Where It All Began

Back in June 2012, the Shoeburyness Residents Association held a public meeting on the issue of  the proposed sea defences at Shoebury Common. At the meeting, representatives from the council gave a presentation on its proposals.

It was at this meeting that Ray Bailey, a Beach Hut owner who lives on high dry land in Parkanaur Avenue outside of any flood plain, first became known to the Stop Lovett & Bailey Team. Following his garbled rant at the meeting, he decided to put this into words and distributed a letter with enclosed analysis to a number of residents including one member of the Stop Lovett & Bailey Team in August last year.

Unbelievably, as part of his 'analysis' he describes the current sea defences at Shoebury Common as 'a luxury' and claimed that 'there was immediate need for improved sea defences at Shoebury Common.



A year later it would seem that Ray has done a u-turn and as a member of 'Friends of Shoebury Common' and suggested an alternative flood defence scheme to the Council. At the recent public meetings at Shoeburyness High School, Ray very kindly, gave everyone in the audience a copy of his speech that he made.

Ray claimed in his chest thumping rabble rousing speech that the Friends of Shoebury Common were definitely not against improving sea defences.



Poor Ray, we think, needs to do some explaining. How can someone just six months earlier claim that there is no immediate need for improved sea defences at Shoebury Common yet now produce an alternative flood defence scheme?

What did amuse the Stop Lovett & Bailey Team however, was the assertion that the 'Friends of Shoebury Common' were not idiots. Well Ray, dear boy, anyone who believes any flood defences are luxury are not just idiots in our book but dangerous idiots!