Stephen Metcalfe, the new MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, visited Gateway FM to field questions from a team of Year Seven students from the Basildon Lower Academy.
His visit gave Yvonne Williams a brief opportunity to raise a few queries with him. Immediately the chat finished, Stephen had to rush away to get back to the House of Commons.
Stephen Metcalfe intv with Yvonne 08.06.10
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Castle Point District Council’s plans for upgrading the area’s leisure facilities in the borough have been revealed as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme.
Work on the £2.5m package of investment in Castle Point’s leisure facilities kicks off next month at The Paddocks, Canvey Island. Around £136,000 will be spent on the Canvey Island based facility which could become a wedding venue if the council is successful in its application for a licence, when it reopens in July.
Runnymede Hall is next on the programme, closing for nine weeks from 19 July to 17 September for a £242,950 facelift. Woodside Hall maintenance will run alongside this, between 19 July and 27 August.
The £724,000 facelift for Runnymede Pool involves a six month closure starting in September. The 1970s built facility needs extensive repairs to pipework, boilers, windows, doors and the roof. These are expected to prolong its life for another 20 to 30 years. On re-opening users will benefit from an improved reception area and upgraded changing facilities
Further details on this, and also other things in the pipeline, can be found on the Castle Point District Council website.
Share on FacebookThurrock Council’s Youth and Sports Development teams have joined forces with local partners to offer free fun football sessions to young people during the half-term holidays, their website has confirmed.
The sessions are open to young people aged 11 to 19, and will run from 12pm to 2pm throughout the week, at the following venues:
- Tuesday, 1 June: Blackshots Park, Blackshots Road, Grays RM16 2JU.
- Wednesday, 2 June: Stanford Youth and Connexions Centre, Hassenbrook Rd, Stanford Le Hope SS17 0NS.
- Thursday, 3 June: Riverside Youth & Connexions Centre, Quebec Rd, Tilbury RM18 7RA.
- Friday, 4 June: Culver Youth & Connexions Centre, Daiglen Drive, South Ockendon RM15 5RR.
There is no need to book – just turn up! For more information, please call Pat Kielty at Thurrock Council on 01375 413037.
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Credit to Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
A family has been left devastated after fire ripped through a Wickford home yesterday afternoon.
The Essex Fire Service website confirmed that firefighters from Wickford, Basildon, Billericay, Rayleigh and Woodham Ferrers were called out to attend the blaze affecting two properties in Wick Lane at around 2.40pm.
At first the fire was contained to a garden shed but by 3pm had spread to another property and an exclusion zone had to be set up due to the presence of acetylene, an extremely flammable compound.
60 people were evacuated and resident Katherine Judd, 61, was left heartbroken as her home of 56 years was completely destroyed. By around 4.30pm the fire was under control and the evacuated people were allowed to return.
Assistant Divisional Officer Iain Macleod stated “The fire began in a shed which quickly spread to a detached bungalow, which has been made completely uninhabitable. At the height of the fire, some 35 firefighters were involved but because the content of the cylinders had not been identified at this stage, for their safety crews worked outside the building.
Agencies worked together to evacuate homes within the 100m exclusion zone and people went off to family, friends and local community areas and pubs nearby.”
Share on FacebookPolice in Laindon have stepped up patrols, after two cars were set alight in a car park in Newberry Side earlier this year, the Essex Police Newsline has confirmed.
The issue of vehicle damage was recently raised as a concern at a local Neighbourhood Action Panel (NAP) meeting, and after the residents association also expressed concerns about crime at the Five Links Estate.
In the first incident, police were also called on Wednesday, April 28 after a car was set on fire in Mellow Purgess. The incident happened between 6.45pm and 12am. A Nissan car was set on fire, causing £9,000 damage after it was completely destroyed.
The second fire happened at 8.30pm on Sunday, May 9. A significant amount of damage was caused to a Vauxhall car, destroying the vehicle with fire damage.
Officers have given letters to every resident in the affected area, advising them who to contact if they see any suspicious activity, and also offering crime prevention advice on how to properly secure vehicles to stop them being targeted.
Lee Chapel North neighbourhood specialist officer, Pc Keith Baker, said: “We have already been running operations in the area to combat crime and anti-social behaviour, but we have now added extra patrols in the Newberry Side area and surrounding car parks to alleviate any fears residents have.
“We have already had positive feedback from the residents association, and we would like to hear from anyone in the area that wants reassurance or action taken on a particular issue.
The next NAP meeting will be held on Thursday, June 24 at the All About Centre, Leinster Road. All residents from Lee Chapel North are welcome to attend.
Share on FacebookBasildon Hospital’s failure to adhere to health and safety rules in 2006 was a “significant cause” of the death of a severely disabled patient, a judge has been told.
