Friday 31 December 2010

Grey Skies Portend Grey Times Ahead

Misty woodsGREY SKIES hung over the Borough this afternoon as residents prepared to usher in tomorrow’s New Year, and the morning mist, which stubbornly refused to move from low lying regions, obscured a previously visible horizon.

The conditions perfectly expressed the political weather that lies ahead.

Borough councillors face an ominous task in 2011, paring back overheads and public services to achieve almost 30 per cent cuts over the next two years. Few residents are likely to be happy as the axe falls; but the majority of Canvey Beat readers agree: deep cuts are necessary, and members should not increase Council Tax or Business Rates to lessen their impact.

Thursday 30 December 2010

Local Hustings On The Canvey Beat In 2011

Live blogTHE CANVEY BEAT will be inviting all Canvey Island Town Council candidates to take part in six live husting events, hosted during April, on this Blog. Individual candidates will be invited to take part as panellists in one of six live debates, each covering one of the Canvey Island wards.

The debates will take place on consecutive Friday and Saturday evenings, at 7.00pm, commencing Friday 8th April 2011, and all will follow a simple format:-

  • All candidates will be given five minutes in which to present an election address – with incumbent councillors going first and others following in alphabetical party order.
  • Those addresses will be followed by questions from those viewing the event live in their browsers, and others, put on readers’ behalves, which have been emailed-in.
  • Each debate will last approximately one hour and, after it has ended, will be archived and immediately made accessible to anyone unable to attend the live event.

… (Ted Pugh, 30/12/2010) – Planning The New Year

Sunday 26 December 2010

A New Year Dawns As The Borough Thaws

January thawAT THIS TIME LAST YEAR, Canvey Beat readers were debating whether Bob Spink, with the Echo’s support, would again retain his House of Commons seat as the Borough’s MP in May’s general election. This year, this Blog’s readership will be debating whether Dave Blackwell and his Canvey Island Independent Party (CIIP) can retain control of Canvey Island Town Council in the local elections to be held in May.

Blackwell and his party, like Spink last year, can be expected to receive a great deal of friendly press coverage from the Echo; but that did not help Bob Spink’s campaign. Instead, the paper’s local political coverage alienated a large swathe of residents when it became apparent that it was supressing publication of relevant breaking news and evidence produced by this Blog.

Looking Forward To 2011

New YearTHE CANVEY BEAT underwent a major upheaval in 2010 when, in June, it was decided to move away from its original WordPress host and take advantage of the multi-media capabilities offered by Google’s BlogSpot. Unlike WordPress, BlogSpot provides full JavaScript support and also permits unrestricted advertising (which was a major consideration in the decision to move).

The Canvey Beat underwent a number of significant changes. Freed from WordPress restrictions, this Blog can now provide live coverage of interesting local and national events – as well as providing live links to all the breaking national and local news in its STOP PRESS column. And, instead of being confined to plain text and image content with hyperlinks, the new Canvey Beat can now provide full interactive access to supporting documents within its articles, together with full video hosting.

Monday 20 December 2010

The Canvey Beat Will Be Back In The New Year

A Merry Christmas To All Canvey Beat Readers

Christmas Card

Readers Reject Council Tax Increase Option

Council tax poll resultsCANVEY BEAT READERS have strongly rejected the idea that Council Taxes or Business Rates should be increased in order to find the savings that Castle Point Borough Council needs to satisfy the demands of central government.

In three 48-hour straw polls, conducted by this Blog, 92 per cent of businesses said they could not afford any increase to their business rates – with only 8 per cent prepared to pay a one per cent rise.

An overwhelming 100 per cent of readers rejected any idea of Canvey Island Town Council receiving an increased precept.

Voting was softest when asked how much extra readers could afford to pay in Castle Point Borough Council Tax. Sixty-four per cent said they could not afford any increase; but 29 per cent were happy to pay a two-and-a-half per cent rise – and seven per cent were prepared to pay up to five per cent more.

Bar Monico’s Licence To Be Reviewed

Canvey MonicoESSEX POLICE have called for a review of the Bar Monico’s Liquor Licence after it was found to be in serious breach of new mandatory conditions that came into force on 6th April and 1st October 2010.

