A Housing Revolution

There is some good news on Housing today, as the Conservatives have unveiled a raft of revolutionary housing proposals. The main - and most far reaching -proposal is to give social housing tenants to right to move. In essence, this will mean that tenants of good standing will be able to compel their Landlord (be it council, or housing association), to sell their house and buy another property elsewhere - in the area they want to move to (providing the price is the same or less). This will have dramatic effects on social mobility, as people will be able to move to areas they want to, rather than be forced to stay in one place.

Another great aspect of the proposal is that tenants who have a good record over five years, will be able to claim for a free 10% equity in the property they live in, giving them a first step on the property ladder. The policy proposals also protect green belt land, incentivises councils to build houses where needed (with genuine local consultation) and allows village residents to establish a special local body to plan for housing needs.

These proposals are dramatic in nature and could have as much an influence as the 'Right to Buy Policy' during the 1980s. All in all,good news for tenants, home owners, and those who care about the green belt. The Guardian has a good summary of all the proposals HERE.

Lighting a Candle for Rwanda

Rwanda is one of the most special places I have ever been to. I went there for two weeks last August, to teach English to English teachers and wrote about it in the Harlow Star and elsewhere. I hope to go again this Summer.

I have just learnt that there is a special commemoration to light a candle for Rwanda to remember the million people who lost their lives in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis. This is because this Tuesday, 7 April, marks exactly fifteen years since the genocide began. David Cameron has lit a candle having visited the country in 2007. You can see the You Tube video HERE.

Have a look at this website and light a candle of hope for this unique country.

Judging Easter Eggs at the Maybury Centre

I had a very hard task today. Visiting the Maybury Centre, with Alistair Burt MP, and Cllr. Mike Garnett, I was given the tough job
of judging an Easter Egg competition. These weren't just any eggs, these were hand made real eggs, painted and decorated with the most beautiful patterns and faces. Many had eyes and clothes too. The eggs were made by the users of the Maybury Centre, an impressive community organisation, that provides a range of activities for those who have certain disabilities or other difficulties.

The Maybury Centre is truly a special place. There are games, food, artistry, sewing - all kinds of things to do. It is a mixture of a 'home away from home' and a Club, whose members find harmony and friendship. What makes the Centre is the staff, who are mostly volunteers and passionate and dedicated about their work. They provide services for local residents, that 'state funded social services' would find hard to fill. Part of the Michael Roberts Charitable Trust, run by Gary Knott, the Maybury Centre forms part of a number of charitable endeavours, all inspired by the Christian faith that guides the organisation. Help for Ghana, the Harlow Foodbank, London City Aid are just a few of the aspects of the MRCT.

I have always believed that the best help for the vulnerable will always come from within the community. The Maybury Centre is a living example of what is possible, when an organisation, rooted in Faith, is determined to live up to the ideals of charity, humanity and care.

Anyway, back to the Easter Egg competition. Almost an impossible choice, I had to pick one winner, and it really was an egg to behold. The winner was Clare Cooper of Old Harlow, who had made an egg that Faberge would have been proud. She is in the picture, proudly holding her winning certificate.

Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering.

Meeting Berecroft residents

One of the best things about being a Prospective MP, is that I am able to visit community organisations across the Constituency. As you know from my earlier post, we had a VIP visit in Harlow today. Alistair Burt, a senior Conservative, who is passionate about social justice and community activity, came to visit Berecroft Residents Association, Chaired by Zulgar Cheema, in Staple Tye. Alistair was here to listen and learn and go back to Westminster to report what residents were saying.

Berecroft Residents is a remarkable group. Cheema is someone who is passionate about making Berecroft better for local residents and he, and members of the Residents group, have worked day and night to try and improve things.

Together with Cllr. Lee Dangerfield, who lives on the Estate, Berecroft has seen a number of improvements, including better street lighting and a fabulous community office, which is used for events, a youth club and computer training. Despite a recent arson attack on the community office, the BRA ensured that it was re-opened as soon as possible.

