ill 1294? number of groups do co-operatewith each other - if through to building events such as the Southend Vegan that dldn t happen, the Southend Radical Fair would Fair, managing a community allotment and in the case never have got off the ground‘ of Passionate About Hardie Park, managing a local If we re bemg honest, we re only scratching the surface Perk! If all of this could be Share_d= We W0‘-ed aH_be when 1t comes to networkmg and working together. We v Strenger and better Pleeed lie bung ebellt meenlngflll are most defimtely NOT callmg for any kind of formal change- - all1ance What we re lookmg at is a looser, more ad This is why we have set up The Estuary R3l|lC3| news &v|ewsfromthe south of Essex I Issue No.2 I Free/Donation hoc arrangement where groups and people work ALTERNATIVE blog andpaper - T I l _ together on Sp6C1fiC projects or actions. V https://theestuaryalternative.wordprcss.com/ 1 As well as thrs, we would love to see more in the way of As well as promoting and celebrating what grassroots community projects are doing, we sklll sharlng and mentormg between the different L groups and people workmg on grassroots projects. want to use what we do as a place where we

. . _ -. . ‘-,-an .9-:.__'2 . : _ I i P - There’s a tremendous wealth of knowledge out there can share skills and experiences and grow . ._.,._._._._._._._._:_;_ stronger together. So, it’s over to you to make southend rangmg from how to orgamse and facilitate meetings, ‘\ onsea set up blogs and webs1tes, produce papers and flyers this happen! term :4 or The system of local governance we have to endure is screwed From wrong Welcome to South Essex Radical Media priorities and the pursuit of pointless vanity projectsthrough to arrogant and This paper (and the associated blogs) is a project aimed at bringing dismissive councillors and council officials, far from local counclls serving the radical, alternative media to people across the south of Essex. We people, they're behaving like arrogant, petty dictators who think they have the make absolutely no secret of our radical and anarchist leanings. These right to do what they want and routinely dismiss the legitimate concerns of the|r inform how we cover local issues - however, we try and refrain from residents. Here are just a few examples running from east to west across the area using political terminology and do our level best not to come across as preachy in any way, shape or form! we cover of just how bad it's getting... Basically, we believe that real change leaning to a more equitable, just and Southend Borough c0lII'lCi| too easily - in the event of a catastrophic flood when saner world will not come from putting a cross in a box on a ballot paper every They persist in the pursuit of their vanity project of the island has to be evacuated the consequences of few years. lt’s only by people getting stuck in at grassroots level in their a museum / gallery on the clifftops despite the roads jamming up would be horrendous Desplte communities, workplaces and colleges, building and linking up from there to numerous objections from residents. Take a walk all of this, the planners seem to thunk that allowmg create a progressive, pro-working class movement that any meaningful around Southend town centre and you canit fail to ITIOYB develflpmelli 0" Cam/BY I5" i 8 Problem change can come about. » notice the number of homeless people on the especially if it allows the leafy helghts of Benfleet We would love it if any ofyou who share our political outlook, live anywhere streets. You’d have thought that a council with the and Thundersley i0 Stat’ leafy across the south of Essex and are involved in a local campaign or feel you slightest shred of decency and humanity would be B ild c -I have something to say, could contribute to this paper or the blog. The aim is directing resources to provide decent as . on ouncl to make this project as inclusiveas possible -A so it’s over to you...” accommodation and su ort services for the “mere the heek ee We Basllflnn .. —l' ~ Pp - 1- - homeless to help them get back on their feet but Beglee Le? Start Wee illlllllltl A P no...pointless vanity projects are more important eggmg e geelee h Accomplices, allies and friends riorities for an authori that’s lost the lot epeeee an per S (eeut Baslldon & Southend Housing Action: https://www.facebook.com/basacton/ p _ ty _ p ' ofthe A127, not in leafy wfllflflmfl Class War: https://www.facebook..com/ClassWarOfficiaV Castle P0lI'l'|I c0l.ll‘lCl| Billericay) to erg Focus E15: https://focuse15.org/ They seem to think there’s no problem with allowing developers and wilfully Red 8: Black Telly: https://www.youtube.com/user/RedAndBlackTelly ever more development on Canvey Island against ignoring the rationale of why green spaces were Southend In Transition Community Allotment: https://www.faceboolccom/SiTcommunityAllotment/ the wishes of the residents. The residents of the planned into the new town when 1t was built The Splralseed: http://spiralseed.co.uk/ island have pointed out that Canvey is not just low desecration of a substantlal chunk of Gloucester Vange Hlll Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/180311358699122/ lying but below sea level when the tide is up, and Park for a housing development that does sod all to that piling more homes onto what to all intents and alleviate the (heavily doctored)hous1ng wa1tmg Our alter ego purposesis a flood plain