2017 Frinton by-election

 2017 Frinton by-election

Website	http://www.essexinfo.net/frinton-and-walton-town-council/your-council/

The date of the Frinton by-election for the seat vacated by Councillor Mark Brown on Frinton and Walton Town Council is set for Thursday, 19 January 2017. The elected Councillor will join three others from Frinton Ward:

1. Cllr E T Allen
2. Cllr N W Turner
3. Cllr Mrs V J Watling

Responsibilities

Frinton and Walton Town Council (F&WTC) has a major leisure facility, the Columbine Centre at Princes Esplanade, Walton-on-the-Naze, which is licensed for Civil Ceremonies. F&WTC maintains three allotment sites. All are productive, well maintained and sociable.

F&WTC comments on all planning applications affecting the Town. Its other responsibilities include tree planting, bus shelters, seafront shelters, village greens and commons, play areas, a skateboard park, the Town Hard and public seats.

PCSOs

In 2004 F&WTC, in partnership with Essex Police, saw the recruitment of six Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) with a further two recruited in 2006. Following the election of the Police and Crime Commissioner and reorganisations within the Police Authority, PCSO part-funding was withdrawn. The Town Council made the decision to fully fund six PCSOs w.e.f. April 2015 in order to continue with the good work they had done in this area. It is hoped that they will continue to have a significant impact on nuisance, crime and disorder to help keep crime low in our towns and villages.

Financing local organisations

The Town Council gives financial assistance to many local organisations each year. For further information please telephone: (01255) 676666.

2016/17 precept

F&WTC precept in 2016/17 is £387,895 (also in receipt of £43,293 Local Council Tax Support scheme grant from Tendring District Council) and the effect on an average Band D Council tax bill is £52.39.

Fire Service "cuts"

Fire Service "cuts": only one fire engine is to remain at Frinton, despite the £200,000 "profit"

On 21 October 2016, the Daily Gazette reported that Essex County Fire and Rescue Service was making a £200,000 “profit” every year in delivering a service to Frinton and Walton it was planning to reduce. Figures released by the service to F&WTC revealed that Frinton & Walton paid £501,000 a year in Council Tax for its fire service, which in turn cost just £300,000 to deliver.

The admission stemmed from a letter F&WTC sent to acting chief executive and acting chief fire officer Adam Eckley following a recent meeting he held with Town Councillors on the planned removal of one of Frinton’s two fire engines. Town Clerk Myrna Liles wrote:

“I am sorry that it ended so abruptly but the strong feelings of our members has been fed up from our residents and I believe they all feel really frustrated that our service is diminishing and we are unable to do anything about it.”

Mrs Liles further told Essex Fire and Rescue residents and councillors felt “out on a limb” and she sought reassurance they wouldn’t suffer from “this ill informed decision” to remove the fire engine. She also asked how much it cost to provide the service from Frinton, saying residents should not have to pay for improvements elsewhere if their own service was being cut.

Adam Eckley replied that despite Frinton’s impending loss of one engine, there would be “no change to the resources mobilised to incidents” in Frinton and Walton as residents would have access to services from elsewhere. Mr Eckley confirmed Frinton and Walton residents pay £501,000 of Council Tax to the fire authority, while “we estimate the current cost of providing and supporting the fire station in Frinton is around £300,000 per annum.”

Candidates

At close of nominations on 20 December 2016, there were five candidates:

1. Susan Clutterbuck - Green Party
2. Richard Everett - Frinton-on-Sea Resident
3. Patrick Haseldine - Labour Party
4. Fiona Knowles - Tendring First
5. Pamela Walford - Conservative Party

Message from Jeremy Corbyn

On 22 December 2016, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn addressed the following message to Patrick Haseldine:

Dear Patrick,

As we approach the end of the year I want to take the opportunity to thank each and every Labour Party member and wish you all a very merry Christmas.

If there is one thing that is certain, it is that the Labour Party's biggest asset in meeting our challenges is you, our members and supporters.

The party has never grown faster — with more new members in the last 20 months than in the previous 20 years.

New members and old, together, are a formidable force in British society and politics. When we campaign together we have great results.

In the last year we forced the Tories to drop their appalling plan to cut Personal Independence Payments for those with disabilities and they were forced to retreat on cuts to Working Tax Credits.

We have forced back their plan for 'every school an academy', defeated Tory changes to Sunday trading, and forced them to put their plans for Brexit before Parliament and the country.

In recent weeks, we have campaigned for our National Health Service and social care, which are in crisis due to Tory cuts and mismanagement.

The truth is that the rules of politics and the economy are rigged. Over the last decade most people have seen their living standards stagnate or fall, while an elite few prosper. There may be a new Prime Minister in Number 10 but the rules are still rigged against the majority of the British people.

Six years of austerity has hit public services, living standards and opportunities for many people. The Tories' long-term economic plan has been all pain for little gain. Public service cuts for the many, to fund tax cuts for the few.

The consequences are stark: increased poverty and street homelessness, oversized classes in many of our schools and 120,000 children spending this Christmas in temporary accommodation without a home to call their own.

It does not have to be like this.

Labour would invest to grow our economy, raise wage levels and ensure no one and no community is left behind.

Brexit is a huge challenge for our country. We have to heal the divides in our country — and speak for both those who voted Leave and Remain, to stop the Tory vision for Brexit — of a country where workers are easier to exploit and taxes easier to avoid. We will not obstruct the democratic decision to Leave, but we will oppose policies that harm our people.

It is our party, our movement, that will unite people to change Britain for the better, and give us the chance to bring more humanity and peace to a troubled world.

Let us work together — and enjoy the common endeavour we are embarked on.

Thank you for all that you do for our party, and I hope you have the opportunity to spend some time with loved ones over the Christmas period.

Jeremy Corbyn

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