I have received a well considered reply from Alan Haselhurst, the local Tory MP, to my support for legislation on the recalling of MPs; forcing them to restand for election if they commit serious misdemeanours. You can read his reply here: Haselhurst_recall. The final paragraph is very well judged. MPs should not be recalled for vindictive reasons; because people don’t like what they say. The suggestion that an ”MP’s freedom of speech should be compromised by being subject to threat of recall at the instigation of a minority” would indeed be anti-democratic. The same goes for elected councillors, who have been known to be threatened by sanctions for ... More

East Hertfordshire District Council had a bad press today. The Dunmow and Stansted Observer’s pages 4 & 5 are full of alarming accounts and claims of dysfuntionality, absent leadership and secrecy in a short string of stories. The paper’s editor writes: “Councils…have an obligation to prove they are exercising their authority efficiently and in the public interest. Arguably, councils like East Herts have a duty to be transparent and (to) give residents the tools they need to make that judgement, yet they seem hell-bent on sweeping criticism under the carpet. Terse, dismissive statements in the face of mounting criticism, not to mention withholding ... More

Since I reported on last Friday’s public meeting the planning timetable for Stansted’s health centre has become clearer. The planning committee will not be asked to decide for or against before March. A meeting on highway issues took place on Tuesday. There are questions about pedestrian and motorist safety that still need to be addresses with the developer. I am reassured that the application is not being rushed. This has to be done thoroughly. No one will thank the council for a decision on incomplete information which leaves us all picking up the pieces for the next 25 years. ... More

At the prompting of the democracy pressure group Unlock Democracy, I have sent the following message to Sir Alan Haselhurst MP. “I am writing to you regarding the Recall of Elected Representatives Bill, which had its Second Reading in the House of Commons on Friday 20th January. Democracy is fragile today at a time of economic instability. Parliament’s reputation was damaged in the last parliament. Introducing recall will be a vital step towards rebuilding trust. The government’s recall plans are not enough: they will mean a Parliamentary Committee decides if an MP can be recalled. True recall – as proposed in ... More

Stansted’s Free Church hall was packed last night. People were standing all round the walls. Seats were offered to the elderly and pregnant. Was it about to turn into an antenatal session? Certainly most present want to see the birth of a decent health facility sooner rather than later. This was the community in action; a meeting not arranged by councils or government agencies, but by frustrated residents totally fed up with years of delay. Yet there remain differences of opinion. The building design was criticised. One person told me she thought it looks like the Italian beached cruise ship. The developers ... More

I suppose I was naive to ask the question in my last post ”will the cabinet listen to reason”? Of course, not. They had done a deal behind the scenes to give one-third of Stansted’s money from the Foresthall Park developers to Birchanger village, and they never change their mind. So a parish that will soon shrink to only 689 electors will get one-third of £1.4 million, whilst Stansted, a town of 6,400 electors, and growing, will get the remaining two thirds. There are already 700 electors on Foresthall Park alone, but the Conservatives have dismissed the survey and their opinions as irrelevant. I was allowed ... More

I am going to attend Uttlesford’s cabinet for the first time this evening. It’s far from clear whether there is any point a backbench, non-executive member turning up. The ruling group are said to have agreed everything at their political group meetings earlier in the week and will simply rubber stamp decisions at the public cabinet meeting. I am hoping tonight that they will demonstrate that cabinet meetings are more than a public, well rehearsed theatre-like performance. The issue I will take is over the survey that I reported on yesterday and the Stansted Community Fund of well over £1 million. The questions I ... More

For the past week I have been pressing for a delay on any decision on Stansted’s proposed new health centre until highways issues are resolved. The letter to businesses delivered yesterday is part of the drive for a transparent planning process. Last night Stansted Mountfitchet Parish Council called for the application not to be determined on February 8th as intended by Uttlesford. We all want a new health centre, but not at any cost in either the wrong place; or without a proper assessment of whether the proposed mini roundabout will work; we want to know whether a pedestrian crossing is needed to ... More

  This questionnaire is being sent to residents of Foresthall Park, Stansted this week. HOW WOULD YOU SPEND £1-2m ON IMPROVEMENTS FOR FORESTHALL PARK/STANSTED?   THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO TELL THE COUNCILS WHAT IMPROVEMENTS YOU WANT. We spoke to over half of Stansted’s residents last year about improvements that are wanted. Our councils now have some money to start to make a difference. We need to confirm your priorities. The developers of Foresthall Park are providing £1-2 million. The money is for projects which will benefit the community and residents of Foresthall Park. We want the money to be used wisely. We have been asked by the ... More

The following letter from my colleague Iris Evans and me has been distributed to businesses in the Lower Street area of Stansted Mountfitchet. ………………. To businesses in Lower Street, Stansted   Dear Sir/Madam   UTT/2384/11/FUL Stansted Medical Centre, Lower Street, Stansted   You will probably be aware of a planning application for the above proposal that is currently being considered by Uttlesford District Council. The application is for a building that will contain retail space and flats in addition to the medical centre and doctors’ surgery. An issue has come to light about the likely need for a pedestrian crossing in Lower Street since the application was submitted by ... More