Fordham is
subjected to ever increasing levels of skip hire lorry traffic as a
result of Essex County Council's total indifference to the plight of
the people of Fordham.
Despite strong
opposition from villagers in Fordham and Eight Ash Green, in May
2006, Cartaway Skips was granted their application to increase their
traffic movements eight fold. Essex County Council waved the
application through. They didn't even consider making a fact finding
visit.
These heavy
vehicles are a danger to all, they damage our roads, they make our
lives a misery and the people of Fordham want them to relocate to a
site nearer to the main landfill sites; on roads that are built for
heavy vehicle traffic. The threat principally comes from two skip
hire companies (Colchester Skip Hire and Cartaway Skips) that process
waste material on their sites in and around Fordham.
The
following article is from the East Anglian Daily Times
on Monday 22nd May 2006, in response to a Cartaway
Skip planning application to multiply its operations
by eight times.
The planning application was heard
at County Hall, Chelmsford on Thursday 25th May 2006 when the
application was unanimously approved, despite around 80 letters of
objection from concerned residents and a petition from a neighbouring
village, whose lives are also seriously affected by this. Neither the
people of Fordham or of Eight Ash Green were consulted by Essex
County Council and the letters of objection only came about as a last
minute protest when people woke up to what was being proposed.
By all accounts, the hearing was a
farce. It is understood that the committee only had access to the
letters of objection 15 minutes before the case was heard. In other
words, they did not read the letters. It is also understood that 8 of
the 12 committee members are from the south of Essex and that none of
the those 8 knew the Fordham route that they were holding sway over.
It is also understood that the committee did not make a visit to
Fordham to see what the application was about. In fact, we doubt
whether the committee had even read the application notes, as one of
them openly declared his ignorance of the fundamental issue of the
original licence conditions. It was noted by somebody in the room
that the woman who was presenting the action to the committee was
very flustered and uneasy in her demeanour and that the committee may
not have questioned her over points of relevance because they felt
sorry for her. No problem! It's only Fordham. Now, where exactly is
Fordham and what time is lunch?
These people are making decisions
about the lives of people in Essex. Their logo claims they are
'Making Essex a better place to live and work'. Incompetents? We
could not possibly say!
The following article is from the
Evening Gazette of Monday 29th May 2006.
Remember, these people are paid
out of our taxes and have very favourable contract conditions,
pensions, etc. When they have retired and are living off their
comfortable pensions in the comfortable south of Essex, we will still
be here, suffering the consequences of their actions.
The following article is from the
East Anglian Daily Times of Friday 2nd June 2006, dealing with a
public meeting that was held at Fordham village hall. A packed
hall heard first hand accounts of what went on at County Hall and it
was unanimously agreed that the people of Fordham want the ombudsman
to be consulted on the basis of alleged malpractice of the planning
committee.
A committee will be formed to head
the group, whose ultimate aim is to get the skip hire businesses
relocated to a more suitable area.
See for yourself from these
pictures, something of what the people of Fordham are up against.
Children have to walk to their bus stop to catch the bus to school.
Children are afraid to cycle to Fordham School, their parents
preferring to either drive them to school or walk with them. Buses
and cars have been forced off the road by these skip vehicles as well
as children knocked off their bicycles. If Essex County Council don't
care about our plight, we will have to take the fight to them and
force them to get off their backsides and take action.
Part of the requirements to
operate states that all vehicles should be sheeted. This is to
protect against skip contents from falling out and causing injury or
damage. What a joke! This requirement is being constantly flouted.
The skip hire companies know that they have Essex County Council
exactly where they want them. Essex County Council have been allowing
them to flout their licence conditions for many years now. They have
even admitted to it in writing as part of the latest planning
application.
This picture shows an unsheeted
vehicle. Will Essex County Council do anything about it? Fordham
Parish Council have sent this picture to Essex County Council. Let us
wait and see what happens. Our guess is - absolutely nothing will
happen!
25th July 2006
How about this then? Huge chunks
of cardboard from an unsheeted skip. Just imagine they were pieces of
steel, just as was seen recently in another unsheeted skip. Where are
the health and safety people when this sort of thing goes
on.?
Or this picture, verge damage
caused when two lorries couldn't get past each other.
The debris thrown up becomes a
hazard to other road users.
Two skip lorries cannot pass side
by side in places along our roads. Fact!
Or, how about another unsheeted
skip lorry. It's a daily occurrence!
Cartaway Skips have brought this
business into the limelight with their expansion plans. Fordham
Parish Council are looking carefully at the licensing and operation
of the skip hire companies in our village, which will include
monitoring. As a result of the farce at County Hall, they are
starting the ball rolling with an accusation of malpractice by the
planning committee with a view to involving the ombudsman and
possible judicial review. Further details will be added here in due
course. In the meantime, please contact our MP, our borough and
parish councillors and the Conservative Leader of Essex County
Council, Lord Hanningfield, with your views. At least one villager
has already contacted Lord Hanningfield and has received a reply
saying what a good job his people are doing.
Our MP, Mr Bernard Jenkin, has
declined to get involved. We have asked him to act but he has stayed
silent.
Is democracy
working?
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