In an article issued by the Press Association, Basildon University Hospital acknowledged that 20-year-old Kyle Flack died following failures in its “systems and procedures”, Basildon Crown Court was told this week.
The hospital’s governing trust admitted breaching health and safety law by failing to ensure patients were not exposed to risk after being prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as a result of Mr Flack’s death nearly four years ago. Judge Christopher Mitchell is due to impose fines next month following a sentencing hearing.
Prosecutor Pascal Bates said Mr Flack, a quadriplegic who had cerebral palsy, died at the hospital in October 2006 after getting his head trapped in protective bed bars.
Mr Bates said the hospital had failed to properly supervise Mr Flack, failed to properly pass on information, failed to properly train staff, failed to properly assess risk and had not heeded warnings.
Mark Goldring, chief executive of health charity Mencap, said Mr Flack’s case is “not unique” and has called on the judge to send a “powerful message” when sentencing.
“(The trust) accepts that its offending was a significant cause of this death,” Mr Bates told the judge. “Management failed to lay down correct procedures.” He said the offences amounted to a “serious” breach of duty and the hospital had fallen “markedly short” of the required standard.
Share on FacebookCalor Gas has been fined more than £27,000 following a major leak on Canvey – which had the ‘potential of becoming a catastrophic event’.
The firm, states the Yellow Advertiser, admitted breaching health and safety regulations at its terminal in Thames Road after 163 tonnes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas leaked into the atmosphere. The company was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court last Monday and ordered to pay an additional £27,185 in court costs.
The leak happened while a ship was unloading gas to the site early on October 27, 2008. The gas, which is stored in a liquid form, escaped from a pipe when an over-pressure safety device operated before a vapour cloud formed.
Health and Safety Executive inspector, John Hawkins, said: “This site is specifically designated as a major hazard site, and that means that the correct management of risk is absolutely essential.
The leak could have been minimised had the sensor operated as intended. It was fortunate that the incident did not escalate further, since no emergency alarm sounded. This case illustrates how important it is for companies to maintain effective measures to control risks from LPG.”
Stephen Rennie, managing director of Calor Gas Ltd, said he was disappointed the firm’s record of no previous HSE convictions in 75 years had been ‘tarnished’.
He said: “Everyone at Calor deeply regrets the incident at our Canvey site. While we accept that lessons can and will be learned from this event we would like to emphasise that at no time was any member of the public at risk.
Since the incident, a number of enhancements to equipment and procedures have been made. All of this has been done with the full co-operation and involvement of the HSE.”
Share on FacebookThe RAC have confirmed that Basildon is hosting this year’s Ride and Survive Event, which is likely to be attended by biking enthusiasts from across the Essex area.
Riders who are interested in motorcycles, mopeds, scooters and bicycles have been invited to participate in the event.
According to details released by the Press Association Test rides, bike checks, riding skills courses, cycling skills for children and free bicycle tagging and passports are some of the activities scheduled for the day.
County councillor Norman Hume, chairman of the Essex Casualty Reduction Board and cabinet member for Highways and Transportation said to the RAC: “Essex Ride and Survive is an essential event for all riders. The test rides are one of the biggest draws of the day where riders can have their skills assessed by professional riders.
It’s an interesting and thought provoking exercise for the rider and if they follow the advice given, it’s one that could ultimately help save their life.”
Ride and Survive 2010 will take place on June 6 at Gloucester Park South. Last year, the event was attended by over 4,000 people.
Share on FacebookA cool and calm Alison Loades helped to save lives in one of Basildon’s most dangerous fires.
The control room operator, the Yellow Advertiser reports, stayed on the line for ten minutes soothing a distressed man trapped inside his home, until fire crews arrived to rescue him.
Alison, who was on duty when flames swept through flats at Bockingham Green last November, received a commendation for her work that night from the county’s chief fire officer, David Johnson.
Mr Johnson said: “Alison displayed calmness under pressure and it is thanks to her professionalism that crews at the scene were able to make a swift rescue before anyone was injured that night. This commendation recognises her vital contribution.”
Basildon fire station officer Gary Hasting described the fire as very serious. “The outcome could have been very different had it not been for Alison’s calm and professional manner advising and reassuring the occupant until the arrival of the fire crews,” he commented.
Share on FacebookAn Essex health centre basred in Grays will soon be moving into a former Woolworths store.
The Thurrock Health Centre, the BBC News website reports, has been temporarily based at Grays Health Centre in Brooke Road, since it opened in March.
Its planned opening at the former Woolworths in the High Street, Grays, was delayed because renovation work was not finished on time.
Now the health centre has announced it will be opening in the town centre on 31 May.
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