Well, things go awfully quiet once the council “breaks up” for Christmas!

The New Year will bring continued debate on William Hunter Way with a special Citizens Panel meeting, Planning Committee, Stakeholder meeting and another debate at Ordinary Council where a decision will finally be taken.  For those interested, the Citizens Panel is on 7th January and I will keep you updated on this one.  The other meetings are to be confirmed.

For all of you who sent Nigel, David and/or me a Christmas card, thank you!  It’s nice to have such kind wishes at this time of year and your Brentwood West team like to hear from you!

For all those who I’ve done case work for, it was a pleasure to help where I could!  For those who have a burning issue, give me a call and I will see if I can help!

Finally, I wish you all a lovely Christmas!  I’m now off to plan the cooking schedule for Christmas Day in Brentwood West with my family!

Karen

It’s been a long day!  I’ve been up since seven this morning cooking dinner for our local party members. 

We’ve had a great day and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.  I got lots of compliments on the food - which bodes well for Christmas Day when I’m cooking for the family!

I had the help of my lovely vice-chair, Nina Cutbush, and our membership secretary, Linda Price, also lovely and my mum too!

We do have a lot of fun socialising together so, if you would like to join and be part of the team then just give me a call!

For me, yes!  I like sending cards and I like receiving cards!  I like writing messages to old friends and wishing people a happy time at Christmas.  I also keep the most special ones for posterity…I’m sentimental like that.

However, I also make sure that I recycle them and I’m pleased that M&S, Tesco, TK Maxx and WHSmith will all have recycling bins for the Woodland Trust.  We have three of those stores in Brentwood so please, after Christmas, drop your cards in the box and help them plant 24,000 new trees!

Full story here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/3320097/Charity-to-turn-Christmas-cards-back-into-trees.html

I’ve been helping with a dog rescue in Junction Road this morning.

On the phone to my mum and suddenly she said “There’s a dog walking down the road on it’s own”. She dashed off to see what was happening, with no phone call after a minute or so I knew there was a problem so I shot over there (with spare lead and collar).

When I got there she had, with neighbours Alan & Judy, managed to catch said mutt and they were all in the garden with him. He was a huge Staffy, but friendly and happy.  He seemed well looked after so I hope he is reunited with his owners.  I will keep you posted.

As I’ve said before, a micro-chip would have enabled the dog warden to ring up the owner straight away.

UPDATE: Doggy reunited with owner and, even better news, when they scanned him again at Wallace Kennels he WAS chipped so the owner was contacted straight away!

It all had to come to an end one day: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7698200.stm

My latest offering in the Brentwood Gazette, written after the heated exchange regarding the Country Parks!!!

“Tory was still going on about Go Ape

“WE SHOULD have approved Go Ape in Thorndon Park”, stated Conservative councillor Phil Baker at the policy board on September 24.

This shocking statement demonstrates exactly why I am right to be concerned about the joint committee being formed between Essex County and Brentwood Borough councils to run Brentwood’s county parks and the cabinet system proposal which could lead to someone such as Cllr Baker being able to make such a decision alone.

Fortunately, Go Ape was turned down for a myriad of reasons, including the presence of Great Crested Newts who were breeding in the picnic pond, the dangers of setting a legal precedent if the change of use was approved and, undeniably, the weight of public opinion. To Cllr Baker, hundreds of residents fighting against this application seemed unimportant, as he dismissed them and then ridiculed my role in the campaign. But, the refusal reasons still exist.

However, my real issue of concern is how my idea of having a Friends of Brentwood Country Parks has been the victim of yet another Conservative hijack. Suggested by me as an organisation that would see real park users involved, Cllr Brandon Lewis has filled one third of this committee with councillors: three Tories and two opposition councillors. Residents will be so disappointed, given that most wanted a non-political group.

Cllr Karen Chilvers

Former Lead Campaigner

Save Thorndon Park “

Following on from my “heated discussion” with Cllr Phil Baker last week over his “Bring Back Go Ape”statement, the Gazette have reported almost a full page on the issue.  I do feel the word “squabble” makes light of a very important issue - these parks are supremely important to me and are nothing to do with political point scoring.  I just think that a “Friends of…” anything group should be allowed to proceed without being over-shadowed by Conservative councillors.

Here’s the piece quoted in it’s entirety from this week’s paper:

“Councillors squabble over Brentwood’s parks

POLITICAL squabbling filled the council chamber as town leaders clashed over decisions on the borough’s parks.

Brentwood Tories were accused this week of politically hijacking a parks group supposed to give residents a greater say on what should happen to green spaces.

A partnership of Brentwood Borough and Essex County councils is set to take joint control of open spaces in a bid to hand back more power to the town.

Lib Dem councillor Karen Chilvers suggested at a leisure meeting last week that a “friends of” group be created to join the panel of four councillors.

Although the idea was accepted, council leader Brandon Lewis proposed that the group comprise 10 residents, three Conservative councillors, one Lib Dem and one Labour – a motion passed by the policy board committee.

Cllr Chilvers said at the meeting: “I just think that is too politically loaded.

“A lot of people have contacted me saying they want to be involved, but not in a political group. I am very disappointed.

“It should be one from each political party or not at all.”

The four-member parks panel will have two county councillors and Cllrs Joan Holmes and Michael Golding.

The three Conservative councillors sitting on the friends group will be Cllrs Holmes, Golding and Jean McGinley.

Cllr Lewis said the group set-up would be reviewed at the annual council meeting, but parties also clashed over the decision on who to appoint to the partnership.

Lib Dem leader Cllr David Kendall said Cllr Chilvers would be best placed. “In terms of knowledge, expertise and understanding, there is no other member who has got that,” he said.

Cllr Chilvers was heavily involved in the Save Thorndon Country Park group which campaigned against the Go Ape climbing centre which was later turned down after intense opposition.

But Conservative councillor Phil Baker said: “All of us have an understanding of the park.” He had been approached by many people who said it was a shame Go Ape had not been give the go-ahead.”

The Brentwood West resident known to me as “MUM” is standing as our candidate in the Hutton South by-election!  Read all about her bid at: http://www.brentwood-ongarlibdems.org.uk/index.html

I’m so glad that Quincy, Dillon & Daisy (a.k.a. my menagerie!) are all microchipped.  It gives me that peace of mind that if one went missing, the chances of us being quickly re-united are much increased.

I found a lost dog today, wandering along the road, with no name tag and, I found after a visit to the vet’s, no micro-chip.  What a shame, he’s now in kennels for the night and I’m hoping that his family will come and claim him tomorrow.  If he’d have had a chip, I could have taken the little darling straight home!  At least he’ll be safe, warm and fed well at Wallace Kennels, however.

So, please think about having your dog, cat, horse or rabbit chipped - see www.rspca.org.uk or ask your vet for more information (they usually offer it at a good rate!).

Here’s a heart-warming story to convince you that it’s a good idea:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/6943977.stm

Many residents responded to my call for a “Friends of Country Parks” group.  I had suggested that this was a non-political and non-partisan group of park users.

Surprise, surprise.  This will contain three tory councillors, one labour councillor and me.  Ten residents will take the remainder of the 15 places.

Another political highjack.  Sorry.  I tried.