the legacy she will leave behind from her years as Leader will be the fact she has managed to win the battle to protect the district from mass development: housing, Gypsy and traveller pitches, North Weald airfield to name but a few. She has also fought the Government tooth and nail on the huge number of directives which have been issued by Whitehall and the Government Office for the East of England (GoEAST). Di has ensured that the Council is well capitalised and that it is providing the best possible value for money for local residents. It was always Di’s intention to step down as Leader and, indeed as a Councillor I believe, next year, so this opportunity will allow her a well-earned break.

As the new Leader, Lesley brings with her an incredible wealth of knowledge of working with central government departments to get results. She has significant experience in planning law which will prove invaluable to the district council and the many challenges they face from having such wonderful green belt land and the ancient forest which is forever under threat of development. She has a very analytical mind and an attention to detail that will put her in good stead for the mounds of paperwork which will shortly flow her way. I think she will make an excellent Leader and I wish her the very best of luck.

EPPING FOREST VOTES OVERWHELMINGLY "NO" TO AV

Residents in Epping Forest have joined the rest of the UK in voting overwhelmingly to reject changing the way MPs are elected to the House of Commons.

Nationally, 19.1m people voted in the referendum (41%), where in Epping Forest 36,773 (39%) of a possible 95,778 turned out to vote and the result locally was 77% (28,240) voted “No” and 23% (8,533) voted “Yes”. Voters in Epping Forest voted more strongly than the national results, which showed 32% voting “Yes” and 68% voting “No”.

The result was seen as a massive blow to the Liberal Democrat Party nationally. Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Lib Dems explained: “I wish I could say this was a photo finish but it isn’t; the result is very clear. I'm a passionate supporter of political reform but when the answer is as clear as this, you have got to accept it."

Epping Forest MP, Eleanor Laing, has welcomed the overwhelming “No” vote in the Alternative Vote referendum in Epping Forest. Mrs Laing said: "I'm particular pleased that the result in Epping Forest has been so overwhelming. We had a very respectable turnout in Epping Forest. I am not surprised at this because I know that large numbers of people do care about preserving our effective democratic system. I have campaigned and worked in Parliament against AV not just for the last few months but for many years so I am delighted that the people have spoken and that and the issue of changing our voting system is now dead for 20 years."

EPPING FOREST DISTRICT COUNCIL - TOWN ELECTION RESULTS

18 seats were up for election across the Epping Forest district on Thursday 5th May this year. In the two Epping seats, the following results were returned:

EPPING HEMNALL WARD
Ken Avey – Conservative – 951 votes (42% of the vote) *ELECTED*
Simon Hughes – Lib Dem – 821 votes (36% of the vote)
Simon Bullough – Labour – 231 votes (10% of the vote)
Andrew Smith – UKIP – 185 votes (8% of the vote)
Victoria Meier – Green – 83 votes (4% of the vote)

EPPING LINDSEY & THORNWOOD COMMON WARD
Sarah Packford – Conservative – 1047 votes (49% of the vote) *ELECTED*
Steven Harding – Labour – 430 votes (20% of the vote)
Lynn Highes – Liberal Democrat – 366 votes (17% of the vote)
Michael McGough – UKIP – 190 votes (9% of the vote)
John Hart – Green – 99 votes (5% of the vote)

To read the full results of the district’s elections, please click here.

I SHALL BE VOTING NO TO THE ALTERNATIVE VOTING SYSTEM

Although I have been unable to have been as visible on the campaign trail as I would like this year, many people have approached me to ask about the forthcoming "Alternative Vote" or "AV" Referendum which is due to take place on the same day as the local elections this year, on Thursday 5th May. It's very easy for me to respond with: "I shall be voting no to the introduction of an AV voting system", but explaining the reasons why are somewhat more complicated.

In essence, I wholeheartedly believe in a system which gives each and every person in the country one vote. In my opinion, that is clear, fair and provides the electorate with a simple result which they can trust. Under AV, the electorate have to rank candidates in order of preference and anyone getting more than 50% in the first round of counting is elected. If that doesn't happen, then candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and the second choices listed on those ballot papers are allocated to the remaining candidates. If no candidate at the second stage has a majority of votes, the next lowest candidate is eliminated and their votes are redistributed. The process continues until a winner is declared.

So what does this process mean in practice? It means that you end up with a Parliament full of candidates who are second or third or forth on the list people actually want to elect. That is so fundamentally wrong in my opinion. Worst still, it means the end to any form of a decisive government with a clear publicly endorsed mandate. At the last election, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats views were almost totally opposed, yet deals were done in a closed room by a handful of politicians to form a coalition agreement and a mandate for the government. That is not good for either parties, it's not good for democracy and it's certainly not good for the country!

It's all very well and good criticising the proposals, but what do I think could improve the current system. Well, I believe in a much more open way of selecting candidates, much like they do in the US, via open primaries. This process allows every member of the public, not just paying members of a political party, to engage in selecting parliamentary candidates. Public meetings, Q&A sessions, proper campaigns with each candidate on a level playing field. This is really democratic, open and transparent. One person and one vote. The Conservative Party used open primaries in many constituencies to select candidates before the last general election with great engagement and success.