Despite the conditions being explained to Mr Derek Gray and Mr Reece Turner, the licensees, it is alleged that, during its Howl Or Scream Halloween event, alcohol was poured directly into the mouths of under-18s by staff – and a male exposed his penis to female customers.

Saturday 18 December 2010

Not An Easy Question To Answer

CPBC Income and Expenditure 2009-2010THE FINANCIAL QUANDRY, which Castle Point Borough Council finds itself placed in by severe government spending cuts, is not easily solved. That fact is illustrated by so few readers responding to the question: ‘What would you cut?’

Jean Burroughs finds the question impossible to answer. ‘The problem,’ she says in her email, ‘is that so few people know what the Council spends its money on.’ And she goes on to say: ‘I just feel fortunate that I am not one of the councillors forced to make these decisions.’

Friday 17 December 2010

What Is It With The Echo?

Mayor stops critic speaking at debateEVERY NEWSPAPER has a right to its own editorial opinion; but in its columns, unless it is clearly marked as an advertorial, it has an overwhelming duty to ensure it prints the facts.

That duty is clearly something that the Echo’s editorial department simply disregards whenever Dave Blackwell or his associates are mentioned.

It is known that Bob Spink, Castle Point’s last MP, held a sword of Damocles over editors’ heads - threatening to sue them over stories they had written about the former’s marriage – if they once again impugned his image. It is that threat that lay behind the Echo’s reluctance to pursue the topic of Bob Spink’s expenses and other allegations that were consequently confined to this Blog. But Bob Spink no longer holds power – and the man, it could be said, now has no image to impugn. There is enough information on this Blog and its WordPress sister to ensure that any libel action undertaken by our deposed MP (if he can now in fact afford such actions without access to taxpayers funds) would be summarily dismissed.

Canvey Island Prepares For More Public Protests

Spink addresses the paddling pool protesters earlier this year

THE IMAGES OF THE ONE HUNDRED or so protesters organised by Bob Spink and the Canvey Island Independent Party (CIIP) may soon re-emerge in the local press as Dave Blackwell’s party launches its attempt to keep control of Canvey Island Town Council in the run-up to May’s local elections.

The swingeing Government cuts, imposed upon Castle Point Borough Council, will provide the opposition leader with just the issue he needs to accuse the Conservative majority of disregarding islanders’ wishes. And, just as Spink alluded to the real CIIP’s objective of achieving Canvey’s separation from Castle Point in the accompanying David Bullock video, Blackwell and his party’s members will again represent public protest as support for that separatist policy.

Thursday 16 December 2010

Castle Point Council Faced With 30% Cuts

Pam Challis announces the cutsDESPITE ITS FINANCIAL PRUDENCE, Castle Point Borough Council (CPBC) members are faced with the herculean task of having to reduce their expenditure by some 30 per cent over the next two years. Government funding will be reduced by 17.6 per cent from April next year – and 12.1 per cent the year after.

Castle Point Borough Council Leader Pam Challis announced the news to shocked members at the Full Council meeting held on Tuesday evening.

The cuts are much more than anticipated. This year CPBC received £6.65 million as its formula grant from government, crystallising the two reductions as  £1.17 million next year and a further £663,000 the year after.

‘It is important that we all work together,’ Pam said, as she concluded her announcement.

Tuesday 14 December 2010

Canvey Beat Readers Back Government Cuts

Poll on Coalition CutsIN A 48 HOUR STRAW POLL, Canvey Beat readers backed the Coalition Government’s programme of cuts.

Fifty-five per cent were in favour, against 45 per cent who were opposed or undecided.

This week the Government will put flesh on the bones of its Autumn spending review and, by the end of the week, councils will have a good idea of how the cuts are likely to impact them.

Saturday 11 December 2010

Use Snow Time To Tweet Or Build Your Free Website, Says Essex FSB

penguinESSEX FEDERATION of Small Businesses is urging business owners facing quiet periods due to the snow and ice to use the time to revise their marketing plans and start using social media and the internet.

