POLITICAL colours don't really come to the fore in the committees at Thurrock Council. If you sat in on the Licensing Committee or Planning Committee you would be hard pressed to distinguish the Tories from Labour from Independent. However, the three Tories who sit on Health and Well-Being Committee have been noted for their relentless pressure on the health services.
The Strategic Transport Department’s Implementation Plan forms part of the council’s longer-term Thurrock Transport Strategy 2008-2021, and sets out how transport improvements will be prioritised and delivered in Thurrock between 2011/12 and 2014/15.
Saddened by what she saw, Maria tried to persuade Mrs Hyman to go to hospital and get some much needed rest. After much convincing, Mrs Hyman finally agreed to go to hospital, but had one final favour for Maria, and that was to clear and clean her house in time for Christmas. As expected, Maria accepted, for it was the least she could do for Mrs Hyman, given the conditions she had put up with for so long.
And also I would like to express my thanks, on behalf of those residents and the management of Thurrock Council, to the members of staff at the authority who have worked so very hard in recent days and weeks to combat the adversities brought to the Borough by the weather.
The second challenge is the burden of bureaucracy, red tape and regulation that falls on small businesses. I realise that it was designed to deal with the practices of unscrupulous employers, but I think we should recognise that the vast majority of SMEs value their employees greatly and treat them very well. Regulation must find a balance between dealing with unscrupulous employers and not overburdening responsible ones.
COUNCILLORS at the planning committee meeting expressed anger and dismay at the proposals to build 350 homes on green belt land in Butts Lane, Stanford-le-Hope.
The council only have consultation response powers in respect of proposals over 1 hectare in size. Permission or otherwise is given by the Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation (DC) but councillors let the soon to be abolished quango exactly how they felt.
Media organisations and journalists can apply for permission to use social media on a case-by-case basis, but Lord Judge said it may be necessary to bar its use by non-journalists to ensure the "proper adminstration of justice", prevent distractions in court and limit the potential for interference with courts' own recording equipment.
MP Jackie Doyle-Price joined Thurrock Council Leader, Cllr John Kent; portfolio holder for Community, Culture and Leisure, Cllr Lynn Worrall; and Alison Davies, Managing Director of Essex Savers at the Civic Offices for the launch. Essex Savers is regulated by the Financial Services Authority and encourages people to save little and often through community-based credit unions — through direct payments and from their wages.
He said: "In the light of the changes in housing benefit charges, there will be an increased need for housing provision such as this. "We have been in discussions with the homeless provision service at Thurrock Council for some time and they agreed that there was a need."
The question is: will we really see the public counter at South Ockendon police station kept open in the evening by volunteers; libraries manned by the public or unoccupied business units re-energised by public?
He was speaking in response to the statement from the GMB union, claiming “Thurrock Council can expect to see 292 jobs go in the light of the government’s announcement” on council spending.
In a statement on their website, GMB National Secretary for Public Services Brian Strutton said “Today’s announcement of the grant settlement for local authorities means that the job loss predictions will now become a reality with many more to come.
Ministers will reveal vital report today that may revolutionise Thurrock Council as well as put meat on the bones of 'The Big Society". Eric Pickles said: "They've simply got to wake up to the fact that it is no longer viable to have their own chief executives, their own legal departments, their own education departments, their own planning departments - they've simply got to put this together and they've got to look for ways to see these services provided in partnership with local communities."
OBSERVERS have seen council leader John Kent grow into the role as council leader over the last eight months. Many saw the Labour leader's speech at the opening of the Royal Opera House last week and wondered whether he had loftier ambitions in the future. However, YourThurrock wanted to speak to the leader about more immediate issues.
THURROCK MP Jackie Doyle Price was over-joyed that William Edwards school and sports college has been rated as "Outstanding" after an Ofsted inspection. While interviewing Jackie on Saturday in the constituency, Jackie wanted to make special mention of the school's success.
