The Evening Echo

Controversial bail hostel plan axed

RELIEVED residents who faced an "open prison" being set up on their doorsteps were celebrating today after plans were axed.  Housing association Clear-springs confirmed it will no longer buy a house in Kent View Road, Vange, and transform it into a bail hostel.  MP Angela Smith is convinced the firm pulled out after she met with bosses, but the company insists it backed away for "business" reasons. Mum-of-three Julie Plane, who would have lived next door, said: "I am so relieved. I am bringing up three boys and it is difficult enough to keep them on the straight and narrow without criminals living next door."

Clearsprings was hired and assigned to find premises by the Government's Ministry of Justice and is now searching for an alternative location in the district. Billericay Tory MP John Baron, who raised the issue in Parliament, has now vowed to keep fighting against a hostel opening anywhere in Basi-ldon. He said: "We completely oppose people who should be serving their sentence in prison being housed in open prisons within the community." The hostel would not house sex offenders or anyone sentenced to more than four years in prison. Clearsprings, based in Rayleigh, is contracted to open several of the hostels across the country, but in Essex, just Colchester, Harlow and Basildon have been earmarked. According to the firm this is because there is a "need" for the service in these areas.

Basildon MP Angela Smith revealed the news to the Echo after putting pressure on the company and the Ministry of Justice. She said: "This was the wrong location, but the council did not follow the correct process and object in the right way." She said the firm would now reassess where it could provide three bedrooms in the district.

Tony Ball, the councillor in charge of strategic housing, said: "We remain committed to stopping any open prisons being set up in the district. "These people should be serving their time in prisons, not released into the community because of overcrowding. "We objected to all the locations suggested and will continue to do so. Mrs Smith has shown her true colours. "She objected because it was in her constituency, just like with traveller sites, but it is OK for her if they go in Billericay MP John Baron's constituency."

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/basildonnews/display.var.2134697.0.controversial_bail_hostel_plan_axed.php

The Evening Echo

A PETITION has been launched against plans to open a small bail hostel in Vange.
On Friday the Echo revealed housing association Clearsprings was looking at ten possible properties across Basildon for hostels. Basildon Council believes it has already bought 16 Kent View Road, which was repossessed from it was former owners. The Ministry of Justice has asked Clearsprings to set up hostels across the country and claims it only needs to find space for three defendents, or convicts, in Basildon.

Luke Mackenzie, Tory candidate for Vange ward at the forthcoming local elections in May, has launched the petition amid fears it would bring criminals into the community. He said: "This is effectively the Government putting a mini prison in Vange. "The petition calls on the Government to reject the plan for Kent View Road. "This is another case of Labour putting criminals before decent law abiding citizens." The proposed hostel will house homeless criminals awaiting trial, and those released early from prison. Mr Mackenzie added: "This could mean burglars, muggers and drug dealers."

He has spoken to people in the area urging them to back the petition. Neighbours were alarmed by the news. A young couple, who own their own home very close to the proposed site, but who asked not to be named, were outraged. They said: "We have been here four years and it has been great. "We own it, so can't just move away. "There are probably some dodgy people living around here already, but that doesn't mean you want a house full on your doorstep. It will probably devalue the house."
Billericay MP John Baron has written to Justice Minister Jack Straw urging him to reconsider. He said: "I question the level of support these offenders are going to receive once they are released into the community. "These people need help to re-habilitate, but this appears not to have been taken into account."

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/basildonnews/display.var.2103211.0.petition_against_hostel.php

The Essex Recorder

One-stop centre to open on estate 

Plans PC Jo Borawski, Kelvin Kift from Circle Anglia, councillor Tony Ball, PC Amber Jenkin and resident Luke Mackenzie
AN estate should get its own police and community advice centre by the end of the summer. The drop-in centre is expected to open by September on the Vange 3/4 estate, which is due for a £14.5million redevelopment. It will be a base for police but there will also be council and housing association staff to deal with queries and give advice to residents.

