Archive
-
Date
Gloucester Park homes plan passed by Basildon Council
PLANS to build more than 500 homes in Gloucester Park, Basildon, have been passed by councillors. During a heated meeting at the Towngate Theatre, the authority's development control and traffic management committee passed the plans from developer
-
Date
My car was clamped because of unpaid £5
A YOUNG mum believes she has been unfairly hounded by bailiffs....for just £5. Unemployed Sharene Bentley, 25, was given a £35 parking ticket by Southend Council last November, which spiralled to £126 because she didn’t have the money to pay
-
Date
Controversial plans for Chalkwell flats reluctantly approved
COUNCILLORS said they had no option but to allow unpopular plans for a block of flats on the site of a house and GP surgery. The proposal to build nine flats at The Ridgeway, Chalkwell, have sparked 87 letters of objection from neighbours concerned
-
Date
Southend MP's appeal for new venues for surgeries
AN MP is looking for venues to host his out and about surgeries. On top of regular surgeries at his constituency office at Strand House in Southchurch Road, Rochford and Southend East Tory MP James Duddridge hosts them at various places in the constituency
-
Date
Southend Council's financial advice plan for elderly approved
PLANS to give Southend’s older residents financial advice to cut down on care home costs have been approved by senior councillors. Council chiefs want those elderly people who pay for their own care in residential homes to be given expert advice on
-
Date
Quick work by water company
A WATER leak in Westwood Close, Eastwood was reported to Essex and Suffolk Water by an alert resident at 5am this morning. Firefighters based at Rayleigh Weir were called out to help clear water from the road. Major rush hour delays on nearby Rayleigh
-
Date
Ban alcohol on the beach, plead residents
WEARY residents have called for a booze ban to stop rowdy youths ruining a popular beach. People living near East Beach, Shoebury, say their summer evenings and weekends are ruined by dozens of beer-swilling teenagers who gather on the sand
-
Date
Strikers walk out of Southend's HMRC building
MORE than 1,000 tax officials walked out of work early today in protest over changes to their sick leave conditions. The Revenue and Customs base in Alexander House, Victoria Avenue, Southend, was “practically deserted” after 4pm, according to the Public
-
Date
Business owners encouraged to work together
ENTREPRENEURS and business owners are invited to the next Essex Federation of Small Businesses meeting as part of a campaign to allow small businesses to work together. Jill Poet, network group co-ordinator for Leigh, said: "The Essex FSB Leigh network
-
Date
Southend MP supports decision to contribute £2million for Holocaust site
A SOUTHEND MP has backed a Government decision to contribute £2.1million to protect an iconic symbol of the Holocaust. James Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend East confirmed that the Government will contribute the money to the Auschwitz-Birkenau
-
Date
Disabilities charity is settled in its new home
A CHARITY is settling in to its new, eco-friendly home in Billericay after a £273,000 refurbishment. The Hamelin Trust, which trains and supports children and adults with disabilities, has moved all of its services into the building in Radford
-
Date
A lukewarm reception to plans for green belt
A DEVELOPER has unveiled its plans to build 300 homes on Canvey green belt, calling it the Vermuyden Gateway. However, the plans have not gone done well with islanders, who viewed them during a public exhibition at the Paddocks Community Centre
-
Date
Campaigners still think Europe can halt eviction
TRAVELLER campaigners still believe they can stave off the eviction from Dale Farm, with the help of European authorities. Grattan Puxon, lead campaigner for the site, hopes a new European Union strategy to integrate the continent’s 11 million gipsies
-
Date
Burglars strike in Rayleigh
BUNGLING crooks used a blowtorch to try and break into a house. They struck in a road off Rawreth Lane, Rayleigh, where they caused about £700 damage. First they tried to force a lock on the front door, before taking the blowtorch to
-
Date
Three vehicles stolen in Castle Point
THREE vehicles worth about £2900 were stolen from Benfleet and Canvey. Thieves stole a quad bike from the back garden of a house in Strangman Avenue, Thundersley. Police are asking people to look out for the black EDR Nitro with the index KX09 JWY.
-
Date
Council signs contract to take over island's seafront paddling pool
Canvey Town councillors have signed a contract to take responsibility for the seafront paddling pool in Concord Beach. The authority has taken over the upkeep of the tidal pool and the surrounding beach from Castle Point Council. The agreement brings
-
Date
Labour snubs event over park homes row
LABOUR is boycotting Basildon Council’s annual civic service in protest at plans to build hundreds of homes on Gloucester Park. The council holds a Civic Service every year to celebrate the local authority’s achievements over the previous 12 months.
