After a hard-fought local election campaign for county, borough and district council seats in Brentwood and Ongar, I offer my congratulations to all those who are now councillors, and my commiserations to those who worked very hard but lost on the night.
I am looking forward to working with all those elected for the three councils in the Brentwood and Ongar constituency, namely Epping Forest District Council, Brentwood Borough Council and Essex County Council.
There will be new leadership at Essex County Council and I will be taking a number of my local campaigns to councillors to get speed restrictions outside Stapleford Abbotts Primary School, a Weight Restriction Order for Ongar High Street and to fight the huge pylons that are threatened in the east of my constituency.
Last month I met with a large group of local people who live near the High Street in Ongar to discuss the need for a Weight Restriction Order on our High Street. I have been campaigning to bring this in for almost ten years. They told me how they have had to live with the impact of massive lorries thundering past their homes in a way that shakes the foundations and makes them concerned for the safety of pedestrians, particularly around the pinch point. I will continue to campaign on their behalf in the hope that we can get something done before someone gets hurt.