Resident Jodie How, 26, from Pitseaville Grove, said: "It will be lovely to have a police office. "I was going to sell up, but since the regeneration began things seem to be improving, so we are staying." A police office was due to open last October, but Basildon Council says the project has been delayed while plans to integrate an advice shop are devised. Chris Ellison, managing director of Circle Anglia, which runs the estate, said it would increase estate security and give residents peace of mind. He said: "It will also be occupied by our staff, including community project workers and community wardens." Insp Steve Ditchburn said: "It means officers will be in a position to respond to incidents quicker. They will be on the doorstep and they will be able to help residents with the problems they face." Tony Ball, Tory cabinet member for community safety, said: "Police and other agencies should be part of the community and this will enable much closer links."

Circle Anglia Housing Association moved to allay fears over delays in the revamp of the estate. Mr Ellison said: "The redevelopment will provide new one and two-bed apartments and three-bedroom houses. Eighty-five of the planned 120 homes have been approved, however, plans for some of the sites were rejected and we are revising plans."

http://www.basildonrecorder.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1386581.0.onestop_centre_to_open_on_estate.php?s=s

The Evening Echo 

A TORY candidate has been accused of pandering to extremists by saying asylum seekers should not be given council homes in an election flyer. Conservative Central Office has investigated following complaints over pamphlets dropped across Vange by Luke Mackenzie. Last year, the Echo revealed the Commission for Racial Equality accused Basildon Tories of discrimination for flagging up the issue of asylum seekers in election literature. Now the decision to promote the fact Basildon Council will not allow asylum seekers to join its housing list has again come under fire.

Mr Mackenzie is standing against the council's only ethnic minority member, Labour's Danny Nandanwar, as well as the BNP.
His brochure states: "I support the Conservative policy of giving council housing to Basildon citizens and not being used to home asylum seekers." It also claims the Govern-ment is encouraging record immigration.

Mr Mackenzie, who at 21 would be the youngest councillor at Basildon if elected, defended the wording and said he "deplored" the politics of far-right parties like the BNP. He said: "I support multi culturalism, but it is only fair Basildon houses go to Basildon people first regardless of their ethnic background." However, Allan Davies, Basildon Labour group deputy leader, described it as propoganda to stir up race hate and segregation. He said: "Mr Mackenzie does appear to lean further to the right than some of his fellow Tories who have not flagged up this issue in personal statements. "In a democracy, every one has a right to stand, but I believe David Cameron should be looking in detail at some of his candidates' policies."

Tony Ball, Tory deputy leader, said: "Luke has the 100 per cent endorsement of the local assocation and central office has looked at it and now told us it is happy to endorse his comments. We have raised this issue for the last four years and if it was a problem we would have been told by now." Tory council leader Malcolm Buckley said promoting the asylum issue was to counter BNP claims asylum seekers were housed locally by the council. He said: "The fact is most people want an open and honest debate on immigration and the only positive thing to emerge from the BNP is to force the debate among mainstream parties. "But there are too many loony lefties who will cry racism just at the mention of the word immigration."

Wednesday 11th April 2007

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1319422.mostviewed.racehate_row_over_election_leaflet.php

