WE have asked a number of back bench councillors to give us their view from their seat at the back.

Whilst others at the front make the speeches and big decisions, it is often the back benchers who work under the radar.

This month, we asked Netteswell councillor, Colleen Morrison to tell us about her life before she became a councillor and the last eighteen months as a civic representative.

MY family were one of thousands of Harlow’s pioneer families who were fortunate to be allocated Development Corporation homes (which later became council homes) in Harlow during the1950s. I was a baby when we moved to a flat in The Dashes from Walthamstow, then to a flat in Broadfield and eventually to a house in Halling Hill. After we married, my husband and I lived in his bedsit in Altham Grove. So I lived in Netteswell for many years.

My father was a commercial artist and art therapist who helped servicemen/women who’d been severely injured during WW2 to overcome the physical and psychological trauma of severe disability. He was a lovely dad but he was useless with money, he loaned money to an army pal which wasn’t repaid, which meant we couldn’t pay for the lease on our home and dad’s studio and we were evicted. Being broke during the post war housing shortage in Walthamstow meant living crowded into my grandparents’ home for a year.

So, when my parents were offered a new home, and my dad a job, in Harlow New Town, they jumped at the chance. Thanks to Sir Freddy Gibberd, Harlow’s brilliant master planner, Harlow became a beautiful, modern new town in the countryside: a green paradise, full of woods, meadows and streams, where my brother and I and other child pioneers ran around like little wild things. Most of the pioneer kids were poor but extraordinarily healthy. Our parents were so proud of Harlow.

Harlow has given me so much, a happy, healthy childhood, a good education and jobs I love, so I try to give back to the community in Harlow. I worked for the Welfare Rights’ Service at Harlow Advice Centre and volunteered for the service for years after I left and campaigned with Hands Off Our Park! (HOOP!) to stop development of 32 acres of the town park. I was co-organiser of Harlow’s branch of the Stop Stansted Expansion campaign, which played a key role in stopping the 2nd runway which would have badly damaged the quality of life of the people of Harlow.

It was heart breaking for me to see how neglected and run down Harlow has become in recent decades, issues which became worse during the Pandemic and lockdowns, due to the furlough of many maintenance and landscape staff.

This is why I stood for election for Netteswell: to help restore Netteswell and our town and its many neighbourhoods.

When the Conservatives took control of Harlow council, we found a huge post-lockdown backlog of outstanding repairs and unmaintained landscaping awaiting us. It took us many months of hard work to improve this. Once elected, I began inspecting Netteswell and reporting its many problems and visiting residents there to apologise for the maintenance and landscaping backlog.

Cllr Russell Perrin, Harlow’s brilliant Council Leader, made me Harlow Estates’ Champion, which meant auditing all of Harlow’s neighbourhoods, sending Russell detailed reports of the state of the street scene of each of these and meetings with Russell regarding inspection findings, particular issues and the order in which restoration work could be done. I’ve audited over 380 neighbourhoods to date. I had to stop auditing for a time to work as a member of our campaign team for 2 elections this year and one of my close family was sadly diagnosed with a serious illness this year too, all of which made it hard for me to focus on council work for a short time. However, I was way ahead thanks to auditing throughout Xmas holidays, evenings after work and weekends and I’m now working as normal and auditing again.

Some of the problems my audits found: Leaking roofs awaiting repairs for months, neighbourhoods colonised by brambles and engulfed by 2 metre high weeds ~ ivy engulfing many flats’ windows and blocking light ~ countless pot holes ~ badly neglected gardens of corner unit flats ~ fly tipping all around Harlow ~ countless algae damaged street signs, number boards, house fronts, facia boards, knee rails ~ numerous garages unpainted and unmaintained for years. Hard working Portfolio Holders, including Cllr Alastair Gunn, Cllr Nicky Purse, Cllr Simon Carter and Cllr Michael Garnett and council officers are working so hard to resolve such issues.

Cllr Dan Swords, our remarkably talented Deputy Council Leader and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, has told me that he will use my audit findings for the restoration of existing neighbourhoods. I am so proud of that.

I’m a working councillor, my son and I have a small business which, among other things, transports food and essential goods to Harlow supermarkets’ warehouses. We and our hard working staff worked throughout the lockdowns.

I’m deputy chair of the Audit and Standards Committee and a member of the Scrutiny Committee, which means reading through agendas and notes of 80+ and 40+ pages respectively, plus related documents and researching Committee related issues: a lot work, but it’s important to contribute to these committees. I’m also a member of the Parking Steering Group, where I try to stand up for car, van and HGV delivery drivers and for parking spaces to be more ecologically sustainable, heat mitigating and carbon zero supporting, reinforced green spaces.

Working as a councillor is hard work, it requires dedication and leaves little time for personal life: but it’s work that is so worthwhile: I love doing it. I would encourage any one in Harlow who wants to work for the community and to make a difference to our town to consider doing this.

I’m a deaf councillor. I was partially deafened by measles when I was c 4 years old, however, I was fortunate to be born with normal hearing, so my speech is good. By the age of 16, my hearing had deteriorated to the point where I had to wear two hearing aids. I lip read, which helps, but only 40% of speech can be read on the lips. I can’t hear speech without hearing aids. However, like many children with disabilities, I quickly adapted and I cope well with my deafness. I use a speech to text program in the chamber and in other meetings. I can’t use a telephone, so I instead use text and I visit residents who request my help.

Kind regards,

Cllr Colleen Morrison