When we set up HERA, over a year ago, we could not have imagined the success it was to become. Last night I attended the AGM and was given the opportunity to speak. It is moments like last night that make being a councillor so worth while.

The whole team had never run an Annual General Meeting (AGM) before and they were fantastic. With a little coaching they looked like they had been doing it for years. We had a number of reports including one from the deputy governor of Highpoint prison.

We reflected on the prison ring road being repaired and the proposed unwanted car park near the estate, for visitors and staff being, being relocated to the south of the prison out of the way of residents. We considered how relations between the prison and the estate were continually improving and how HERA was a great vehicle for this. Understanding the other persons point of view is often half the battle.

HERA has a particularly enthusiastic representative on the Parish Council and is doing a fantastic job bringing new energy to the relationship between the Highpoint estate and the rest of the village. Sometimes, in the past, it has felt a little cut off from the rest of the village, but not now. Litter picks, a new notice board and community activities have been agreed, arranged and delivered.

HERA has had a donation from the Broxted solar farm which it intends to use to improve the roads. We are still waiting for the promised £5k from the Ministry of Justice. This commitment was made some time ago and has not been delivered. This delay is not within the prison but in the civil service in the MoJ. At the last public meeting I did fire a shot across the bows of the MoJ saying if the money wasn’t sorted out in a reasonable time I will be going up through the political route. Last night, after a long conversation with our MP, Matt Hancock, he confirmed to me the commitment from the MoJ was a firm commitment and that he had written to the Justice Secreatary. I am hopeful this will make a difference.

Sadly, we also discussed the issue of the estate roads and how residents have been let down, once again. Last year a promise was made, by Mr Christopher Fallon, from Roadfill Ltd to repair the roads for free using a new road surfacing product containing recycled plastic. This promise has been broken. It turns out that Mr Fallon is a convicted fraudster who has been sentenced to 5 years, 5 years and 7 years in prison. He has only recently been released from Highpoint prison!!!!!!!!! I have spent hundreds of hours on this trying to protect the public. I will be putting up a blog about this so watch this space!!!