Dear Jeff

I am writing to inform you that I will be unable to attend the meeting on 10th March 2009.

I would be grateful if you will accept this letter as apology for my absence and forward my views on the proposed development of the town centre to the Rochford Council members attending the meeting.

I attended a Parish Council meeting on the 26 th February 2009, where the proposals were explained to us.

The proposals were drafted after an initial consultation ( I believe this was the Draft Action Plan commissioned by the HPPG) a placecheck event (where members of the citizens panel were invited to a workshop event) and an internet survey. (Most residents are not aware of such a survey). I assume that these were well advertised and I like many others missed them due to failure on our part to look at the relevant notice boards on the high street.

Having said this, the meeting was well attended and even had representation from the youth of our community.

The report states that the town core is made small retail units with largest recognisable high street chain being Somerfields. It states that there is poor range of retail shops and proposes to increase these by building a large supermarket (approximately, three times larger than Somerfields). The residents feel are a lot of take away restaurants and charity shops, and lately there are a numerous empty shops. The proposals state that the little on street parking facility that we have, although it provides retailers with passing trade in looking at the design of "Public Realm" this will be an issue. (in my opinion another nail in the coffin for local traders). It further states that a small free off street parking lot is provided along Spa Road, although this only has space for eight vehicles.

The view of most people attending the meeting was that we do not need a national supermarket as it will starve all the other surviving retailers out of existence. Residents generally feel that they like the village feel of Hockley and if a large supermarket was not in keeping with this image. There were recommendations from many attending including myself that the degeneration of business was caused by lack of adequate parking for the public. The parking space behind the library is too far from the retail area of the village and customers have to cross two major roads to get to it. Somerfields parking is for their customers only, and many customers find that facility inadequate. The majority of residents shop out of town because of lack of convenient parking in Hockley.

It transpired that the whole project will be financed by a developer. His interest will not necessarily be the interest of Hockley. What Hockley needs is adequate parking. This will attract more traders who rely on customers who spend more time in the village centre. The fact that there are a lot of take-away outlets is because they do not have to rely on customer spending time in Hockley and their main trade is in the evening. Indeed I am providing delivery services in the pharmacy for people who are either unable to come to the pharmacy or they can not be bothered to come due to issues mentioned above. Not all traders are in a position to provide this service. When businesses shut, the vacant properties are attracted by charities, who do not have to pay council tax, which becomes a self fulfilling prophecy and eventually, the town will not attract diverse customers.

It is the council's duty to ensure adequate amenities for traders to carry out their daily business. The traders face paying same council tax as the neighbouring towns which have adequate convenient parking. Failure to address this issue will lead to a ghost town which will not be in anybody's interest apart from the developer. We have to look at the interest of the future generation of Hockley. The Eldon Way development as a leisure facility for children is a very good development, the council may be able to attract more such enterprises by reviewing their council tax treatment for such organisations. The council will save more on policing our streets on weekends than any concessions given to such businesses.

It would be a mistake to disregard the cause of Hockley's decline and instead treat the symptoms with a makeover of Hockley.

Yours sincerely