Former Brentwood West councillor and past Mayor Shirley Howe passed away in the summer after a long and fulfilling life.

Former ward colleague Cllr David Kendall attended her funeral along with the current Mayor, councillors past and present, dignitaries and her family & friends.

David said:

"I served alongside Shirley as a ward colleague during her time as a Brentwood West councillor (1996-2004) and it was a pleasure to do so. She was a lovely lady who gave a lot of time and energy to making sure her residents' views were always properly represented. She was a very fair minded and tolerant person who really cared about the local community and did an excellent job as Mayor. I know that many residents will remember her fondly and that she will be missed".

If you knew Shirley and would like to donate to her chosen charities in her memory (Wallace Kennels and The British Heart Foundation), you can do so here, on Bennett's website.

Cllr Karen Chilvers is in 'lively' dialogue with Essex Council over these signs in Weald Road that cause friction and could cause a head on collision.

Less 10 metres apart, they directly conflict with each other over priority on the single lane at Weald House, endangering drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and those in the homes in close proximity.

A dispute between residents and Brentwood Council that has been going on for over six years will now be decided by a legal counsel, thanks to ward councillor Mark Haigh who has been working with residents on this since he was elected in May 2018.

Residents of the Brackenwood estate say that the council are responsible for maintaining the greenswards and have a letter from 2005 stating exactly that but, in 2013, the council stopped doing so saying it was nothing to do with them. It is quite standard practice for a developer to give a sum to the council for maintenance and residents believe this is what happened when the estate was completed 30 years ago.

A planning application in Fairfield Road, Brentwood West, will go ahead despite a local councillor asking for the matter to be heard at by the Planning Committee - a request denied by the ruling Conservatives.

The application for an extra floor on the building to house four flats was recommended to be approved by officers but, not for the first time, the oppotunity for residents to speak on the mattter was ruled out. Every week, councillors are given a list of recommendations and have the option to ask for further debate but it is rare these days that this is agreed to. It's not always about overturning the decision, sometimes it is to attach conditions so as not to impinge on neighbours.

Parliamentary Candidate David Kendall said: "I've joined hundreds of employers, councillors and politicians in signing the #WheresYourHeadAt Workplace Manifesto - a vision for a mentally healthier working world wheresyourheadat.org/manifesto #GeneralElection2019

Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate David Kendall said: "I am pleased to support Marie Curie at this election and have signed the pledge". @mariecurieuk

At this election Marie Curie is asking all candidates and all political parties to pledge to:

• Scrap the six-month rule that obstructs terminally ill people from gaining access to benefits unless they can prove they only have six months left to live.
• Offer free personal care to everyone with a terminal illness, regardless of their age or finances.

Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate David Kendall supports social enterprise.

Profitable, innovative + dedicated to taking on the biggest issues we face. Hats off to all the social enterprises in brentwood and Ongarand across the UK this #SocialEnterpriseDay. Thank you for all you do!

If we're to deal with the triple threat of the #ClimateEmergency, social division + economic stagnation we have to change how we do business. Social enterprises are showing us what the future of business can look like.

Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate David Kendall said: "I pledge to make young people's mental health a priority if I am elected. All young people should get support for their mental health as soon as they need it. @YoungMindsUK #ActEarly

Parliamentary Candidate David Kendall said: "I am pleased to support the #Invest2EndAbuse and have signed the pledge on the #SafeLifes website,

ABOUT SAFELIFES

We are SafeLives, the UK-wide charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, for everyone and for good.

We work with organisations across the UK to transform the response to domestic abuse. We want what you would want for your best friend. We listen to survivors, putting their voices at the heart of our thinking. We look at the whole picture for each individual and family to get the right help at the right time to make families everywhere safe and well. And we challenge perpetrators to change, asking 'why doesn't he stop?' rather than 'why doesn't she leave?' This principle applies whatever the sex of the victim or perpetrator and whatever the nature of their relationship.

Parliamentary Candidate David Kendall said: "I am pleased to support the Health for Care campaign to #FixSocialCare

Seven Key Principles are needed for a new social care system in England:

1. Sharing costs: A system providing the care people need - free at the point of use - should be funded by universal and compulsory financial contributions. This may require differences in when, how, and how much people pay towards the care system.
2. Fair eligibility: Eligibility should be based on need and must be widened to ensure that those of any age with unmet or under-met need have access to appropriate support. Eligibility must also guarantee parity of esteem across physical, mental and cognitive health.Improving integration: Health and care services should be designed to work more effectively together, with personalised care and prevention at the heart of both
   services. Health and care services should deliver treatment and care at the right time and place and guarantee maximum personal control to the recipients of care.
3. Sustainability: Establishing a sustainable social care system will require closing the existing funding gap in the short term, as well as establishing a permanent funding settlement that would enable both members of the public and care providers to plan for their long-term future. Levels of funding should also sustain a diverse and stable market of providers.
4. Valuing the workforce: More workers should be recruited to, and retained within, the care sector. Furthermore, those who work within the care sector should be offered increased pay, higher quality training (along with the protected time away from work to undertake training), opportunities for career progression, and new career paths.
5. Supporting carers: Unpaid carers should be eligible for increased support from the state. Additionally, offers of care should not be reduced on the basis
   that someone may be a recipient or possible recipient of informal care.
6. Accessibility: The criteria and assessment process for receiving state-funded care should be simple enough for everyone to understand, with guidance on
   offers of care to be made widely available. In addition, assessments of individuals' care needs should be conducted by appropriately-trained assessors.