Today Alistair sat with residents to discuss local issues, including education, anti-social behaviour, youth matters and regeneration. It was a good meeting and a delicious lunch was provided. BRA is a model residents association - those who live on the Estate are lucky to be represented by a team, who will stop at nothing to make Berecroft an even better place to live.

After Berecroft, we rushed over to the Maybury Centre, which I will write about in a separate blog.....I shall also add some more photos later.

No wonder house purchases have dramatically fallen

I find it amazing that given the terrible state of the fragile housing market in Harlow and the surrounding villages, the Government have pressed ahead with the introduction of complex and expensive new Home Information Pack rules.

From today, extra Home Information Pack (HIP) regulations will hinder sellers from putting their homes on the market, mislead buyers and create a real danger of £200 fines from town hall officials.

The Government is even cancelling the ‘first day marketing’ provision which allowed sellers to market their home if a HIP had been ordered, but had not yet been completed.

Sellers will now have to wait even longer before they can put up a ‘For Sale’ sign. if this were not bad enough - HIPs must have a so-called ‘Property Information Questionnaire’ completed by the seller. The questionnaire is useless, as unscrupulous sellers can sidestep difficult questions that could reduce their house price by ticking a “don’t know” box.

The buyer cannot be certain that the information is reliable about such things as past dry rot or damp, insurance claims, experience of flooding, and whether past alterations had official permission. Honest sellers will also suffer, as disputes over information in Property Information Questionnaires will end up in the courts, with buyers suing sellers.

Town halls have been instructed to “identify specific cases of non-compliance and enforce the requirements” - and start fining homeowners £200 a time if they do not follow the new rules. The Government’s own research has found there is little public knowledge about, or interest in HIPs; that the industry thinks they are a waste of time; that they duplicate costs and that buyers are not bothering to consult HIPs. Ministers have emergency powers under the Housing Act to suspend HIPs, but have refused to use them.

I stongly believe that the introduction of HIPs is a disaster. They have have already damaged the market and discouraged sellers. Now Gordon Brown is making things even worse. You cannot trust the contents of a Home Information Pack, and these regulations will lead to yet more wasted time and expense.

I am glad that Tory Housing Spokesman, Grant Shapps MP has pledged that a Conservative Government will scrap Home Information Packs outright. After all, if Ministers really wanted to help homeowners, they would use their emergency powers to suspend HIPs and provide a shot in the arm to the ailing market. We should be on the side of Britain’s home owners and the many people who want to move on and up the housing ladder.

Another V.I.P.comes to Harlow

In political terms, Harlow is regarded as one of the most important Constituencies in the Country as it represents an important weather vane of public opinion, and also because of its narrow majority (readers will know, I lost to Labour in 2005 by literally, 97 votes). For this reason, I am proud that so many senior Conservatives come to visit Harlow. They usually come to visit local commmunity organisations and to talk with Councillors and Party Workers. In recent weeks, Eric Pickles (Party Chairman), Theresa Villiers, (Shadow Transport Secretary) & Caroline Spelman (Shadow Local Government Minister) have made wide ranging visits. Their purpose is to take some best practice in Harlow, back to Westminster.

Today, we have another important visit, with Alistair Burt MP, who has a fantastic programme around Harlow, including going to Berecroft Residents and the Maybury Centre.

Alistair's full programme, as sent to the Press, is below:

ASSISTANT Chief Whip and Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party Alistair Burt MP will be visiting Harlow today(Monday, April 6). He will be meeting with Berecroft Residents Association at 1pm.

At 2.15pm Mr Burt, accompanied by prospective Conservative MP Robert Halfon, will be visiting the Maybury Centre - Harefield Church, Burgoyne Hatch, Momples Road, Harlow, CM20 3EH - which looks after people with special needs and provides a weekly club with painting reading, etc. They are also starting a Food Bank.

At 3.30pm Mr Burt will join local Conservatives canvassing in Staple Tye for the by-election. He will be available for photographs. His visit is due to end at 4.45pm.

