Litter Pick Success

At 10am on Saturday 22nd November 2014 outside Buckhurst Hill Station 7 brave volunteers, including members of the Buckhurst Hill Residents Society, gathered to take part in Litter Pick of some litter prone areas of Buckhurst Hill. This was organised by Green Party District Councillor for Buckhurst Hill East, Steven Neville, and given support and equipment by Buckhurst Hill Parish Council and Epping Forest District Council. Steven said 'I would like to thank all those who took part in this litter pick in what was miserable weather. We collected 12 bags full of litter, a vast amount and have reported some fly tipping. I would also like to thank Buckhurst Hill Parish Council and Epping Forest District Council for their equipment and support! Steven is planning another litter pick in March next year.

Litter Pick 22nd November 2014

Are you worried about litter in Buckhurst Hill? There will be a Litter Pick on 22nd November 2014 meeting at 10am, meeting at outside Buckhurst Hill Station. Do come and join us. I would like to thank Buckhurst Hill Parish Council for their equipment and support.

Air Quality is Important

Last Night I was at Epping Forest's District Councils Overview and Scrutiny Committee. I was there because I had put in a so called PICK form which allows me as a Councillor and indeed you as a citizen to raise something important to be looked at by a group of Councillors. I was seconded by a Lib Dem Councillor and a Loughton Residents Association Councillor. The form asked the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to see if they would look into the issue of Air Pollution, particularly particulates which the World Health Organisation has linked to heart disease and cancer.1 I was prompted by a report by Public Health England that highlighted that 1 in 17 of all deaths in Epping Forest can be attributed to particulates.2 While it is true pollution does travel we can still do our bit to reduce the problem. I am glad to say a majority of the Committee saw it as an issue worthy to look into and referred it to the Safer, Cleaner Greener Panel which I am on. 1,http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs313/en/ 2,https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/estimating-local-mortality-burdens-associated-with-particulate-air-pollution

Local Council Tax Support

Epping Forest District Council are having the amount given to them by central government for Local Council Tax Support reduced. Do they reduce the amount the most needy in our society get to help them pay Council Tax or do they look at other options such as raising council tax or cutting other services. These are options EFDC want you to decide upon in their consulatation which you can find here.

Crime Survey

Please do take part in helping shape the EFDC Strategic Intelligence Assessment. This will shape the priorities on crime issues.https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=140377900744

First Green Councillor in Epping Forest Elected: Thank You!

I would just like to thank everyone who voted for me yesterday. With your votes you elected me one of your two District Councillors. And I will be the first Green District Councillor in Epping Forest, and the only non -Conservative Councillor in Buckhurst Hill. The result is: Steven Neville (Green) 635 votes. Aniket Patel (Conservative) 574 votes Chris Greaves (Lib Dem) 210 votes Pam Griffin (Labour) 115 votes. I wish all my opponents well, and in particular Aniket who I am sure will continue his good work at the Parish. I will do my utmost to be a good representative for you, and will seek to work with councilors’ of all persuasions to promote the interests of Buckhurst Hill East in particular and Buckhurst Hill in general. I also like to congratulate Roger Neville on coming second in Buckhurst Hill West in both District and Parish. District Sylvia Watson (Conservative) 1136 Roger Neville (Green) 279 Gary Sadler (Lib Dem) 219 Andrew Forsey (Labour) 178 Gerald Wadsworth (YPP) 37 Parish Bobby Nagpul (Conservative) 1094 Roger Neville (Green) 418 Garry Sadler (Lib Dem) 316

Steven Neville for Buckhurst Hill East 22nd May 2014

On Thursday 22nd May 2014 we have the chance to elect the first Green Councillor in Epping Forest in Buckhurst Hill East. The evidence can be seen all around as we have 31 posters and poster boards up all around the ward, more than the Tories and Lib Dems put together by some distance. They are clearly rattled by this fact and are trying last minute scare tactics. The voters I met today (21st May) see it for what it is. This is an election to elect a District Councillor for Epping Forest District Council, and voters know it. I am the only candidate who lives in the ward, and who has knocked on doors across the ward in the last year asking for your opinions. We have kept in contact all year round with newsletters, unlike the other parties who have taken this ward for granted. I mounted a campaign to save Little Buddies Children’s Centre and the other parties seemed not the slightest bit interested until now (indeed the closure was a Tory decision)! I pushed for the crossing of Loughton Way/Roding Lane/Albert Road/Palmerston Road to have a pedestrian phase and listened to residents on this. I have championed 20 mph speed limits for residential roads for the safety of all. I have asked the police to train members of the public to do speed traps on our main roads. I have got many of our pot holes fixed and will do an audit of our roads and pavements if elected. I am in ongoing discussions about our street light problem and back a 1.30am to 5am turning off of lights on side roads. I would have preferred Essex to have installed LED lights. Many people tell me they feel let down by the Councillors they have had (both Conservative and Lib Dem) and like what I do, even though not a Councillor. It is clear to most people that I can beat the Conservatives, but I need your vote to do it. I will be a tireless campaigner for you. I will champion Buckhurst Hill East with all my might, and I will knock on your door throughout the year asking for your views. So please Vote Green and vote for Steven Neville as your new District Councillor

