Latest news with #Rochford
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Stephen Rochford steps into the Mayo breach once more after tumultuous fortnight
The Stephen Rochford Files are littered with occasions when he pulled rabbits from the hat - many of them proving to be masterstrokes. But for Mayo to reach the relative sanctuary of a two week break until an All-Ireland semi-final, Rochford will have to perform perhaps his greatest magic trick yet. It's been a tumultuous week and a half - even by Mayo standards - starting with a shock Sam Maguire Round 1 defeat by Cavan at MacHale Park. Then Kevin McStay suffered a serious health scare and has since stepped aside with Rochford taking over as Mayo manager. To cap it all, GAA top brass, Jarlath Burns and Tom Ryan, held a crisis meeting with the clubs of Mayo and the County Board officials amid concerns over financial issues and allegations of intimidation and harassment. It could all elicit a backlash against Tyrone next Saturday night at Healy Park, and with a smarting Mayo having two weeks to prepare, against Malachy O'Rourke's side who have just seven days after a statement win over Donegal, it's set up for the visitors to go after it. However, Mayo's head to head defeat by Cavan is disastrous and means they may require a win and a draw against Tyrone and Donegal to stay afloat this season. Given that Rochford is already assistant manager/Head Coach the lift from a change of manager may not be there, but there could well be a strong on-field statement of support from the players for McStay. But, this is a management team, that barring a giant leap forward in the coming weeks, were possibly in their final year after failing to make it to Croke Park last year, and taking a hammering from Dublin in an All-Ireland quarter-final when they got there the year before. The alternative perspective has it that they drew with Dublin last year in the All-Ireland group stages, narrowly missing out on topping their group, and only lost to Derry after extra-time in the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final. They should be Connacht champions too, having blown it in the final quarter against Galway, getting four points from a posssible 19 on offer while their opponents got four out of five playing into a stiff breeze to win by two But with Galway completing a Connacht four-in-a-row, that doesn't cut it with a lot of Mayo fans. If you take out the four week run from the All-Ireland quarter-final to the All-Ireland final, Rochford has literally four and a half weeks of high pressure and almost guaranteed mayhem to make something of Mayo's 2025 season. The type of football acumen he possesses is absolutely vital in the biggest games where teams know each other inside out and every little tactical edge could be the inch that gets you over the line. But, if Mayo get to an All-Ireland semi-final - a long way off right now - what sort of shape will they be in? Will they go more gung-ho, which seems to suit them, and less pragmatic. That's a style issue rather than a tactical one. Rochford could well come up with something though. The biggest rabbit he ever pulled from the hat was putting Aidan O'Shea at full back to tag Kieran Donaghy in the 2017 All-Ireland semi-final draw and replay - a decision that was heavily criticised. Rochford weighed up the wreck Donaghy caused Mayo full backs, as far back as the 2006 All-Ireland final and on into the 2014 All-Ireland semi-final draw abd replay, and figured the only one who could match Donaghy's power was O'Shea. Mayo won the replay. Rochford had the courage of his convictions and was proved right. He didn't ignore history and opt for blind loyalty. Then there was Alan Dillon, not named, but starting against Tyrone in the 2016 All-Ireland quarter-final. A rabbit from the hat, who pulled the strings and laid the foundations for victory before being taken off at half-time. Tyrone weren't ready for him and had to make a tactical substitution after 20 minutes. Dillon had more touches of the ball in the first half than any other player on the pitch, picking out key passes against Tyrone's double sweeper system. His replacement, Tom Parsons had more touches than anyone else in the second half. Job done. Then there was Paddy Durcan man marking Kevin McManamon in the 2016 All-Ireland final and the Dublin man, who was in Footballer of the Year form going into the game, being taken off. Also, Lee Keegan man marking Enda Smith at midfield in the 2017 All-Ireland quarter-final replay and hitting 1-3 from play was another big call that paid off. The year before Keegan marked Sean Cavanagh, Michael