Thursday, February 3, 2011

News

Give us your views

We want your views. Email us at yourscene@archant.co.uk Get writing now!

The Scene 5

Library hours cut

County council tries to save 4m

Dont let your cash drain away

ESSEX police have issued a countywide warning after thieves tricked people out of thousands of pounds to fix fake drainage faults. The tricksters call at targeted homes and pose as a drain engineer or a new neighbour and claim there are problems with the main drains outside the victims home. The caller tells the victims that he or she has made arrangements for wellknown drainage firms to do the work. The victims are then contacted by accomplices claiming to be from the drainage firms that have been recommended and ask for large deposits towards payments. The tricksters are never seen again. Anyone with information should call PC Tony Thomas on 0300 333 4444.

News in brief

arlows libraries are to see a cut in opening hours as Essex County Council (ECC) battles to balance its books. Whilst none of the countys 73 libraries will close, most will see a reduction in their opening hours as ECC strives to ind savings of 4 million over two years. The council is launching a consultation this month for residents to express their preference between two proposed patterns of opening hours.

natalie.dearman@archant.co.uk

Report by NATALIE DEARMAN

Both the plans will see Harlow Librarys opening hours cut by 13 hours a week, from 61 to 48. Great Parndon Library will see a reduction of two hours, Mark Hall 11 hours, Old Harlow ive hours and Tye Green ive hours. However, the mobile library service will continue to travel to all its current destinations. ECC has said that the opening hours for each library has, for the

Library opening times are changing across Harlow

Committee looks at cemetery decision

HARLOW Councils decision to get a private company to manage Parndon Wood Cemetery and crematorium has been called in. The move, made on January 13, was called in by Scrutiny Committee members Cllr Paul Sztumpf (Lab) and Cllr Rod Truan (Lab) following concerns that all aspects and alternatives were not fully explored. A special meeting of the Scrutiny Committee will be held on February 8 (6.30pm) to review the original decision. The committee can recommend the decision be reconsidered by the Executive Committee; be considered by Full Council; or af irm the original decision. Executive Committee chair Cllr Andrew Johnson, said: It is a healthy part of our decisionmaking process that sensitive and important issues like this can be scrutinised.

irst time, been determined using catchment population igures to create a fair and strategic approach to the reorganisation. Proposals will also see Harlow sharing a library manager with Saffron Walden. A review of staf ing levels and the stock resource fund is also under way. ECCs cabinet is meeting next week to discuss the plans. Cllr Jeremy Lucas, responsible for libraries, said: Consultation is a crucial part of the libraries reorganisation. We want to offer our customers the opportunity to express their preference for the pattern of opening that best suits their needs.

Essex Libraries have already taken a number of steps to reduce the net cost of the service, but these measures are not suf icient in themselves to make all the required savings. The approach we have adopted is flexible enough to offer the opportunity of extending opening hours again wherever we can introduce further revenueproducing arrangements with other organisations. The consultation will run from February 14 until March 27. Customers can register their preferred option by completing a form at their local library or online at www.essex.gov.uk/libraries

Chamber meeting
THE next Harlow and District Chamber of Commerce networking event will take place on February 16 at the Civic Centre in the Water Gardens. Starting at 4.30pm, the event will feature a talk by Cath Shaw of Harlow Council and a speaker from Kier Harlow. For tickets, at 15+VAT for members and 18+VAT for non-members, contact Laura Byatt on 0845 685 0010 or accounts@harlowchamber.co.uk

Awaiting report on release of Lockerbie bomber

ONE of the biggest outrages of modern times has been the release of the Lockerbie bomber. Regular readers will know that for many years, I have campaigned for the British people to be told the truth about this. In particular, the families of the 270 murdered victims deserve to know if there was any double dealing. Since being elected MP for Harlow and the villages, I have tabled a formal Parliamentary motion, asked written questions

ROBERT HALFON MP for Harlow

www.roberthalfon.com

of the Prime Minister, and raised this in a special debate with the Minister for Justice. Only yesterday, I raised it again with the Foreign Secretary in the House of Commons. In response, David Cameron has promised that all the papers will be published.

I believe that the last Labour Government used devolution as a ig-leaf, to cover up for the oil drilling interests of BP. Everyone knows that even though the Lockerbie Bomber was released on compassionate grounds, he is still alive and well today. Shortly after his release, BP happened to win a major oil contract with the Libyan Government. Whatever the inancial bene its may be to BP, a massmurderer convicted by British

courts, was let out of prison early on dubious health grounds. Now we learn from Wikileaks, and the Daily Telegraph, that Foreign Of ice ministers gave detailed legal advice to Syria on how to play the health system in Scotland, to ensure that the Lockerbie Bomber was released. The top civil servant in the UK, the cabinet secretary, will very soon publish a proper report, setting out the full facts. I welcome this. The families of victims deserve to know the truth.

Licence evasion
MORE than 730 people in Harlow were caught watching TV without a licence in 2010 according to figures released by TV Licensing this week. This is considerably higher when compared to near-by towns of Chelmsford (490), Loughton (170) and Bishops Stortford (60). Almost 400,000 people across the UK were found to be watching TV illegally last year. Anyone caught watching television without a licence could face prosecution and a fine of up to 1000.

Enjoy Your Valentines

at

Joe
24 Hadham Road, Bishops Stortford, Herts. CM23 2QS

Grand Opening on Wednesday 9th February 2011

Opening Offer 5 Off Your First Order With This Ad*
01279 771 800 / 771 322 www.masalaexpressdelivery.com
*Valid until end of February 2011 on orders over 20

01279 507777
Takeaway service now available 10% discount on all orders over 15.00

www.chutneyjoe.co.uk

Contact us on: