Comment

Hockley Area Action Plan - Issues and Options

Representation ID: 15165

Received: 28/04/2009

Respondent: P H Denny

Representation Summary:

The method of consultation for the above action plan has not been appropriate. The existence of the Consultation Document has not been advertised in the local press except for a passing reference in an article. I have not seen any advertisement on non-council owned public notice boards, ie churches, shopping areas etc and I am certain there have been no council organized public meetings held in the Hockley area. I understand that there have been two meetings in towns in the Rochford area, but one was held at 7am in the morning and I was led to believe that it was by invitation only.

The vast majority of residents only found out about the Consultation Document when a leafleting campaign was recently carried out by a private resident. A large number of residents attented a meeting to discuss the action plan and in my opinion it became apparent that the consensus was overwhelmingly against a complete re-vamping of the village centre.

With regard to my comments above it is necessary and essential that more time, and I would suggest three months as a minimum, is provided for local residents to have the proper opportunity for consideration of the action plan.

Full text:

The method of consultation for the above action plan has not been appropriate. The existence of the Consultation Document has not been advertised in the local press except for a passing reference in an article. I have not seen any advertisement on non-council owned public notice boards, ie churches, shopping areas etc and I am certain there have been no council organized public meetings held in the Hockley area. I understand that there have been two meetings in towns in the Rochford area, but one was held at 7am in the morning and I was led to believe that it was by invitation only.

The vast majority of residents only found out about the Consultation Document when a leafleting campaign was recently carried out by a private resident. A large number of residents attented a meeting to discuss the action plan and in my opinion it became apparent that the consensus was overwhelmingly against a complete re-vamping of the village centre.

With regard to my comments above it is necessary and essential that more time, and I would suggest three months as a minimum, is provided for local residents to have the proper opportunity for consideration of the action plan.