when sea levels are rising list for social housing but w1llpotent1ally brmg South Essex Class War: https://wwwfacebook.com/cwsouthessex/ due to climate change is at dumb idea.Not only that, more Tory voters into the town 1s just one it’s also been pointed out to Castle Point Council example. Social engineermg and gerrymanclermg Blogs from South Essex Radical Media that there are only two roads off the island, one of are two terms that spring to mmd to describe thls The SOUTH ESSEX STIRRER: https://southessexstirrer.wordpress.com/ which leads through the suburban tract housing of Then the,-ers a rubbish collectlon ‘System’ that ON UNCERTAIN GROUND: https://onuncertaingrouncl.wordpress.com/ Benfleet At the beet °f times» the-ee reeds lam "P all leaves some estates littered with uncollected bags The Estuary ALTERNATIVE: https://theestuaryalternatlve.wordpress.com/ of trash that inevitably get torn open by foxes creating a health hazard Our frlends at Baslldon & -Iii‘. -mi Contact us x W my Southend Housing Action - Facebook: https://wwwfacebook.com/southessexradmedia/ https://wwwfacebook com/basacton/ - have Twitter: https://twitter.com/SthEssRadMedia been laying into the C0111'lCll for more years than E-mall: [email protected] they care to remember in a b1d to find out 1f they actually have anything remotely resembl1ng a Prmted by Oxford GreenPrint | E-mail: [email protected] | Tel: 01865 682 8.1.9 CONTINUED OVERLEAF to control how it's proceedings are reported, alarm as independents or as representatives of community represent and to be a pain in the arse to the powers t workable rubbish collection protocol —i we’ll let you groups in local elections. As a tactic for raising issues that be! " O know if they ever get an answer! r bells should start to ring very loudly. When a council wants to control the narrative, it's generally a signal and forcing candidates from the mainstream parties to l/Vhatever strategy or tactics you decide to Last but by no means least, there’s the dismissive r acknowledge and face up to their shortcomings in they've got something to hide! adopt, the aim is to bring powerand control and arrogant attitude of too many of Basildon dealing with them, it’s worth pursuing. You may well right down to the grassroots. This is thefirst Council's officers when dealing with residents, T Havering Council get elected and find yourself in a position of challenging step in starting to dismantle a selfserving resident action groups and tenant representatives. Just one example of the short-sightedness of their and undermining the system from within... The ground system ofgovernance that no longer serves These officers acting like petty dictators seem to rules for this are to donate all of your councillor’s the wishes ofthe people in any way, shape planners is the bid to build houses on the green at orform... have forgotten that their role is to serve the people Dovers Farm Estate in South Hornchurch. Like allowance to the community or community group you of Basildon, not dump on them! most post war council estates, the green at Dovers Thurrock Council Farm was planned into the development to provide Doing ii TOT ourselves (because no one else will) recreational opportunities for people living nearby. They made a bid a few There's only so much neglect, indifference and being mucked around by local councils When there’s a move to improve the health months ago to dictate that people will take before saying enough is enough and taking matters into their own prospects of kids by encouraging them to move which media outlets hands. We'd like to celebrate those examples of people power, not just for saving would be allowed to away from the screen of whatever internet connected device theyhappen to be using and go neglected parks and starting to turn round troubled housing estates but also because report on the they're the first step in bringing control back down to the level of the neighbourhood. A proceedings of the outside, run around and let off some steam in the fresh air, it seems perverse to build over green We've written before aboutthe dedicated group of residents desperately needed community spirit and solidarity. This council. This was done p in Stanford-le-Hope who became so fed up with Thurrock initiative, supported by our friends at Basildon & Southend becausethe council V j s v S p I spaces that allow them to do this. Housing Action - https://www.facebook.com/basacton/ - We've only skimmed the surface ofhow Council's long standing neglect of Hardie Park, they took wanted to control the '_ l r matters into their own hands and they now effectively run has just got off the ground and everyone knows it"s going to narrative about what O A dysfunctional, arrogant and out oftouch the park - https://www.facebook.com/LoveHardlePark/ be a long slog to turn the estate round. However, it's a great they do instead of allowing the local media to do the local authorities in our area are... Hardie Park used to be an unloved, litter strewn, unkempt example of grassroots community action and one we their job of telling us the truth of what -actually goes There are many more examples that need place that many locals went out of their way to avoid. As you wholeheartedly back. on. There have been quite a few dictators in the to be brought to people’s attention and can see from their Facebook page, with the cafe, the events ln both cases, lt’s people deciding to work together