My Debt to Labour

Such a lovely weekend

It was so good to get away from politics for a while. Last night, Vanda and I went to Enfield Cineworld to see The Damned United, a film about Brian Clough as manager of Derby and Leeds. It was a brilliant production, with first rate acting. Mr Clough was played by Michael Sheen, the actor who played David Frost, in Frost V Nixon and Tony Blair, in the film The Queen. I think that Michael Sheen is one of the most remarkable actors of his time. He manages to play his characters with such sincerity, that you almost believe your watching the true character as opposed to the fictional one. A classic moment in the film, came in the changing rooms, when ashtrays and oranges were laid out before a match, so the players could have a cigarette before going out onto the pitch!

After, despite ice cream and popcorn in the cinema, we stopped off at a great Turkish place on the Hertford Road, and had a fantastic Meze meal, all for fifteen pounds. The Restaurant is called Sunset Grill and is not just good value for money, but the service was excellent too.

Today, we braved traffic jams on the M25, to drive to Alton, Hampshire, to have a delicious Roast Chicken lunch. We were visiting some good friends, Damian and Jacqui Hinds (the picture on the right shows Damian and Jacqui in Rwanda, where we all were last Summer, teaching English to Rwandan teachers). Like me, Damian is a Parliamentary Candidate, so it was inevitable that some politics came up over lunch!! They have a beautiful house, crammed with CDs, books and some unusual pictures too. It is the kind of place you could stay for hours, without ever needing to go out.

It was such a good way to spend Sunday, and to wind down from a heavy week. Although it all starts again tomorrow, as senior Conservative Alistair Burt will be visiting Harlow.

P.S. If you would like to read more about what we got up to in Rwanda, please click on HERE.

Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering.

Its McDonalds and campaigning again in Staple Tye!

I must have been to Staple Tye McDonald's more times in the past ten years than I have had hot dinners - well almost! Is it because I love the cuisine? Well, I am quite partial to a Quarter Pounder (no cheese), but that's not the reason. Its because for one reason or another, there is always a lot of campaigning in Staple Tye. So this McDonald's is a very useful pit stop - a useful place to have a coffee break, even a comfort break too!

The President of Harlow Conservatives, and a former MP, Mr Gary Waller, also likes a Burger from time to time, and he is pictured standing next to me, in flagrante with a Big Mac and Chips! Because of my diet, I just had a coffee and pieces of apple.

Anyway, back to campaigning. We spent morning and afternoon in two areas in Staple Tye - Lower Meadow and Spruce Hill - which were very supportive of the Conservatives. This was good news given that these were not formerly strong Conservative areas. Local residents seem to appreciate the huge amount of casework done Cllr by Lee Dangerfield and the efforts he has made to improve Staple Tye. I was amazed at just how much hostility there is to Labour, as this is something I don't always encounter. Voters are clearly fed up with high taxes and high debt and are worried about the ever increasing unemployment.

Residents were also outraged by the email sent by a Liberal Cllr complaining at having to pay minimal parking costs, saying he was going to take taxis, put them on expenses to be picked up by Harlow taxpayers. Unbelievable but true!!! Have a look HERE & HERE for the full story.

I was pleased to be campaigning alongside Lorraine Caldarella, local caseworker and Mother of two fabulous children. Lorraine will be an asset to Staple Tye as a Councillor, and we are lucky to have her. Her gentle but hard working approach means that residents warm to her immediately.

It was a good day and I am looking forward to enjoy the rest of the weekend. Tonight, the Cinema with Vanda, to see The Damned United. This is a film about Brian Clough and I am really looking forward to see it. Tomorrow we are driving to Hampshire for lunch with friends. Hopefully, the weather will remain a treat!

Video and pictures showing the history of Harlow

Yesterday afternoon, having a well-earned cuppa at Cllr Lee Dangerfield's home, he showed me a wonderful You Tube video, with haunting music, that shows various pictures of Harlow as it was being built as a New Town. If I am not mistaken, I am sure this film was shown in the Harlow Library a few years back. Lee put the video on the very right side of my blog, so you can have a look at it, just by scrolling down a little.

