Catching Up : Construction, Housing and Regeneration

I am a bit behind with my blog-posting, so I thought I would let you know what occurred last Friday. It was quite a hectic day, starting off with a visit to the Construction Training Partnership in Burnt Mill. As you know, this is a great organisation that I have visited on a number of occasions. CTP does a huge amount to provide youngsters with vocational training - and a chance to join the ladder of opportunity, instead of sinking into despair at the lack of job opportunities available. I was there as a Conservative Party official, wanted to see CTP at first hand. This followed earlier visits from Lord Hanningfield (Leader of Essex County Council) and the BBC, to see what by any standards is a real success.

After, I had two important meetings - with Places for People and Harlow Renaissance. Places for People are the organisation that has taken over control for the controversial Harlow North development - part of the Gordon Brown's East of England Plan - which has seemingly become set in stone.

Whilst my reservations about the Government's bulldozing of the countryside are well known - the way in which it has been undemocratically decided, the lack of support for financial infrastructure and the failure to use brown field land more carefully, I am at least comforted by the fact that Places for People is a 'not for dividend' organisation. The company is also making efforts to involve people locally in consultation and seems - at first appearances - to be socially responsible. If Harlow North is to be built - and the plans are irreversible - it is vital that the developers concerned have a vision that is in keeping with the surroundings and in harmony with local people.

Meeting with Harlow Renaissance was also incredibly useful. I have regular briefings with this ever important body and it is good to discuss the all important plans for regeneration of Harlow Town Centre, which if implemented will make a huge difference to our town.

In the afternoon, it was casework. I try and visit Constituents who contact me with their problems. It is much easier to understand the difficulties people face if I have seen it first hand.

By Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering. http//roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Fron Construction to Network Rail, to Lok'n Store

Yesterday was a great Constituency Day. After meeting with Constituents, to help them solve problems of one sort or another, I began my Community visits by going to the Construction Training Partnership.

CTP is a project set up by a former Teacher, John Collyer and his family, and is essentially a social project that trains disadvantaged youngsters in building, plastering, painting and much more besides. I first visited a year ago, with Harlow Youth Offending team, and was so impressed that I told local TV, who came and filmed one Friday. Yesterday, I was there because I had asked Chris Ellison from the Anglia Housing Trust to come along. He is very interested in training schemes, and hopefully will build a relationship with CTP. It was good to see so many youngsters and adults whilst I was there, busy working hard to gain the skills they need for future work.

After CTP I went to meet with Network Rail. This is one of the many myriad organisations that is involved in the railways - its job is to manage the tracks and part of the Station infrastructure.

I wanted to discuss with them a host of subjects, particularly the high rate of suicides at Harlow Station. They told me of the work they were doing to prevent this, including building close relations with Harlow Samaritans, Police and PCSOs. It was a good meeting, and I look forward to meeting Network Rail again to discuss wider infrastructure issues.

But the highlight of my day was visiting, Lok'n Store in Edinburgh Way. You may ask why I was visiting this storage company? Well, it wasn't to store any packages, although if I did, I certainly would want to here. It was because Lok'n Store is helping the new Harlow Food Bank, by offering to store food for free.

Lok'n Store has a fantastic atmosphere. The moment you walk in, you are greeted by the larger than life General Manager, George Thomas. The company is a people business, and the staff, like Craig and Anne, whom I also met, could not be more friendly.

George believes that a business must be at the heart of the community and is determined to work with local charities. Its fantastic that Harlow Food Bank has been given a home here. I think this is a superb example of a company thinking more about profits, and doing something for those in need. Its all the more important, because Lok'n Store did this voluntarily, not through any Government diktat. I was told that they also give significant support to the British Red Cross, another important cause to support. Walking through the Storage Area, it was like viewing a hotel for storage items. Everything was spick and span and the storage areas were immaculate. A truly great company.

It was a good day, which I really enjoyed. I managed to round it off by going to see Star Trek, later in the evening with Vanda, at Harlow Cineworld. Brilliant. If I have time, I will blog post a review on it later!

Now I am off to Harlow Homeless Centre Football Match, so must rush off.....

P.S. I will put some good pictures on later.

P.P.S. The pictures are now up, a few days late. I have had a dreaded Trojan virus on my laptop and I am reliant on getting to an office computer to load the pictures on!


By Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering. http//roberthalfon.blogspot.com