The Essex Enquirer

COMMENTS BY an MP demanding immigrants be given lower priority for council housing have been branded “nonsense” by a councillor from her own party. Barking Labour MP Margaret Hodge sparked a political row last weekend when she claimed “indigenous families” felt “a legitimate sense of entitlement” to go to the top of social housing lists. She pointed to “a strongly felt sense of imbalance” and said her proposals would be “lancing that boil”. But Cllr Liam Smith, Barking & Dagenham Council deputy leader hit back at the comments. He said: “Margaret Hodge is missing the point. The problem is clear, there are not enough council houses to meet the demand. “We have been extremely active here in Barking & Dagenham in lobbying the
government to build more council houses and we need them to take action now. “It’s not about any one group of people queuejumping or taking priority - that is just a myth. It’s about demand outstripping supply.” South Essex and East London Unite Against Fascism spokesman Weyman Bennett said “mainstream politicians” should “be doing more to challenge the myth of an immigrant arriving in Britain and moving straight into luxury accommodation on the council”. He told The Enquirer: “The provision of this housing is not determined by the number of migrants – it’s determined by the number of houses. “It’s ill-advised and illinformed to make comments like that. The BNP spread the view that black people get houses just for being black in order to spread racism.” Sheila Delaney, chief officer at Barking & Dagenham Racial Equality Council, accused Mrs Hodge of “an oversimplification”. “There are housing issues here,as there are everywhere in the South East,” she added.“But we don’t feel that the cause is new arrivals. “It’s a complex range of issues like the effect of right to buy and interest rates and you name it.” Failed Basildon Tory council candidate Luke MacKenzie was attacked during this month’s local elections for advocating the same policy.He said the comments were “legitimate” and “not controversial” and he was “glad”Mrs Hodge agreed.

Thursday 24th May

http://www.theenquirer.co.uk/Enquirer%20Online/enquirer%20news/enquirer%20newsmain.html

The Times 

The future of a Conservative candidate was hanging in the balance last night after he became embroiled in a race row over his campaign literature, The Times can reveal. Luke Mackenzie, a Tory candidate in a British National Party (BNP) target ward in Basildon, was accused of peddling scare stories by suggesting that people who wanted to stop asylum-seekers being given council houses should vote Conservative. David Cameron faced calls to disown the candidate last night, but the Conservative Party avoided immediate action, saying that it would examine the election leaflet this week. This contrasted with the swift action last month to dismiss Patrick Mercer from the Tory front-bench after he referred to “black bastards” in the Army. A Tory spokesman said: “We encourage all councillors to confront the BNP and not to pander to them.” Mr Mackenzie, who is standing against the local council’s only ethnic minority councillor, told The Times that he did not believe that his remarks would inflame racial tensions because “people were aware of this anyway”.

The leaflet, headed “Conservatives: We’re on your side”, refers to being on the “front line” in a “battle”, talking about local people “getting organised” and “fighting back”. It says: “I support Conservative policy of giving council housing to Basildon residents and not [of it] being used to house asylum seekers. There is a shortage of homes, but at the same time the Labour Government is encouraging record levels of immigration.” Opposition politicians said that the remarks were highly inflammatory and echoed the message used by the BNP in other parts of the country. Mr Mackenzie, a 21-year-old politics student at Westminster University, is standing in the local elections against Labour’s Swatantra Nandanwar in a ward where the BNP took 22.7 per cent of the vote in 2004. The party’s record for the area is 25.3 per cent in the Fryerns ward last year. This year the BNP is contesting 11 of the 14 seats up for election in Basildon, part of a remarkable surge of activity across the country. It is to field 655 candidates, double the number who stood last time. It currently has 49 council seats. Mr Mackenzie denied accusations he was stoking up racism. “At the end of the day it’s [the main parties] not saying things like this that is encouraging racism tension because the only place people can turn to is the British National Party.”

He said that there was strong feeling among residents that people from outside the area were causing a housing shortage. “They blame the influx of immigration [as one reason for this], because there isn’t enough housing in the UK and you’ve got thousands of people coming from abroad.” Asked what he thought Basildon residents felt about immigration, he said: “They think it’s entirely out of control.” He said that it was a view that he shared, adding: “The cause of this is that there is no real control over who is here.” It is already virtually impossible for asylum seekers to get housing in Basildon after the council changed the system to give preference to people who have been in the area a long time.

Jon Cruddas, a Labour MP and deputy leadership contender who campaigns against the BNP, said: “This dangerous exploitation of people’s fears is a gift to extremist organisations such as the BNP. Peddling myths about immigrants pouring into a town or about asylum seekers supposedly being given council housing ahead of other residents is incredibly unhelpful. If David Cameron is serious about fighting racism he should disown this candidate straight away.”

9th April 2007

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1629526.ece