Freeport, Pc Singh, face masks if deaf and vaccinations for diabetics

Kate Willard OBE, Estuary Envoy and chair of the Thames Estuary Growth Board, writes:

I write regarding the Thames Freeport bid.

Barking and Dagenham is brimming with potential. Potential that a freeport can help to unlock.
Gaining freeport status is an essential part of the region’s recovery and will help it to level-up. A freeport would be a major shot-in-the-arm, unlocking £400million of port and creating more than 25,000 quality jobs, with significant investment in up-skilling opportunities, ultimately boosting the local economy.

A skills-accelerator programme would bring local education providers and employers together to ensure local residents can capitalise on new career opportunities.

Furthermore, the environment is at the heart the Growth Board’s ambitious plans to realise the area’s potential.

We want to create the greenest estuary on the planet. A Thames Freeport will support that ambition through investment in clean energy generation, including hydrogen fuel production, storage and fuelling infrastructure, as well as plans for Ford to trial new and green technology initiatives at its Dagenham site.

All this means cleaner air and greener spaces for the residents of Barking and Dagenham and the wider estuary area.

We want to take freight off the region’s roads and shift it to the river. Securing freeport status would be a positive step in that direction.

The freeport will link sites along the Thames Estuary by river into the Capital via operational wharves.
This will reduce the time and cost of transporting goods, alleviating road congestion and reducing pollution along the A13 corridor.

In 2018, the Thames Estuary 2050 Growth Commission recognised in its ground-breaking report that this place could contribute £115billion to the national economy by 2050 and 1.5 million new jobs if fulfilled.

That’s our challenge now.

As the government-backed Thames Estuary Envoy, I lead a private/public board charged with delivering an ambitious, transformative plan to evolve this region of blurred edges comprising north Kent, south Essex, east London and the river itself, by turbo-charging growth.

Our plan – called The Green Blue – begins to realise the enormous potential of the Thames Estuary by stimulating, endorsing and enabling a substantial range of infrastructural, technological, environmental and cultural projects.

Everything from enhanced transport hubs, river crossings, roads, rail, ports and airports to superfast digital infrastructure, innovative business parks and a world-class theme park.

All backed up with strategies around skills, employment and housing so people can genuinely access emerging opportunities, and with emphasis on “good green growth”.

Securing a freeport for the Thames is a crucial part of this. Our plans hinge upon the advantages, benefits and opportunities that freeport status would unlock.

We have played a role in shaping the bid by making it clear to bidding partners the outcomes we needed from a Thames Freeport. We called these our “principles” and set out our requirements under six thematic areas; economic, investment, innovation, environment, regeneration and community.
Community is the most important among these.

The bid is in, and now we wait to see the government’s decision. The government is aware of the huge potential of the Thames Estuary for its ambitions for global trading, and closer to home, the Growth Board is aware of how this benefits people in real terms. It is a huge opportunity for the people of Barking and Dagenham, and we will do everything we can to see it through.

Find out more at thamesestuary.org

Pc Singh was man to be admired

Friends and colleagues of PC Sukh Singh have paid tribute to 'one of the good guys' who died after contracting Covid-19, aged 46 (Image: Kam Rai)

Dr Leonard Restall B Ed, M Ed (Hons), New Zealand, formerly from Barking, writes:

The sad death of policeman Pc Sukh Singh, the father of two teenage children, at the age of 46 from Covid has brought further sadness upon the local district (Post).

Sukh was an outstanding citizen that was passionate about giving service to the public as a policeman, a position not without danger.

This had always been his avid aim.

He possessed the qualities that many people admired and may have wanted themselves: a strong sense of dedication to what he was doing, and to be a virtual “peacemaker” in situations where it was desperately needed.

What a wonderful combination of personal gifts for service to others. We can be reminded at such a time of this that the personal gifts such as qualities the Sukh had were God-given ones to be used to serve others. That is what he was doing.

The colleagues of Sukh have launched a fundraising scheme to support the family in this great time of sadness and need which will supply some physical comfort and financial help and will appreciate your help.

May this time of sadness be changed to joy, for time is a great healer.

Mask in class will affect deaf pupils

Ian Noon, head of policy, National Deaf Children’s Society, writes:

With England’s 35,000 deaf pupils close to a return to education, the goalposts on face masks have moved yet again. Public health must take priority, but bringing face masks into classrooms will have a devastating effect on deaf children’s studies, mental health and ability to take part in lessons.

The government cannot make an announcement and expect this to be enough. It must move quickly to show exactly how it will guarantee deaf children can still access lessons.

We cannot have a situation where thousands of deaf children and young people are unable to understand their teacher, leaving many with little point in even attending class.

The future of their education is at stake and the clock has already started.

Diabetics should have Covid jab

Roz Rosenblatt, London head, Diabetes UK, writes:

Diabetes UK is urging people with diabetes to take up the coronavirus vaccine when offered it.

People with diabetes have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and have a higher risk of becoming seriously ill if they develop coronavirus. If you have diabetes, the best way to protect yourself against coronavirus is to avoid contact with the virus and get vaccinated.

The vaccines being offered are safe and will save lives, but if you have any concerns call Diabetes UK’s Helpline on 0345 123 2399.