Biographical Details
Essex born and bred (Colchester and Brightlingsea), secondary
education at CRGS, settled here in 1969 after university (economics
then education) and a gap year working for the Salvation Army (
with homeless and other young people).
Married with three sons, two still at home. Lived in High
Garrett since 1977, after three other addresses in Braintree.
Spent my entire working life in the town - twenty-three years at
Alec Hunter (eight as Deputy Headmaster) and the remainder as a
Director of Braintree College. I retired early (2001) to be a
full-time District Councillor and voluntary sector worker.
I've tried always to play an active part in the local community;
some of that activity is recorded below. My particular interests
have been in education, youth work, charity fundraising, sport,
social housing, planning, economic development, and local law,
order and justice. Much has been achieved in Braintree and Bocking
- much remains to be done!
Council Membership
I have been privileged to represent Bocking North ward on this
Council continuously for the past 28 years.
My role within the Council has varied according to changes in
political control; my enthusiasm for the opportunities it has given
me to serve my local community has not.
When the first 'Lead Member' for Environment, I was able with
all party support to introduce the twin-bin high diversion
recycling trial that is now rolled out as standard across the
District. As Lead Member for Employment and Development I chaired
the seemingly endless cross-party meeting that produced our current
Local Plan.
The East Braintree Partnership, the regeneration body that I
chaired brought well over a thousand jobs to the town and opened up
the way for an improved local retail offer with Freeport, a new
cinema, a bowling alley, restaurants and (eventually!) a new
swimming pool - things that local people had told me that they
wanted for years.
Currently, I represent the Council on Greenfields Community
Housing Board where I also chair the Oprations Committee amongst
other responsibilities.
Council Committees
Currently - Planning Committee and Economic Development
and Transportation Partnership Board.
Previously - Braintree, Local Committee, Living
Landscapes Community Group, Executive, Scrutiny, Policy (Vice
Chair), Policy Action Group (Chair), Environment, Strategy,
Community and Leisure, Community Services, Finance and Land,
Finance and Resources, Personnel, Regulatory, Waste Plan Panel
(Chair), Highways Maintenance Member Group, Transport Co-ordinating
Group, Sport and Recreation Working Group, Landscape and
Countryside Sub-Committee, Brainree Area Leisure Committee,
Braintree Area Housing Committee and Braintree Area Planning
Committee.
Council Representative
Currently - Braintree Town Centre Strategy Group,
Economic Development and Transportation Partnership
Board, Greenfields Community Housing Board, Greenfields
Operations, Audit and Remuneration Committees. Director
of Greenfields Trading Company.
Previously - Bocking Sports Club Management
Committee (Chair), Braintree and Bocking Community Association,
Notley Action Group, Mid Essex Community Health Council, Age
Concern, Resting Seat House Housing Association, St Matthews
Housing Association, Braintree District Business Council, Economic
Development and Business Liaison Committee, Transport Partnership
Board (Vice Chair), Environmental Partnership Board (Vice Chair)
and Freeport Liaison Committee.
Other Community Work
Currently - Bocking Primary School Governing Body (Chair), Tabor
Science College Governing Body (Chair of Finance and Premises),
Braintree United Charities (Member), Tabor Centre (Vice Chair of
the Board), Carnival Association (Member), Braintree Salvation Army
(Local Officer), Bocking United Charities (Vice Chairman of the
Board), Friends of Braintree Community Hospital, (Founding
Trustee), Friends of Glebe Wood (Founding Trustee), Glebe Community
Hall (Founding Trustee), George Courtauld Trust, and SeeSaw
Children's Centre Focus Group.
Previously - Alec Hunter Parents and Friends Association
(Member), Braintree Youth and Sports Club (Voluntary Staff Member),
678 Youth Club (Leader), Pioneers Badminton Club (Chairman),
Braintree Area Youth Service Advisory Committee (Chair), Lord
Chancellor's Mid-Essex Advisory Committee (Lay Member), Alec Hunter
High School (Governor), Braintree Teachers' Centre (Chair),
Braintree College Riverside Club (Vice-Chairman), Friends of
Braintree Foyer (Member), and Braintree Crime Prevention Panel
(Member)
Taking part in Local Conservation Work
Constituency Work
Over this term of my Council membership I have been consulted
and/or offered help and advice over the following issues within
Bocking North Ward (not all of which are strictly the
responsibility of BDC!). Most of these have been addressed jointly
with my Ward colleague and friend Tony Everard:
Abandoned vehicles (e.g. Glebe), allotments, special collections
(especially fridges), welfare benefits (often), recycling
(including misuse of bottle banks at Bocking Village Hall and
Braintree Hockey Club), building control, food safety, civic
amenity sites, crematoriums, cemeteries (Bocking), car parking
problems (e.g. Fennes Road and Church Street), street name plates
(several replaced or mended), obscured road signs, charity street
collections, litter, luncheon clubs, play areas (Glebe, Swing Field
and Deanery Hill), travellers (Community Field and Deanery Hill),
planning enforcement (e.g. Bridge Motors site), right to buy,
tenants rights (in relation to transfer), housing repairs, tree
planting (Churchill Road and Glebe Avenue), youth services,
education (primary, secondary and tertiary), speeding (Broad Road,
Church Street and elsewhere), development control (Straits Mill,
Church Street, Broad Road, Bovington Road, Hockey Club and
elsewhere), car parks, council tax, hall hire, concessionary bus
fares, bus shelter improvements (Church Street, College, Cemetery),
bus park facilities improvement (Victoria Street), licensing,
listed buildings, land use, housing options, health services (new
community hospital, maternity and blood services), anti-social
behaviour, flooding (Church Street, Mill site), airport expansion,
phone masts, cars for sale on highways, highways repairs (Convent
Lane, Gauden Road and others), roadwork problems (King's Bridge,
Church Street), road safety (Bocking Church Street school),
homelessness, house transfer, pest control, sewage problems, sports
development ( Bocking Sports Club) , street cleaning, estate
environmental improvements (e.g. Groundwork consultations and
Glebe Optons Study), weed/grass cutting (Church Street, Deanery,
Glebe flats), tree management systems, and protection of green
spaces (Sporting 77 Field and BMX track).
We also jointly attend community police tasking groups
(Braintree Police station) and health briefings given by Mid Essex
Hospital Trust and Mental Health Trust (Chelmsford). In the company
of Housing Officers and sometimes tenants we have conducted estate
inspections in all three of our housing zones, Deanery and Upper
Glebe, Lower Glebe and Bocking village.