Council Spotlight: Hullbridge Parish Council

Hullbridge is tucked away in the northwest corner of Rochford District and is home to 7,300 residents. Green belts on three boundaries and the River Crouch on the northern boundary surround it. With over two miles of river frontage the parish is well used by the local boating fraternity. Hullbridge has numerous facilities, Recreation Ground, Nature Reserve, Allotment Site, a network of well-maintained footpaths, which meander through the surrounding farmland and along the River Crouch.

The council has worked with the district council to double the size of the play space in the recreation ground, which provides better facilities for a larger age range. The council has continued to seek further improvements and been successful in grant bids and are currently installing a sun canopy and initiative play equipment. The council is in discussions with the local primary school to install a MUGA for school and community use, the funding will be from Section 106 agreement from the proposed development.

The council has completely overhauled their website to be transparent and provide as much information to residents as possible. The information found includes more about the council, meetings, planning, finance but also links to other organisations/groups /local events.

Over the last year and half the council has worked hard to gain Foundation, Quality and Gold awards under the Local Council Award Scheme. The council has built up better community cohesion, solid financial and ethical frameworks and have adopted an array of policies and procedures, which has improved the day-to-day running.

Over the two years the council has had to battle with the proposed development of 500 dwellings, which will dramatically change the village, which have been under scrutiny from residents and at times it has been very challenging. The council has made sure that they have continued to provide residents with a good service, improved facilities and worked towards achieving awards.