By chance, I also came across a website which has loads of prints of Harlow through the decades. Some are for sale. Have a look HERE and HERE. I particularly like the early pictures of Broadwalk and the Market. Elsewhere on the site, there are some great old pictures of Roydon High Street too. I love looking at old photographs and these ones show so much that is unique about the past history of Harlow Constituency.




Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering.

Bush Fair and the Credit Crunch

With my friend, Colleen Morrison, who is Director of MRB Recruitment (based at Bush Fair), I spent a good a few hours in Bush Fair today (after a delicious poached egg breakfast in the Pizzeria Cafe), meeting traders and managers of all the local shops, as well as chatting to residents and shoppers.

My purpose was to find out how the Credit Crunch was impacting on their business, and also to discuss a few local issues, including the difficult one of parking.

All the people I spoke to, said that the recession had impacted takings somewhat. They said that high taxes and red tape was making life particularly difficult.

One company even showed me a plotted graph, which illustrated the decline in takings from last year. If you look at the bottom line in the picture, you can see the dramatic difference.

I was struck that, despite the difficult economic times, the shopkeepers were doing all they could not to raise prices. As a result there were still many customers coming into their stores - Joy's Flowers being a prime example. The picture shows Joy, Colleen and I pictured by a refrigeration unit that stores the flowers. To my shock, Joy told me the unit costs more than a car! No wonder she has such nice flowers!

One of the nicest things about Bush Fair is that so many of the shops are independent and are not chain stores - something that is increasingly rare nowadays. I was glad to walk round and be introduced to everyone by Colleen, as she knows everybody and is a walking Encylopaedia of everything that happens in Bush Fair.

I was pleased to have a long discussion - over a much needed cup of tea - with Ken Freeman who is Chairman of Bush Fair Traders and owns three shops. He set out the view of the traders and has asked me to contact the Council regarding some parking issues, which I shall be sure to follow up. Ken cares deeply about Bush Fair, his business and his ten employees, and is a shining example of the special nature of the place.

All in all, it was a good days work for me as Prospective MP, as I heard at first hand the problems facing small business. I look forward to many future visits.

P.S. The excellent Pizzeria Cafe can be found HERE.

More news from Parndon Mill

Further to my posting about my visit to Parndon Mill yesterday, to see an exhibition, Roger Lee, from Parndon Mill Gallery and Chair of Harlow Cultural Venues group, has sent me a statement from Liz Boast, the artist, whose work was on display. It is a powerful read.

Roger has also sent a much better picture of me with Sally Anderson, a picture of the Gallery, and Liz Boast at work in her Studio. In contrast to my camera phone, Roger has a state of the art camera, so the picture quality, puts my meagre efforts to shame.

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

My favourite place in Harlow

Last night, before I went to Roydon Parish Council meeting, I was very pleased to be invited to Parndon Mill by owner, Sally Anderson, to see a new exhibition, by local Artist Liz Boast. I love Parndon Mill, it is my favourite place in Harlow. It is just so beautiful, both the Mill and the Canal outside with the Boats propped up against the Moorings. In fact, as the two pictures above show, there is no better guide to the changing seasons, than seeing Parndon Mill in the Winter and the Spring. When I visited Parndon Mill after Christmas, it was if I had entered Narnia. Yesterday, in the early evening Sunshine, it looked like Aslan had returned.

Inside the Mill, the exhibition was original, and imaginative. Etchings of dog headed men, were particularly unusual. It was good to see the pictures and I enjoyed meeting some friends there, like Mark Cotton. Mark is a particularly lucky architect, as his office is actually inside Parndon Mill, so he works from an office with one of the best views in the County. All in all, going to Parndon Mill Gallery was a wonderful way to spend an hour after work, with good wine too!

Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering.

Where's the Police?

I left Roydon Parish Council meeting this evening feeling somewhat angry. It wasn't because of anything the Councillors had done. In fact they all care deeply about Roydon Village. I was angry because I heard that the picturesque Roydon Playing Fields had been vandalised yet again. The latest act was the destruction of new rubbish bins, which cost £100 each. Despite, regular updates to the Police by local Councillors, and good knowledge of which teenagers are responsible, nothing is done. Roydon has no Community Support Officer at present and one well-meaning and hard working beat officer who covers a number of villages and is seriously overstretched.