Quinlivan and Diarmuid Connolly on the way to landing the Footballer of the Year award. Rochford later went to Donegal, alongside Declan Bonner as a coach, and helped them to the 2019 Ulster Championship. He clearly relishes the detail at this level and the on field coaching time with the players, and it's no coincidence that after his spell as Mayo manager he went in as a coach alongside Bonner and then McStay. At times, Crossmolina All-Ireland winner Rochford didn't look like he relished his media duties as Mayo manager, but this latest post is a stand-in role. Mayo, though, are not in a great place. When Rochford led them to the 2016 and 2017 All-Ireland Finals, they had possibly the county's greatest ever player in Keegan and a forward who would win Footballer of the Year in 2017 in Andy Moran. He also had serious competitors in the likes of Keith Higgins, Colm Boyle, Chris Barrett, Seamus O'Shea, David Clarke, Tom Parsons, Kevin McLoughlin, Aidan O'Shea, the O'Connor brothers - Cillian and Diarmuid - and more. All of the above are gone, bar O'Shea, who is 34 and Diarmuid O'Connor who has serious miles on the clock and has taken a lot of punishment for the cause. Patrick Durcan is plagued by injury. Tommy Conroy hasn't been seen this year. His pace is sorely missed for the three-up. The pieces Rochford has to play aren't the same. If you don't have the pieces, you can't move them around. Rochford could do with two Ryan O'Donoghues inside and another at number 11. The new 3-up game also means he can't deploy the type of mass defence that frustrated Dubin in the 2016 drawn All-Ireland final, and held them to 2-9, admittedly in awful wet conditions. But, holding a Jim Gavin team to 2-9 in an All-Ireland final is fair going. Needs must, and he elected to abandon the front foot football of the James Horan era to try and get the job done. Rochford will need all of that acumen he's shown in the past and more over the coming month if he's to save Mayo's season and get them back on track again in his unexpected and unwanted second coming as manager.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'Deteriorated' south Essex playground to be transformed with £50k upgrades
WORK is underway to carry out £50,000 worth of upgrades to decades old playground equipment in an effort to create a 'more modern, inclusive and engaging space' for youngsters. The playground at Ashingdon Memorial Park, Rochford, is currently undergoing an extensive facelift that is set to last several weeks and transform the dated equipment that is currently in place. As part of Rochford Council's five-year 'PlaySpace Improvement Plan', the works have been welcomed by councillors as a much-overdue upgrade for the area's younger residents. We're now on WhatsApp! Join our new channel at to get all the latest breaking news and exclusive stories delivered straight to your phone. A spokesperson for Rochford Council, said: 'The play area at Ashingdon Memorial Park is currently undergoing a significant upgrade. 'The play area will be temporarily closed while the works are carried out, with the closure expected to last up to three weeks. Underway - Works are ongoing at Ashingdon Memorial Park (Image: Ashingdon Parish Council) 'The project involves the installation of £50,000 worth of new play equipment, aimed at creating a more modern, inclusive and engaging space for children and families in the community. 'We appreciate residents patience during this time and look forward to unveiling the improved play area soon.' Last October, Rochford Council announced it was set to release funding to purchase new equipment for parks across the district. Pleased - Roger Constable has welcomed the improvement works (Image: Rochford Council) According to a report filed ahead of October's announcement, the play areas at Ashingdon Playing Fields are in a 'deteriorated' state, with equipment more than 20 years old and at the 'end of its life expectancy'. Over the next five years the council plans to invest £1.26million in the huge project to replace equipment and improve facilities. Photos of the ongoing works at Ashingdon Memorial Park's playground show a digger in place with much of the rubber surfacing already ripped up. The works have been welcomed by Conservative councillor Roger Constable who, following the council's recent leadership changes, has taken on the chairmanship of the Environment and Climate Change Committee. 'I'm just pleased to see that the play equipment is being replaced,' said Mr Constable. 'The area is going to have a lot of new equipment and new flooring and it's all for our young people who need the space to play.'