Roger Neville for Buckhurst Hill West 2014

Roger Neville is standing for Buckhurst Hill West for both District Election and the Parish By Election. Roger, 67, has lived in Buckhurst Hill almost his entire life, growing up in Stag Lane and Roebuck Lane before settling in Rous Road 41 years ago. Roger who is a chartered accountant in Loughton, has been involved with Loughton Round Table and Loughton Lions working for those in need in the local community. He was on the Board of Governors at Epping Forest College for many years and chairman for the last few. He is trustee and treasurer of a number of local charities and of St James United Reformed Church in Palmerston Road. Roger said: "If elected I will be an independent voice for the people of Buckhurst Hill West. I will push for better care of our roads, making dog mess less of a problem, tackling anti-social behaviour and for the views of local people to be listened to before decisions affecting them are made. I will also not resign midterm"

Roding Lane Bridge: The End is in Sight.

Finally we are to see the end of those 'temporary' traffic lights in Roding Lane as Ringway Jacobs. Essex' contractor, who do our resuracing work and mend pot holes etc are to remove the lights, having largely finished the job on the bridge, from Wedsnesday but will continue some off peak work for the two weeks after that, when the lights will be felt from 10am to 3pm. I urged Essex some time ago to hold an enquiry into this. However I fear the problem may, in part, be with the contractor they have been using. They maybe cheap but they appear not very good.

Steven Neville for Buckhurst Hill East 2014

The Following District Council Election in Buckhurst Hill East is one where more and more people are coming over to myself and the Green Party. I have knocked on every door in the ward in the last year at least once, sometimes twice and sometimes three times. We are the only party to do this. The Tories have done very little by comparison. When they did door knock recently in Chestnut Avenue, Close, Hornbeam Road and Close it was to tell people that they have no choice but to pick an outside gym to replace the disused playground in Hornbeam Road but if they had bothered to knock during the year they would know many people want a playground as there is not one around until you get to the Recreation Ground. For the Tories it is you can have anything you want so long as it is what they want!!!! No wonder people who have voted Conservative are coming to us. I have helped more people this year with concerns about trees, parking, street lights not working, new housing and proposals for new flats in Station Way. I have helped people with other planning issues too. I always try answering people quickly even if I cannot give an immediate answer. Why? Because people feel our current councillors are poorly serving them. This year I have been taking around a petition for 20 mph speed limits in side roads. I fought to keep Little Buddies Children’s Centres open. It was interesting to see we were the only party to do so. I have dealt with bad parking issues and reporting them to the police. I have got road markings put back that had been ignored for years by Councillors who don’t care. I have had pot holes fixed but would still like to see proper resurfacing as this would cost less money long term. I will be heading round the ward to report as many faults on roads and pavement as I can. I am opposed to the ill thought out plans for part street lighting and although I welcomed the move to have the time when lights go out pushed back from 12midnight to 1am after we lobbied with many others for a change I feel this does not go far enough and we should keep the lights on until 1.30am. However I am against lights only coming on at 6am in winter instead of 5am (current time).5am is 20 minutes before the first train so let’s keep it at 5am. I also believe the lights on main roads should remain on all night. This might be a good compromise to the proposed changes in timing as pedestrians would feel much safer. I will oppose more cuts to Essex youth services as it undermines masses of really vital work the youth workers are doing. Talking to residents I know that having good youth facilities is important to them. Years of the other parties have delivered nothing for the young people in Buckhurst Hill. In this election it is between The Green Party and the Tories. If you want someone who will do his best and stand up for people ignored by the old parties vote for me. If you want someone who cares passionately about Buckhurst Hill and who lives in this area, who seeks your views and engages with people locally on issue important to you then vote for me. If you want more of of not being listened to, vote Tory or one of the other parties. If you do NOT want another Tory Councillor in Buckhurst Hill East then vote for me I came with 26 votes of being one of your Councillors in 2012 and last year we got the most votes cast in Buckhurst Hill East way ahead of Labour, who never do well in the ward, and the Lib Dems, who are persona non grata after the Parish Council debacle a few years back. Neither has bothered in this ward in the last year until election time comes around. They simply cannot win. Vote for them and end up with a Tory Councillor on 23rd May 2014.

