Category: Local Politics
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Hostile Environment
It’s a Quintuple! The Gods have spoken. Communities Secretary Steve Reed came down from Mount Westminster this weekend and proclaimed that 15 councils in Essex will be abolished and replaced with five local authorities. I was surprised that UK Gov had not gone with the three unitary authority model proposed by Essex County Council, which…
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Urban Habitat: Burnham Library
The planned extension to the Burnham Library building is interesting. The planning documents reveal it will house a Family Hub Delivery site, relocating the existing Family service from a temporary building at Ormiston Rivers Academy to this central location. This is all to be applauded. The service deserves a permanent home and facilities. Co-locating it…
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Unfollowed
I’m concerned by groupthink and getting trapped in an intellectual bubble where my own opinions are reflected back to me. To counter that I read across the political spectrum, and on social media I follow people who have differing perspectives on the world. On Twitter this has always included people whose views I strongly disagree…
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The Lost Words
By national government edict the 15 councils in ‘Greater Essex’ must reorganise to form new unitary authorities through a process of Local Government Reorganisation. This will change the current two-level council system into one in which there are new, bigger councils called unitary councils. I’ve been reviewing the four competing proposals submitted by existing councils…
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You Say You Want a Devolution
The Greater Essex devolution consultation has begun, aiming to establish a Mayoral Combined County Authority for Essex, Thurrock, and Southend-on-Sea, with the first mayoral election in May 2026. Concerns arise regarding local governance changes and climate action commitments, highlighting uncertainty around the future of local development plans and authority structures in Essex.
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Weeknotes 02025 Q1 W7
The week involved discussions on community energy planning, tree initiatives, climate action, and local council activities, highlighting concerns about wind farm aesthetics and community benefits. Reflections included climate denial persistence and local governance challenges. Personal activities included flora donations and film reviews. Ideas on tactical ruralism were also explored creatively.
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Weeknotes 02025 Q1 W6
Essex County Council rejected the Burnham Library Orchard project, citing infrastructure concerns. DHBUG is exploring bus service improvements amidst threats of service cuts. Community transport initiatives and a recent transport strategy consultation highlight the need for better local transport support. Ongoing issues include funding challenges and election controversies in Burnham-on-Crouch.
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The Reformation
Thursday 5th December was the deadline for electors to request a ballot to fill the empty seats on Burnham-on-Crouch Town Council (BTC). I’ve seen a couple of people online saying they would be requesting one for the sake of democracy and to avoid the remaining councillors co-opting whoever they please. There’s still no news about…
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Off Target
On the 12th of November, I attended the Essex County Council Autumn Climate Summit ‘Enabling Net Zero New Homes in Essex’. I was excited that the Summit showed a level of ambition aligned with the gravity of the national net zero task and our international commitments. (You can watch a recording of the Summit here).…
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Read them and Understand them
There’s chaos in Burnham on Crouch Town Council (BTC). Seven councillors resigned last week (including the Mayor and Deputy Mayor), the Chief Officer has not been seen for months and rumour suggests that another of the small staff team has departed. The resignations are the latest incident in a low-intensity conflict between the resignees and…
Dengie Bioregion 