-
Date
CCTV of suspected burglar
THIS man is suspected of burgling a hostel for the homeless. Police have issued CCTV of their main suspect in the hope someone will recognise him. It happened after crooks got into a communal area of the building in Boston Avenue, Southend
-
Date
New Crays Hill police team launched
A NEW community policing team for Crays Hill has been unveiled. The team of six officers will work alongside travellers and residents in the village. They will deal with general crime concerns as well as working with the community in the run up to the
-
Date
EastEnders Dot Cotton filming in Thorpe Bay
EASTENDERS favourite Dot Cotton was to be seen in Thorpe Bay as the soap filmed some scenes. Actress June Brown, 84, who has played Albert’s Square’s favourite chain-smoking gossip since 1985, was first on the beach and then at a home in
-
Date
Pier Hill shops finally ready for business
IT’S taken six years and cost more than £50,000, but a businessman has finally been given the keys to the empty shops beneath Pier Hill. Peter Woolf, 49, from Thorpe Bay, first approached South-end Council in 2005 with a view to leasing the site and
-
Date
New Southend hotel to be open by August
A MAJOR refurbishment of a Southend hotel will be completed within two months, developers have vowed. The Essex County Hotel, in Aviation Way, Southend, was bought by Leigh businessman Andreas Stavrinides for more than £2million last February. The
-
Date
Seafront fun run set to raise money for Havens Hospices
A CHARITY is urging residents to turn out to cheer on hundreds of people taking part in the Southend Half Marathon. The race takes place on Sunday, June 12, in aid of Havens Hospices and more than 1,800 runners are expected to gather at the
-
Date
Tax officers walk out in sick pay row
MORE than 1,000 tax officials are due to walk out on strike in Southend today. Revenue and Customs staff at Alexander House, Victoria Avenue, are planning to strike at 4pm, following a dispute over changes to their sick leave conditions. Union bosses
-
Date
Our dance marathon in memory of mum
THREE swinging sisters completed a gruelling six-hour danceathon in memory of their mum. Amy and Teresa Heather and Stacey Finney relentlessly strutted their stuff, from morning until afternoon, in stifling temperatures. Classic hits
-
Date
Developer poised to submit its designs for Marine Plaza
STRIKING plans for a towering landmark development on Southend seafront – including hundreds of new homes – are expected to be submitted next month. Developers the Inner London Group are behind the scheme to build about 350 apartments, plus shops, restaurants
-
Date
Security to be boosted at phone mast to stop pirate radio
SECURITY is being beefed up at a mobile phone mast used by pirate radio stations to put up aerials for illegal broadcasts. Residents near the Orange mast at Hambro Hill, Rayleigh, face repeated disruption to BBC Radio 4 due to aerials placed on top
-
Date
Five-vehicle shunt delays traffic in Basildon
Traffic was delayed in Nether Mayne, Basildon, following a multi-vehicle shunt. Two vans and three cars were involved in the collision near the junction with The Knares at about 10.30am today, Tuesday. No one was seriously injured.
-
Date
Bail hostel protest has unexpected supporters
MEMBERS of a Lancashire protest group have pledged their support for the Echo’s campaign to stop sex offenders being housed at Felmores Bail Hostel in Basildon. The protesters are opposing plans for sex offenders to be moved into a hostel in
-
Date
Traveller eviction cash now available
THE FULL £17.5million needed to evict travellers from Dale Farm in Crays Hill is now available. The Home Office is now giving enough cash to plug a funding gap for the police costs of £9.5m, with the aid of Basildon Council. The council will now have
-
Date
Good Samaritan scuppers handbag thief
POLICE are searching for a good samaritan who chased a handbag thief through Westcliff. The victim, a woman in her 70s, was sat in her car in London Road with her bag on the back seat. A man on a bike cycled up and opened one of the
-
Date
Worship group that began with a busker
WHEN Steve Barber spotted a busker in Southend High Street, he felt compelled to ask her a rather bizarre question... “Would you like to start a church?” Mr Barber said he was embarrassed to admit he was inspired by God to make the unusual
-
Date
Collaboration not merger of Essex police
ESSEX will continue to have its own stand-alone police force, despite growing financial pressures, its chief constable has assured. Jim Barker-McCardle insisted there were no plans to merge with neighbouring constabulary Kent, or any other force, despite
-
Date
Probation service has lost track of offenders
SOUTHEND’S probation officers have admitted they do not know where many of the offenders under their supervision are living. Residents at the Milton Neighbourhood Action Panel had demanded to know how many former criminals being monitored by