Essex FSB Chairman, Iain Wicks, said: “We know that the current bad weather has meant many business owners are seeing fewer customers through their doors and we are encouraging people to use that time to develop their marketing and internet presence.

“Many businesses are finding that using Twitter and other social media is proving successful for them and, in very little time, it is possible to develop a presence which will raise the profile of your business and help attract more customers.

Friday 10 December 2010

CITC To Undergo Rebranding For May’s Local Elections

CITC WebsiteNOT CONTENT with re-inventing themselves as the Canvey Island Independent Party to hoodwink islanders into thinking they were voting for something new, failed ex-Labour councillors, who are now comfortably installed in Canvey Island’s Town Council, have decided to refresh that establishment’s failed image by completely overhauling its rarely used Website.

The image conscious councillors passed a resolution to employ local firm, Impact Media Design (based in Charfleets Farm Way) to conduct the work - at a meeting of the Canvey Island Town Council on 19th July this year.

Thursday 9 December 2010

And Now: FREE Local Advertising Via Twitter

HomepageSINCE INTRODUCING this Blog’s live STOP PRESS panel, the number of readers whom have set the Canvey Beat as their homepage has increased from just under 25 per cent to 43 per cent (as of yesterday).

Local residents are discovering that the Canvey Beat is the only place on the Web that now brings together all the local and national news as it breaks – as well as providing local weather information and immediate announcements from Essex and Castle Point Council Twitter feeds. Moreover, local business information is also made immediately available via tweets from the Federation of Small Businesses.

Tuesday 7 December 2010

Now That Is A Majority Decision!

Live Blog CoverageWITH JUST OVER A FORTNIGHT to go before Christmas, now is not the best time for readers to be asked their opinions on how they would like to see the Canvey Beat’s Live Blog facilities used.

Most have far more important things to do as they settle down to writing Christmas Cards and preparing for the festive season, so my sincere thanks goes to those who took time-out to participate in the two 48-hour straw polls in the new STOP PRESS panel. (Readers may also have noted that, to encourage its use, I am also publishing a funny video in that column each day – at different times – to help lighten the mood).

Saturday 4 December 2010

Advertise Your Events And Appeals For Free

Stop PressCANVEY BEAT READERS can now take advantage of a new 24 hour Stop Press panel - providing live breaking news snippets - to inform other guests and their families of their own news and forthcoming events.

Local organisations; Bloggers; and aspiring young reporters are also invited to provide their Twitter account names so that those feeds can be incorporated into the feature’s live content.

If you need to advertise a forthcoming event or make an appeal: just enter your company or private name in the 'Your Name' field and then write your post in the 'Send questions or comments' box.

Approved content will normally be published within 24 hours.

Friday 3 December 2010

A Feisty Performance From Rebecca

Rebecca Harris MPOUR LOCAL MP, Rebecca Harris, today showed the nation why she had been elected to serve the Castle Point constituency. In presenting her Private Member’s Bill to the House of Commons, this morning, she made an impassioned, eloquent speech calling for the benefits of Single Double Summer Time to be investigated – and not once tripped over her words or diluted her argument with attacks upon its opponents.

It was a polished delivery, belying the fact that our MP has little commons experience, and was delivered with a masterful command of keeping a wary eye upon the opposing benches (where the Scots sat).

The debate went all Mrs Harris’ way, despite an unedifying attack upon Peter Hitchens (at the Mail on Sunday) by Tobias Elwood - one of Rebecca’s supporters and author of an extensive missive of all the benefits that SDST could bring - for the reporter to have dared to use the term: ‘Berlin time’ in a fortnight-old MoS article.

Oh, What A Wally!

Im StupidI KNEW I would have problems during this Blog’s first live broadcast – and that the technology would have ‘bugs.’ But the ‘problems‘, earlier this morning, were confined to my own stupidity.

I managed the event keeping a wary eye on the system’s visitor counter, wondering why it only peaked at eight viewers and deciding not to engage those few with the various polls I had prepared – because the results would have no statistical basis. Similarly, I confined myself to Parliament’s proceedings rather than broadening the various issues out as I would have liked.

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