What amazes me about the lack of Police action, is that about 18 months ago, the Essex Chief Constable came to a Parish Council meeting, accompanied by a host of local senior Police Officers. The Officers present pledged to introduce new style neighbourhood policing, with police on the beat. They said that Roydon would be well looked after by beat Policemen and Community Support Officers. As one Councillor remarked, since that meeting, the situation has got even worse, and there are less police in Roydon than ever before. I intend to write to the New Acting Chief Constable of Essex about the Playing Field problem, once I have amassed evidence from fellow Parish Councillors.

I know that most individual Police Officers are incredibly hard working and committed. Many do a wonderful job. But there is need to assuage sceptical Roydon residents that promises made, are more than hot air. There could be no better way than to demonstrate their commitment to Roydon, by dealing with these yobs once and for all and stop them from wrecking a beautiful part of the village.

Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering.

Celebrating Harlow's Heritage

On another note, as Cllr Andrew Johnson writes in his blog, the Essex Yeomanry will be parading through Harlow on Saturday, 25 April. This is wonderful news and fits in with the determination of Council Chairman, Cllr Tony Hall, to ensure that Harlow's special place in the history of modern Britain is not forgotten.

History is important, not just because its nice to remember tradition, but because it provides an anchor - a link - between one generation and the next. So I am glad that Harlow's Charters are now on the wall in the Council Chamber, alongside that of the Queen. It was also good, as Andrew mentions, to have a Civic Church Service at St Paul's, to celebrate Harlow in all its glory. Everyone in Harlow has much to be proud of.

Harlow to be branded a 'Sculpture town'

It is such good news that Harlow is to be branded a 'Sculpture Town' , It will do much to change Harlow's image outside Essex.

I am always amazed by how much criticism Harlow gets from outside - often from journalists or snobs - who come to the town for 40 minutes, see one concrete building, and use it to knock the place. Yet the truth is so different. Harlow has a vibrant cultural life, great artists and writers (see my previous blog), a state of the art Museum, a beautiful town park and wonderful sculptures. Harlow has a rich heritage, yet not enough people know about it. This decision will go some way to changing that.

All in all, promoting Harlow's history - and acknowledging special cultural achievements - will do so much to ensure that Harlow is a place that people talk about and want to come to.

New Blogspot from Cllr Andrew Johnson

I have just been sent this blogspot from Cllr Andrew Johnson in Harlow, Essex.
The story is unbelievable, judge for yourself!


Cllr Andrew Johnson

The Taliban Spirit lives on in Afghanistan

One of the most brutal aspects of the extreme Islamism of the Taliban, was the way in which women were subjugated and treated as second class citizens. The West's invasion of Afghanistan was designed not just to deal with Osama Bin Laden, but also to help rid the country of Islamist Totalitarianism and restore a sense of civility to the country.

Now we find that despite a semblance of the mechanics of democracy, the Taliban spirit lives on, even under those who are seen as so called 'moderates'. Today's Guardian and Daily Telegraph explains how President Karzai - in an effort to win votes from Shias, in advance of the forthcoming elections - has signed into law, legislation which, in effect, allows husbands to rape their wives If this barbarism were not bad enough, the new law also refuses wives the right to work, to see a Doctor, or leave the house without their husband's permission. The United Nations has condemned the new laws, demanding to see the full legislation - which thus far they have been denied.

Whilst I was a full supporter of the war against the Taliban and Al Qaeda (and remain so) - who couldn't be after 9-11- I can't help feeling that something, somewhere, has gone deeply wrong. What is also going on in Afghanistan today, is also an important reminder, that freedom does not just mean holding democratic elections. It has has to be about upholding the rule of law guaranteeing property rights, and above all treating all human beings equally and with dignity. President Karzai has failed this simple test of genuine liberty.