onionbagblog

The wheels of bureaucracy seemingly turn slower than the wheels of *some* cars - and that’s even sticking within the 30mph speed limit. With Essex County Council sitting on £11m in Section 106 money earmarked for Highways, attempts for some of this wonga to make its way over to Wivenhoe seem to have failed.

S106 money is the brown envelope sweetners that any developer needs to pay off local authorities with, in order to be able to build upon local land. It is all above board and designed to stop dodgy backhanders that *may* have taken place back in the day.

Anyway, Cllr Julie Young of Essex County Council has been on the paper trail of the blank cheques and has identified £11m that has been ring-fenced for roads. The Labour Councillor has highlighted four urgent schemes in Wivenhoe alone that are in need of an infrastructure improvement.

These include:

1. A new cycle path from Wivenhoe Fire Station to Essex University.

2. A traffic management scheme to create a pull in area in The Avenue Wivenhoe.

3. Safer parking bays outside the Vine Parade of shops Wivenhoe.

4. A 20mph zone outside Millfields School and Broomgrove Infants and Junior schools.

The good Councillor has written to Peter Lewis, the Interim Assistant Director of Financial Strategy at ECC, asking if any of this money can make its way over to Wivenhoe. Sadly Wivenhoe is off the radar. It seems that the S106 funds can only be spent on “prescribed schemes” - if your name’s not down…

The concern here is that if the S106 money is not spent on these prescribed schemes, then the dosh goes straight back to the developer. It looks like Wivenhoe will miss out, even though there is a clear case for Highways funding to be invested.

Which is a great shame, because the two Wivenhoe wards are genuinely working together, having put aside party political differences. With four Councillors serving two wards and spanning three different political parties, an agreement has been signed to “work for the good of Wivenhoe.” Fine work from Wivenhoe Town Council in banging the heads together.

But it becomes rather difficult to work for the good of Wivenhoe when the funds are so close yet so far. Which is a bit like driving down Boundary Road and then having the University barrier come crashing down, just before you make your break for freedom in the new Knowledge Gateway.

Ouch.