It's very easy to think any change must be good, but the decision which you are empowered to influence on Thursday may have a profound and lasting effect on our country.
Please think carefully before casting your vote!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12467538
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAWmKgIOqv8&feature=player_embedded

HOW I WILL BE VOTING ON 5th MAY AND WHY

GET INVOLVED IN EPPING'S FAMILY FUN RUN - 10th JULY

This is certainly not the first time I have used this blog to support the fantastic work of the Rhys Daniels Trust; a charity which has very deep roots in our town. Once again, the Trust will host to an annual 5 mile family fun run, which will begin at Epping Sports Centre in Hemnall Street at 11am on Sunday 10th July, before following a well trodden route through the beautiful Epping Forest.

Last year, over 100 runners of all ages and all abilities took part in the run. Participants walked, jogged and ran, at their own pace. To enter, the charity has a £10 advance entry fee or a £15 entry fee on the day. All money raised with go towards the 'Home-from-Home' appeal. The Trust are not only looking for entrants for the race, but they are also looking for volunteers who are willing to act as marshals on the day. To contact the Trust, please click here. To add this event on Facebook, please click here. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on 10th July.

WHY I BELIEVE TODAY IS A GOOD DAY FOR POLITICS...!!

Well, the answer for me is actually two-fold. My day begun by hearing that the BNP in Epping Forest are unable to find a single candidate to stand for election this year. It was just 4 years ago that the BNP had 7 District Councillors and fielding candidates in Epping, Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois and Loughton. Now their support structure has come tumbling down around them and not a moment too soon in my opinion. For me, the BNPs "stronghold" in Epping Forest was absolute nonsense. The old socialist vote, coupled with apathetic voters who were frustrated with the government's inability to get a grasp on the country's immigration and asylum issues created a protest vote which very dangerously gave a racist party a form of credibility and a public platform. As a Councillor, I always wanted the residents who had voted for these BNP Councillors to come to Council meetings and witness first-hand how utterly atrocious they were at making any valid points at all on behalf of local residents. For me, the whole point of being a local Councillor is to try and make a difference and help local people with the issues they face. It was very clear the BNP Councillors had no such interest! I will never forget the BNP Group Leader, Pat Richardson denounced attacking a local Muslim's home by suggesting, "Firebombing is not a British method. A brick through the window is a British method, but firebombing is not a way of showing displeasure." Sometimes you actually don't need a picture to say a thousand words. Let's sincerely hope this is the end of the BNP in our community for good.

The second piece of news I enjoyed today was listening to the Prime Minister, David Cameron talk about the need for Council's to back-off and allow groups of residents to host street parties in celebration of the Royal Wedding should they wish to do so. He actually said: "These pen pushers and busybodies are completely wrong. They have no right to stop you from having a party. Let me put it like this: I am the Prime Minister and I am telling you if you want to have a street party, you go ahead and have one. To those councils that are asking small groups of neighbours for licences, insurance and other bureaucracy my message is clear: Don't interfere, don't get in the way and don't make problems where there are none. Let people get on and have fun. And my message to everyone who wants to have a street party is: I'm having one and I want you to go ahead and have one too. The truth is that this is a great chance for communities to come together and celebrate." That one speech is actually 100% David Cameron. That hasn't been penned by a staff of Prime Ministerial writers, that is David speaking from his heart and standing up for what he truly believes to be right and knowing that he hasn't been swallowed up by the system gives me hope that other great things can still come from the government.

His words actually have an enormous effect nationwide. Day in, day out, ideas for brilliant community events have to be shelved because of the legislative requirements associated with them. Health and safety laws really have caused this country more trouble than they were worth, in my opinion. In Epping, to erect our Christmas Lights in the High Street requires more documentation that most residents would believe. Something so simple, which is carried out by generous volunteers has become so onerous, costly and so tainted. Something which was so wonderful to be part of has really lost it's sparkle. If we can stand up with the support of the Prime Minister behind us, perhaps we can say "enough is enough". Who knows what we are capable of in the future. Perhaps some of that Great British spirit may well reappear!

SAD LOSS OF A TRUE FRIEND OF OUR TOWN - TED ELLIS

It was, with great sadness I received the news that long-standing Epping resident, Ted Ellis had died this week aged 82. Ted and his wonderful wife Mavis had lived in Egg Hall for over 40 years, relocating to Southampton only last year to be nearer to their children and grandchildren. Their departure left an enormous void in the exemplary way Epping’s voluntary community has operated for so long. It’s very difficult to talk about Ted without mentioning Mavis – as a couple, they were inseparable. Wherever one took the lead, the other was right behind them, which is precisely why in 2009 I had the honour of presenting them with a joint ‘Townsperson of the Year’ award, for services to the community.

Ted and Mavis had held some form of position in just about every organisation, charity and voluntary group Epping has seen! If it wasn’t the Cine and Video Club, it was the Epping Society, or the Cancer Research UK organisation, or organising forest walks, or planting new trees in the High Street or protecting the town’s historic character…the list goes on.

Despite the fact that both Ted and Mavis were in their 80s, they would regularly volunteer to deliver information leaflets or newsletters for local organisations or the Town Council, walking miles across the town. Every year, they would be the first to sign-up to put-up and take down the Christmas tree lights. For years the spent hours decorating carnival floats for the fireworks procession. Ted was a genuine gentleman, who had respect and kindness for everyone he came across. He was encouraging and generous and a shining example of what a “good Samaritan” should be.