Tendring Tories block scheme for Pattrick’s Lane

After decades of trying, it looked like the residents of Pattrick’s Lane were finally going to see it brought up to standard and adopted by Essex County Council.

Pattrick’s Lane - Resident Ray Hunt, Cllrs. Dave McLeod and Ivan Henderson
Pattrick’s Lane – Resident Ray Hunt, Cllrs. Dave McLeod and Ivan Henderson

The scheme had been drawn up by county council officers, was supported by Bernard Jenkin MP, the previous county councillor Ricky Callender, the present county councillor, Ivan Henderson, and both TDC ward councillors, Dave McLeod and Garry Calver.

Essex County Council had allocated £106,000 of dedicated S106 funding and the project was flagged as ‘high priority’.  All it needed was for the Tendring Local Highways Panel to sign off the additional £100,000 required and the work would have begun.  The funding was available, everyone who had worked so hard to bring this about was happy and the residents of Pattrick’s Lane and everyone else affected by the terrible state of the lane’s surface were about to see an end to the problem.  Unfortunately, we had forgotten what the Conservative leader of TDC, Cllr Peter Halliday, is like when it comes to spending money in Harwich.

When the meeting of the Local Highways Panel took place he refused to allow the additional funding to be allocated and his Conservative colleagues voted with him to prevent the scheme going ahead.  Ivan Henderson argued strongly against them but could do nothing about the Conservative majority on the committee who simply followed their leader.

As a result, Essex County Council can only use their portion of the funding to do another temporary patch up instead of dealing with the age old problem once and for all.

It brings back memories of Cllr Halliday’s ‘Over my dead body’ statement when Labour fought to get the swimming pool upgraded and, although we finally succeeded, it took far longer than it should have done.  Labour cannot explain why Peter Halliday has acted in the manner that he has and he must take full responsibility for his actions.  Once again, it has been Labour fighting for Harwich and Dovercourt and the Conservatives preventing progress.

For further information contact: Harwich Labour Press Officer Garry Calver