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
I'm fed up with the derogatory Nimby label says LEE BOYCE - I believe most of us are in the 'Cwibb' category instead
This week, yet another leaflet came through my letterbox asking for views on a development of 2,000 homes to be slapped up a few minutes away from said letterbox, encroaching on green belt land. Last month, it was a leaflet from a well-known German supermarket giant, asking for opinions on its plans to demolish an aquatics centre near-by and replace it with fish you buy for the dinner table, rather than ones for your tank, again a few minutes away from my front door. I've also been catching up on comments from our local MP, Mark Francois, who was rightly bringing numerous planned developments in the local area to public attention and questioning how infrastructure can cope with the scale of what is being suggested. He says 17,000-plus new homes planned by the local council is 'insane' and 'utterly unacceptable.' He said: 'With our local roads already maxed out, and hospitals full to bursting there is absolutely no way on earth our semi-rural district could possibly accommodate 17,000 new houses, including a new town on the Rochford-Southend border.' Say what you want about Mr Francois, but he speaks with passion about gargantuan local developments, and hopefully your local MP is equally as vocal. Whether concerns raised by MPs have any impact is another matter. The leaflets talk a good game. The housing development harps on about a new school, health facilities, and rather ironically, green space – but crucially, there is no concrete plan to deal with extremely heavy traffic that already exists on the roundabout near-by, the only route to get onto the main road. It's unlikely anything will be done about it – and with another couple of thousand residents added to the fray, it will, in a word, result in even more gridlock. That's because it is too far to walk to the train station that ferries commuters into London, which will mean more people driving to get there via the one single carriageway road that goes through the town, already at breaking point. This goes on top of another development well underway, where more than 1,000 homes are currently going up. I'm not sure how much more the town can cope, unless more services, facilities and roads are built, eating yet more green land. The thing many don't realise about large parts of Essex is the county is rural and semi-rural, the more so as you venture away from the capital. This means plenty of green space to eye up to build on, but the plans often don't take into account the already overwhelmed public services, amenities and transport networks. And this is a scenario replicated across the country. I get it. Homes need to be built. I own a home, so I'm labelled 'lucky' – I wouldn't be complaining if I was attempting to get onto the ladder, I know will be the cry. But no doubt what will go up are houses crammed in next to each other with postage stamp gardens, no real identity and a failure to grasp what people need. In my opinion, we need an increase in smaller one and two-bedroom bungalows in our area, to help people downsize. Will they be built? Nope. It'll be four and five bed monstrosities costing three quarters of a million pounds or more to help maximise the bottom line of the developer. I mentioned this to a friend the other day and he jokingly labelled me a Nimby – Not in My Back Yard. This catch-all, and quite derogatory term, has been forced onto local people just because they care about the community, traffic, overpopulation and essentially, having concerns about huge soulless developments. I wouldn't label myself a Nimby. No, I've invented a new term: Cwibb. It stands for: I Care What is Being Built. Us Cwibbs understand homes need to be built – don't want new ones to be blocked entirely - but with care and consideration to those who already live near-by, alongside the quality required for forking out huge sums to buy said homes. Is there anything wrong with that? Cwibbs know the area inside out – when the traffic is going to be bad to dodge it; how long it takes to get a doctor's appointment; how oversubscribed the best local schools are; how easy it is to get a loaf of bread and pint of milk, and from where, at any time of the day. We know more than the faceless developers, the people in government blindly sticking out building targets – we live and breathe the area, and fundamentally, we care about it. But ultimately, our concerns, our thoughts put down via the little QR code on the leaflet, won't count for anything. What is a developer going to do? Oh look, Mr Boyce has concerns about 2,000 homes going up, let's not do it. Oh, Mr Boyce says the roundabout is already a traffic nightmare, we'll drop a few million quid (and the rest) to build a junction that will manage traffic flow better. Oh, Mr Boyce says yet another supermarket isn't needed as he can already get to a dozen within 10 minutes, so let's not bother. Will I fill in the feedback form? Of course I will, it's my duty as a Cwibb. Will it make a blind bit of difference? I highly doubt it. But us Cwibbs and Nimbys are important, no matter who wants to berate