Bayo Alaba MP: speeches

Speeches

• 12 Mar 2025 · Housing Development Planning: Water Companies · Hansard source

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  Water companies have a responsibility to the community they are in and the developments that they play a part in. I am keen to hear from the Minister what the Government’s reforms will do to encourage water companies to be front and centre on plan-making and infrastructure building.

• 4 Mar 2025 · Market Towns: Cultural Heritage · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered the cultural heritage of market towns. It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy. I thank everyone here today for attending and showing their interest in this very important debate, and for contributing to and supporting it. I welcome all Members who represent market towns old and new. Historically, a market town is a town that has hosted markets and is usually granted that privilege by a royal charter. These towns evolved into economic hubs where local farmers, merchants and traders could sell their goods and produce, and where residents from the local area could pick up essentials. Because of the trade that took place, these towns became the centre of development, with houses, fire stations, stables and mechanics’ premises surrounding them. Notably, market towns can develop not just through royal charter but through and with population growth and economic activity. Where we have developed infrastructure and connectivity, with better roads, trains and river crossings, that has allowed for more trade, in turn encouraging market towns to develop. Local authorities can also classify an area as a market town based on commercial importance. For me, markets offer vibrancy and opportunity. They are a mini showreel of an area’s special characteristics. I was born on Green Street in east London and grew up with markets all around me, with friends and family owning market stalls. I also worked part time on a fruit and veg stall in Stratford market as a schoolboy. Not only do I have a keen nostalgic and personal interest in market towns and markets specifically; I also have some experience of reanimating markets. Before entering Westminster, I owned and ran a number of independent markets over the years, including fashion, art, artisan and food markets, due to my professional background in events and hospitality. Commissioned by the London borough of Hackney, I was involved in the successful regeneration of Hoxton Street market, one of Europe’s oldest street markets, dating back to 1687. Hoxton Street had lost its way and required repositioning. As part of the town centre master plan, my team and I oversaw a stakeholder engagement strategy that encompassed existing traders, local shop operators, surrounding community shops and groups, various council departments and, most importantly, local residents. The key thing was that the work on giving that local community asset its historic vigour back included the local community. That was not only the right approach to take, but also the authentic route. Now, some 10 years later, Hoxton Street market as a community asset is still vibrant and, crucially, locally led, thereby adding to the local area’s sense of place, civic pride and local economy. Let me give a sense of the market town I proudly represent. Rochford is surrounded by historic villages such as Great Wakering, Canewdon, Paglesham, Barling and Stambridge, all of which fall within Rochford district. I will keep it brief, as I have limited time, but if any Members would like to talk about history with me, I would love to have that conversation separately. Rochford market was created in the mid 13th century, and a charter was awarded by King Henry III to Sir Guy de Rochford in 1247, with the aim of generating income and developing new towns. At the heart of Rochford lies the medieval market square. The square hosted a weekly cattle and livestock sale every Tuesday, Thursday and Whitsun. At the time it was the only market for 20 miles, which made it particularly popular. Nowadays there is a bit more competition but the market is still going strong. With trade came industry. A wooden market house was built in 1707 to house the livestock, a barber’s shop and a mechanic’s opened, a fire station was built, and there were many taverns packed with residents enjoying the weekly market. That brings me to the present. As hon. Members can imagine, the market square is incredibly different now. I regularly enjoy going to Rochford square to buy local goods, meet businesses, take my family out for lunch and hold surgeries, so I know how much potential the area has and the wealth of cultural heritage it had in times gone by. Most historic market towns have buildings of significance that shaped the town’s history. In Rochford, we have the Freight House building—a Victorian train workshop that helped move the town into the industrial age. Such cultural buildings provide a heritage footprint that market towns thrive on. On the challenges and the context, it is fair to say that market towns are up against it and are often at the sharp end of economic downturns. We have 1,300 market towns that serve populations that range from 2,000 to 30,000 people. Over the past two decades, industry has been hollowed out and market towns have suffered. Shop vacancies have increased and footfall has decreased as consumer habits have changed: there has been a greater use of retail parks and online shopping. That change has led to a void at the heart of those communities, and often a rise in antisocial behaviour as there is less opportunity. Although the problem is not limited to market towns—we see that pattern across high streets and city centres—they often feel it acutely. It is also a structural issue. Historic England’s research on heritage and the economy outlines that local authorities’ historic environment teams have shrunk considerably over the past decade: between 2006 and 2018, the number of conservation and archaeological specialists fell by 35%. Heritage indicators similarly demonstrate decreases in local authority spending on services for the historic environment, including a 34% decrease in museums and galleries, a 35% decrease in heritage, a 38% decrease in archives and a 57% decrease in development control by 2021-22. That means that local authorities no longer have the required expertise to protect the cultural heritage of market towns, let alone maximise the part they play in our constituencies.

• 4 Feb 2025 · Great British Energy: Regional Offices · Hansard source

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  17. Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a Great British Energy office in every region.

• 4 Feb 2025 · Great British Energy: Regional Offices · Hansard source

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  I commend the Minister on the progress he has made on setting up Great British Energy. Can he outline to the House what opportunities our publicly owned champion will bring to Southend East and Rochford and the wider south-east region?

• 16 Dec 2024 · Water (Special Measures) Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  I am so pleased to be here to discuss the Bill. Water quality is one of the biggest issues facing residents across my constituency, particularly in relation to pollution levels, and under-investment in infrastructure has reduced flood resilience in our residential areas. In Southend, our beaches have lost some of their blue flags in recent months, particularly in Thorpe bay, because of surface water drainage issues. Constituents experiencing significant flooding every time there is increased rainfall. Some constituents living around the Thorpe Hall Avenue area have tried to sell up, and have been forced to sell for up to 15% below the market value as a direct consequence of flooding. That is simply not good enough, and it is why I am so pleased to be here to support the most significant increase in enforcement and regulation of the water industry in a decade. Since my election, I have co-chaired the Southend water quality summit with my good and hon. Friend the Member for Southend West and Leigh (David Burton-Sampson). We have been trying to bring all community stakeholders back together again to put additional pressure on Anglian Water. The summits are held quarterly, and are an opportunity for residents, water companies and campaign groups such as Southend Against Sewage to come together to raise issues and concerns. That model empowers communities, and I am proud that our city has been a pioneer in holding water companies to account. After all, Southend is a coastal community, so water quality is completely intertwined with daily life. Our beautiful coastlines are a natural asset that needs to be protected—frankly, they are one of our superpowers—but, frustratingly, our water quality does not always meet the standards that residents, visitors and tourists deserve. However, the Bill means that we can look forward to clean rivers, lakes, seas and estuaries. Not only will it drive up performance by blocking bonuses for executives and imposing automatic and severe fines for those who pollute our waterways, but it will introduce criminal charges for persistent lawbreakers. In 2022, £9.7 million was paid out in executive bonuses—that is simply not good enough. For too long, water quality and food resilience have been overlooked. Nowhere is that more apparent than in Southend-on-Sea. Suffice it to say that I wholeheartedly welcome the Bill as a first step in the transformation of the water industry.