It seems that the national press have picked up on the complaint I have made about Cllr Keith Parker’s comments about gay people and victims of domestic violence.  The story was in the News of the World yesterday and a full report has appeared in The Daily Telegraph today.

Nigel told me yesterday that he will be getting his own show on Phoenix FM!  Local issues, politics and lots of laughs no doubt.

Thing is, it’s currently a show in need of a name….feel free to suggest names to us….!

Just reflecting on what a positive residents meeting I had in Firsgrove Cresent on Friday night.  We were all able to discuss some issues, about parking principally, and I left them with a number of options to consider.

For the last couple of weeks I’ve been following Sally Bercow, the Commons Speaker’s wife and Labour activist/candidate, on Twitter.  But I’m sure she’ll block me tonight after the message I’ve just sent her (Brandon Lewis has already blocked me after all!!).

I’m actually finding her quite unpleasant - she has listed a load of anti-Tory jokes tonight (which is strange considering she’s married to one) and yes, I’m not fan of them either, but I always explain my reasons why I don’t like the way they go about things and it’s certainly not irrational.

The one that got me is the one where she joked about “Green Tories….replace the baths in the servants’ quarters with showers” and several others very similar.  That might be funny, if she wasn’t tweeting from a grace & favour apartment that we pay for!  A little bit hypocritical given that she is clearly living in a fairly decent Westminster abode thanks to her husband being a Tory MP.

UPDATE 08.02.10: Well, far from blocking me, Mrs Bercow and I have been exchanging views and have ended up as Twitter friends!!  In fact, I am the only Lib Dem she is following on Twitter and we’ve ended up disagreeing, but respecting each others views.  I’ve changed my view on her being unpleasant, I think she’s just a bit impulsive!!!  That’s how it should certainly be in politics.  I certainly admire her for continuing to develop her own political career, especially being the Speaker’s wife and having three children.

Nothing to report in Brentwood West or surrounding areas this week.

So, it seems that leader of Essex County Council, Lord Hanningfield aka Paul White, now stands charged under the theft act on six counts relating to his expenses.

You can read about it all here.

Today, he’s stood down as a front bench spokesman in the Lords and as leader of our county council. 

Whilst I was at the Health, Housing & Leisure Panel tonight, Nigel Clarke went along to the Police meeting.  These are held for residents to air their views on policing matters.

Nigel asked about enforcement of speeding limits and was successful in getting Honeypot Lane made a priority for speed enforcement as the traffic goes way above 30mph here and it is a 20mph. 

We know there are many problems with speed limits not being introduced but if we can start getting a few places enforced, news will soon travel that the speed limit signs are not ornamental.

Well done Nigel for speaking up for Brentwood West residents!

I asked a number of questions tonight about the state of council housing in Brentwood.  You may have seen a story in the press this week about someone living in a house where it is damp and her children are suffering.  She’s not the only one - this picture was sent to me just over a week ago from a resident in my ward and it’s not the first.

I was told that we were at 93% “decent housing”.  That must be a real comfort if you are in the 7% that are indecent.

I will keep fighting on these issues, but it is red-tape rich as a local government area and something I find enormously upsetting.  If we were in control, I’d be addressing these issues before we wasted officer time trying to get a hedge removed for no good reason.

So, at last the hedge at the corner of Weald Road and Western Road is safe.  Just as it should be and just as residents asked for it to be.

Strange thing tonight, is that the councillors who were so vociferous about it being hacked down (Cllr Joan Holmes, Cllr Russell Quirk, Cllr Lionel Lee) were mysteriously absent tonight.  Cllr Parker, who was at the meeting, left just prior to the item being discussed.  Most surprised not to see Cllr Quirk there bestowing the virtues of taking the hedge down as he has before, especially as he is actually on this panel (Health, Housing & Leisure) and was expected to attend.  No apologies were given either.  Hope everything is OK, Russell.

Last night was one of the most unusual council meetings I’ve been to! As this certainly was a non-political meeting we didn’t sit in our political groups and we mixed it up - leaving me between Cllr Mark Reed and Cllr Lionel Lee and Cllr Kendall sitting in the back row with Cllr Russell Quirk!

The meeting was called to decide on whether we should spend some of the Assizes Trust fund monies - a fund set up in 1860 for the good of Brentwood.

A number of projects had been suggested by councillors from all parties and we all put our views across. I should add, that what made this meeting so different is that we weren’t there as politicians, but as trustees of the fund.

I’m really pleased about some of the things that were approved, especially the go-ahead for the refurbishment of the public toilets in the High Street. One of my colleagues really made me laugh when I said I would rather go home than use them and she said she would rather go in the street (not that she has, she hastened to add!)!!!

What’s really fantastic is that we will be able to have the Changing Places fully accessible toilets now, allowing disabled visitors to the High Street, especially those with severe physical disabilities, to use the facilities in a dignified and appropriate way. As I pointed out at the meeting, in 1860 a lot of these people would be in institutions, away from society, so I think we can be proud of how far we have come as a community.