us for caring – and the country would be a worse place without local people trying to help shape what we believe is best for an area we have chosen to reside, to put down roots, to start families, and to live and die in. This was published as our newsletter message on Thursday morning - get the weekly column before its published online, sent straight to your inbox, by signing up below: Best mortgage rates and how to find them Mortgage rates have risen substantially over recent years, meaning that those remortgaging or buying a home face higher costs. That makes it even more important to search out the best possible rate for you and get good mortgage advice. Quick mortgage finder links with This is Money's partner L&C > Mortgage rates calculator > Find the right mortgage for you To help our readers find the best mortgage, This is Money has partnered with the UK's leading fee-free broker L&C. This is Money and L&C's mortgage calculator can let you compare deals to see which ones suit your home's value and level of deposit. You can compare fixed rate lengths, from two-year fixes, to five-year fixes and ten-year fixes. If you're ready to find your next mortgage, why not use This is Money and L&C's online Mortgage Finder. It will search 1,000's of deals from more than 90 different lenders to discover the best deal for you.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Conservatives re-enter leadership at Rochford District Council
The political leadership at a local authority has changed hands following an annual council District Council is now run as a joint administration by the Conservatives, Rochford District Residents (RDR) and the Rochford and Foulness Wakering Independents (RFWI).Until recently, the council was jointly run by the Liberal Democrats and new leader, Conservative Danielle Belton, said the three groups would work together on "shared priorities". "Given the current uncertainty due to local government reform, we believe that transparent, engaging and member-led leadership is vital for the future of the district, and that is what we intend to deliver," she said. Local councils in England are due to be dismantled and replaced as part of a major shake-up of local councillor John Mason was made the deputy leader and said his party would be "working for residents" in coalition with the other two Williams, group leader for RFWI, said his party shared "common goals" with his cross-bench single political party has had a majority in Rochford in recent Tories have 10 members, RDR have eight, Lib Dems have eight, RFWI have three and 10 other councillors are from independent groups. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Plans for thousands of homes in Rochford district 'insane'
An MP has said a leaked version of a council's local plan is "insane" and "cannot possibly be allowed to continue".Mark Francois said Rochford District Council's report, which is due to be made public in weeks, plans for 17,000 new homes in the authority said government policy required it to build "at least 689 new homes per year every year" and it was considering the "feasibility" of the numbers government has said it is committed to delivering 1.5 million new homes this Parliament. The BBC has seen part of the council's 'Local plan workshop: progress update' report of 22 April lists dozens of sites for new homes up to 2040 and beyond in the would be 1500 homes to the north of Southend as part of a new town development with 3500 built after report includes 24 locations in Rayleigh for 3,679 new homes to be built. The largest sites would be 730 homes at Wolsey Park and 600 at Lubards would be 1500 homes at Dollyman's Farm in Rawreth with a further 500 to be built after 2040. Hullbridge could have 1000 new homes built over the next decade, as could Great Wakering with 820 homes being considered at Tithe Park off Poynters Lane. "This draft plan, a copy of which I have now seen, is utterly unacceptable," said Rayleigh and Wickford Conservative MP Francois."With our local roads already maxed out, and hospitals full to bursting there is absolutely no way on earth our semi-rural district could possibly accommodate 17,000 new houses, including a new town on the Rochford-Southend border." Targets 'more than double' Rochford Council, which is Lib Dem-controlled, said: "Options are currently being tested for their impacts on the environment, transport network and other facilities and this evidence will be presented to councillors who will make a decision on the draft local plan in due course."The council did not comment on whether 17,000 new homes were being planned for the district. Local authorities are legally obliged to have a local plan for new housing and current local plan for Rochford dates back to 2011 and includes plans for 250 new homes a year in the government has reintroduced mandatory housing targets for local authorities and it has more than doubled for Rochford compared to its target a decade areas like Southend and Basildon need to build around 1,000 new homes every council said there would be two rounds of public consultation on new housing plans before they go to government to be approved. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
