Billericay Town Crier THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE BILLERICAY TOWN COUNCIL Volume 7, Issue 2 April 2007 Inside this issue: Big Litter Pick PAGE Billericay in Bloom 2 Public Convenience New Notice Board PAGE Town Design 3 Statement BYTC - Skatepark Improvements PAGE Phoenix FM 4 District Council Surgery Funday Police Surgeries Message in a Bottle NCE AGAIN Billericay Town Council participants worked hard at removing litter. The Crunch Service brought together over 50 members of The litter campaign was most successful and O the public as part of its ‘Big Litter resulted in the collection of 121 bags of rubbish Town Councillors Pick’ day in a bid to clear some of the litter from in just under two hours. In addition various Future dates for your diary Billericay’s streets. Participants included unusual items were collected such as a child’s residents, Billericay Town Councillors, Youth car seat, car bumper, a bag of cement, a garden Town Councillors, District Councillors, an gnome, a soiled nappy and thousands of Essex County Councillor, members of cigarette ends (smokers should be reminded that Town Guide Billericay’s Fire Station, Army Cadet force, in accordance with the Clean Neighbourhoods representatives of the Royal British Legion, and Environment Act 2005 fines can now be 2007 Billericay Society, Norsey Wood Society, Lions imposed for this.) Club, youth members of local churches and Billericay Town Council hopes that this The next edition of the Town Billericay Archaeological & Historical Society. campaign will urge residents and visitors to help Guide will be published this It was pleasing to see such a great turnout and keep Billericay clean and thanks all those that autumn. All local Clubs and support for the campaign, especially to have took part. Special thanks go to Basildon District Associations are invited to younger members of the community getting Council for their support and prompt collection submit 200-300 words plus a involved. Dressed in brightly coloured tabards of the rubbish bags on the day. photograph about themselves and armed with litter pickers, groups of Working Due to the success of this ‘Big Pick’ day, especially if this year is some Parties were deployed in Radford Way/Railway Billericay Town Council are hoping to organise form of anniversary or you Station, Queens Park, Woolworths Car Park, another ‘Big Pick’ later in the year. For details of how to participate please contact Helen Philpott, have achieved something the High Street and Sun Corner with the Norsey Woods Society cleaning the entrances Town Clerk. special. and adjoining roads to the woods; the Cllr. Jonathan Garlick For further information and general enquiries contact: Town Clerk • Billericay Town Council • The Loft • Crown Yard • High Street • Billericay CM12 9BX www.billericaytowncouncil.gov.uk T: 01277 625732 F: 01277 634784 E: [email protected] PAGE 2 BILLERICAY TOWN CRIER Help us to celebrate the 10th Billericay in Bloom Competition Arrangements are well in hand for this year’s competition. We have a new category for a vegetable plot which should be a 10th Anniversary minimum of 10ft x 6ft. Our primary school children are being asked to grow their Billericay in Bloom 2007 garden in a pot using wild flower seeds. Entry form: I wish to enter in the following categories: (Please no digging up wild flowers). Ǣ A- Best Kept Small Front Garden (1000 sq ft or less)* All past prize-winners will be invited to the Ǣ B-Best Kept Large Front Garden (more than 1000 sq ft)* prizegiving which will be held on 20th July Ǣ C-Best Kept Small Back Garden (1500 sq ft or less)* at The Canon Roche Social Centre, Ǣ D- Best Kept Large Back Garden (more than 1500 sq ft)* Laindon Road. The prizes this year will be Ǣ E-Best Home Grown Hanging Basket *Includes paths and drives presented by a local celebrity. Ǣ In addition to the Billericay in Bloom F-Best Sheltered Accommodation Garden Ǣ Competition a number of initiatives are G- Best Commercial Premises Ǣ already underway to make the 10th H- Best Public House Ǣ anniversary a memorable event. The judges I-Best Vegetable Garden [can include soft fruit - min 60sq ft] are providing a cup for the best entry and (must be within the confines of the property) John Burrows, one of the judges, gave a Ǣ J-Flower Garden in a Pot – talk on 11th April on “How to Win!” Wildlife Garden from seeds for Primary Schools only The Town Council would also like to invite Circular containers maximum diameter 450mm (18"). Work to be that of the residents to consider planting a tree within individual child. Containers to be labelled with child’s name, class and school. their community. So if you have a patch of Categories A to F inclusive plus I & J. No professional help is allowed green where a suitable tree could be Name____________________________________________________________________________________________ planted and you are willing to Address__________________________________________________________________________________________ join together to provide the funding (in the region of £100 Postcode _____________________________________ Day time Tel No ___________________________________ Closing date 12 noon 27th June 2007 • Judging will take place on 8th and 9th July 2007 a tree) please contact the Town This information will be treated as confidential and used only for the administration of this competition. Clerk. It would be good to see Return this form to: Billericay in Bloom, Billericay Town Council, The Loft, Crown the ‘greening’ of Billericay as Yard, High Street, Billericay CM12 9BX. (Behind Caffé Uno). Tel: 01277 625732 part of the tenth anniversary. would have to be included. We are looking Library. Closing date is 27th June. Judging Residents would be asked if they at the possibility of grant funding but at this takes place on 8th and 9th of July. would be willing to undertake stage that is by no means certain. the care of the tree ALL BACK GARDENS WILL BE A lot is happening. We topped the 100 during the first 6 JUDGED ON SUNDAY THE 8TH. entrants mark last year. Let’s make this year If you will be away please make months (i.e. even better. Fill in your entry form NOW, arrangements with a neighbour for the watering) until it before you forget; you will find this in this judges to gain access and make sure the becomes established; edition of the Town Crier, or it can be Town Clerk knows that you have given otherwise obtained from the Council Offices or the permission. Cllr. Marion Wilson maintenance costs New Notice Board in the Provision of Public Convenience High Street As a result of a public consultation exercise the Town Council are pursing the provision We are pleased to advise that we have of a public convenience within the car park behind Woolworths and subject to successfully concluded a joint venture satisfactory negotiations working closely with Bennetts Funeral with Basildon District Directors and the Billericay Society to establish the new notice board very soon at Council regarding the siting the northern corner of Western Road and of the convenience, the the High Street. It will be located where it facility should be installed will be seen by a large number of people within the 2007/08 financial passing each day to and from the station. year. To assist with the The Notice Board was sponsored by acquisition of the automatic Bennetts Funeral Directors for which we public convenience a are very grateful and will be managed by grant of £1,000 has been BTC. It will show useful information received from Basildon regarding current activities in the area and District Council and £12,000 the Billericay Society will provide a map from the Essex County detailing footpath walks that residents can explore in and around the town. Council Community Cllr. Peter Bowditch (left) and Town Clerk, Helen Philpott, (right) Cllr. P. Bowditch Initiatives Fund. receiving cheque from District Councillor, Terri Sargent (centre). BILLERICAY TOWN CRIER PAGE 3 town design STATEMENT After consulting many organisations and publicising the opportunity to join an independent Steering Group Committee we are pleased to announce that the group was set up on the 28th March by the Billericay Town Council. The group appointed its own independent chairman, vice chairman, treasurer and secretary Cllr Peter Bowditch (right) congratulates and set the agenda for its first meeting on April 4th 2007. Ian Davie, Chairman (TDSG) (centre) and We were delighted with the response we received from the community and private Ron Capes, Vice Chair (TDSG) (left). individuals to enable this group to be formed with a really enthusiastic number of people. Basildon District Councillors were there to acknowledge this new group and were very helpful in their contribution to setting it up. Mr Ian Davie, the Steering Group Chairman and his new committee will be working closely with the Basildon District Council Planners and seeking relevant information from public consultations and consulting with experts and organisations in Billericay over the next 18 months. This information gathering will be consolidated into a comprehensive printed document for presentation and adoption. The Town Design Statement will provide an important part in the Community-led Plan covering Billericay Town and when adopted by Basildon District Council will form a part of their Local Development Framework for the district. We wish the new Steering Group every success and will give them every assistance. Cllr Peter Bowditch, Chairman Town Design Meeting to initiate Town Design Steering Group (TDSG) Statement Working Party. The first manned exhibition by the Steering Committee will be held at the Library on 21-23 June; times Thursday and Saturday 10.00am - 4.00pm, Friday 1.00pm - 7.00pm.