to get a course of history who have controlled the narrative we're more than happy to do that on the they put on and host, and the fact that the park is now a result for their community to ensure they were seen in the best possible light St-irrer blog - write them up, send them in popular destination, theyinow do a far better job than and in the process, starting but when a local council in the UK decides it wants and we'll publish them... Thurrock Council ever did of running the park. s to wrest o bit ofpower F Then there’s the Vange Hill Community Group - away from inoifforoot. So" https://wwwfacebook.com/groups/18031.1358699:l.22/ - serving loco! councils one $%finfine£§%d= rifled We can’t go on like this, things have got to change who operate on the troubled 1% estate in Vange on the or-ms if down to the love! oi‘! Whether it's councillors going on an ego trip R . southern fringes of Basildon. The estate is plagued with the neighbourhood. If real or council officials acting like petty dictators, ’ 1' ’ problems ranging from broken, cracked and unsafe paths, fundamental change is ever power always corrupts. The only long term ree1’ uncollected rubbish and flytipping through to rogue slum going to happen, the solution is to bring power right down to the landlords, overcrowded houses of multiple occupation and process has to start where e -\_-"* persistent anti-social behaviour. They're fed up with the we live in our \ €§:fi=?\ level of the neighbourhoodt where it's the i7""‘"r. -.. — years of neglect from Basildon Council, Circle Housing and neighbourhoods and N people who control what's going on and have Swan Housing and have decided to fight back to secure a spread outwards and a meaningful say in how their community Q}:#/ .o,~ =<____ better deal for the estate and start to build some upwards from there. develops and grows into the future. We do “io <1r 46t -I"t-- /‘! -2.5 I"...-IQ’ --to realise that a neighbourhood being able to lee take full control isn't going to happen this Working better together side of a major political, economic and social Working with other groups on an issue is good. Numbers are upheaval - one that we're very keen to help formula. Strategy and tactics vary from conventional boosted, skills and experiences are shared and morale improves. bring about! lobbying and participation in ‘consultation’ processes We're not ideological purists - so long as a group is moving in the through to setting up community gardens (sometimes There are numerous ways we can start to chip away at a same broad direction of travel as we are, if there's an issue l without permission!) and starting to take over the we're mutually concerned about, we'll get on board with them to system that’s already crumbling to bring that change functions that local authorities who have willingly about... We support a range of community action signed up to the governments austerity agenda have do something about it. groups who all have the aim of wanting to make life in their neighbourhood better. In the current political abandoned. A . Sometimes, this may lead to a permanent alliance - at community gardens and skill share initiatives through climate, wedon’t expect community action groups to While we respect the rationale of those who want to other times, it will be an ad-hoc arrangement to get a to resident run and managed local parks and open see themselves as having any kind of revolutionary lobby, it’s those who are taking practical action in their result before going our separate ways, bearing in mind spaces. All of them in their own way contribute to the potential. However, in their desire for transparency and communities that’s effectively building the new world that at some point, we may well meet again in the project of building a more just, sane and sustainable accountability from the councils that are supposed to inside the decaying shell of the dystopian one we’re future. This is why we’re happy to work with groups world that could eventually replace the decaying, serve them and for their community to have a currently forced to endure that we as anarchists are ranging from Southend In Transition Community dystopian one we currently have to endure. meaningful say in how it develops into the future, more interested in. In the wake of the Grenfell Tower Allotment and Vange Hill Community Groupon One of the ideas that motivated building and holding there’s a clear indication they know the way things are disaster, the community in North Kensington stepping grassroots stuff out here in Essex to Focus E15, Class the Southend Radical Fair that took place on May 6th isn't good enough and that change is needed. in to fill the void left by a corrupt and dysfunctional War and Movement For Justice on broader issues such this year was to facilitate networking between the No two community or grassroots action groups are the council is one example of this. T as housing and migrant rights in London. grassrootsiprojects in the area. Obviously, there's a same -Lthat s good as rt means they respond to the While we’renot into electoralism, one tactic we have There’s an amazing range of grassroots projects level of networking thafalready does take place and a condrtrons they encounter rather than work to a set (llSCLlSSC(l with like minded people is residents standing operating out here in Essex. They range from CONTINUED OVERLEAF

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