Part Night Street Lighting Update

While I welcomed the decision to move turning lights off from 12midnight to 1am. I am opposed to the need for a 5 hour window as this tranfers the burden from people coming home late to those shift workers or early risers who need lights on at 6am. I had wanted lights to be off from 1.30am til 5am.

School Patrol Crossings threat: Take the Survey

I trailed this a little while back but there is now a consulation on School Patrol Crossings. Take the Survey. Leader of Green Group on Essex County Council, James Abbott, said "Many people are quite rightly angered by this disgraceful proposal by the Tories which is nothing less than ideological penny pinching and proves that austerity handed down from the Tories and Lib Dems in Westminster is being eagerly lapped up by Tories at County Hall. It has been stated that the cuts will "save" about £300,000. Yet this is a fraction of the many £ milions that ECC "found" just a few weeks ago - when it decided to implement a 0% council tax change. At that time there was no mention of these proposed cuts - which the administration must have been considering. We keep being told that despite "savings", front line services are being maintained - this is clearly not true. These proposed cuts to a much valued service are also in the ongoing context of ECC still lavishing free meals on councillors and high allowances and travel expenses by senior Tory councillors. Alternative means of funding the crossing patrols are available. As well as cutting out free lunches, the administration could look to vire some funding from the Local Highways Panel revenue budgets, or from reserves, or from other budgets where there is a projected underspend. In the context of a £2 billion total budget it clearly could be done yet the Tories have deliberately chosen to put parents and children through the worry of yet another of its "consultations" - where we know what the outcome will probably be - as it was with Children's Centres and the Youth Service - big cuts. School Crossing Patrols - lollipop men and women - have been a feature of our communities for many decades. The patrols provide reassurance to parents and children and help encourage children to walk to school. At a time when child obesity, road crashes that kill or injure children and congestion near schools are all policy priorities for action, it beggars belief that ECC should act in a way that undermines measures to reduce those problem areas."

Part Night Street Lighting Update

After protests and letters to Rodney Bass, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Highway and Transport by Greens and residents Essex have performed a u-turn on the policy of turning street lights off from 12midnight to 5am. The change means lights will be off from 1am to 6am. This is a step in the right direction. We still need a move to 1.30am for people on the last train, and moving the 5am to 6am does move the problem which will be more noticable in the autumn and winter.

Bye bye School Patrol Crossings?

Essex County Council has written to all County Councillors talking about "some rationalisation and review of the service" which is code for cuts. This is very worrying. It is astonishing that ECC should even consider - as it appears to be doing - cutting this vital safety measure for young school children that also gives parents and children more confidence to walk to school. Any cuts would dangerous and ungreen. It would discourage children walking to schools. I sincerely hope they do not go forward with this. The cuts have so far largely been aimed at young famalies and young people, the least likely to vote.

Save our Recycling Centres

Essex County Council are continuing their cuts to services so far they have included Free School Transport, Youth Services and Childrens Centres. Now the axe is hovering over Recycling Centres: in Epping Forest we have two: Waltham Abbey and Chigwell. Please take part in the survey.

Part Night Street Lighting Epping Forest

Here is a letter I had published in Epping Forest Guardian this week: In speaking to local residents there is a clear mood in Epping Forest against the move to go for Part Night Lighting. The factors behind the move are, apparently, to save money and to save electricity. Whether or not it saves money has not been explained adequately. Certainly it could save electricity which is a good thing. However, those pushing this policy through clearly are not from Epping Forest and therefore are not really aware of local issues. Greens believe firmly that, whilst the saving of electricity is to be welcomed, local needs and issues must be factored into decision making. It clearly has not here. I, along with others, have asked for Councillor Rodney Bass to put back the time for lights off to after the last train or bus - say 1.30am. This will allow people to get home safely from tube stations and bus stops. People walking or motoring feel safer with the lights on and so until most people are back home after last trains or buses the lights should stay on. I have also asked that lights stay on along main routes - the policy adopted by other authorities such as Norfolk, Hertfordshire and North Yorkshire. who have implemented Part Night Lighting. Will crime go up with lights off? A report by the College of Policing states that improved street lighting actually reduces crime and saves money for the Police with less crime it means less paperwork costs. So without it the criminal can go about his business in the dark. If they want to change lighting to save electricity then I suggest going onto LED lighting which if phased in and done properly will result in financial savings in a few years.