Mersea Island welcomes careful drivers
Please remember the Strood is a tidal causeway NOT A FORD
Local emergency services get called out far too many times
Please remember the Strood is a tidal causeway NOT A FORD
Local emergency services get called out far too many times
Colchester City Councillor for Mersea and Pyefleet ward (East and West Mersea, Peldon, Abberton, Langenhoe and Fingringhoe)
About Martin
I began my career as a teacher in a challenging school in an Essex seaside town. I have subsequently held senior leadership roles both in the UK and overseas, including being part of the senior leadership team establishing a new sixth form college in an East Anglian port town with underachieving schools which significantly improved A level results, as well as the number of local young people going to leading universities, which was one of my particular responsibilities.
After teaching Geography in two Essex schools I became an overseas aid worker first in Pakistan, then in Afghanistan. I and a Norwegian colleague were the first westerners to visit a remote region 10,000 feet up in the Afghan mountainous, which was then literally just a ‘blank’ on the map. I subsequently spent 10 years working without a formal salary to set up a literacy and community development project there, which included having to negotiate in local language with senior members of the Taliban and other warlords to do so - so I have a bit of experience of dealing with awkward people!
I have also worked in higher education - including setting up a new course in Research Ethics at Anglia Ruskin University, I am a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS) and am also the also the author of two books.
I have recently set up a new charity undertaking research on the global persecution of Christians.
After teaching Geography in two Essex schools I became an overseas aid worker first in Pakistan, then in Afghanistan. I and a Norwegian colleague were the first westerners to visit a remote region 10,000 feet up in the Afghan mountainous, which was then literally just a ‘blank’ on the map. I subsequently spent 10 years working without a formal salary to set up a literacy and community development project there, which included having to negotiate in local language with senior members of the Taliban and other warlords to do so - so I have a bit of experience of dealing with awkward people!
I have also worked in higher education - including setting up a new course in Research Ethics at Anglia Ruskin University, I am a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS) and am also the also the author of two books.
I have recently set up a new charity undertaking research on the global persecution of Christians.
Mersea
It is a privilege to live on Mersea – one of the best places in the world to live (though we try to keep that just a little bit quiet so it doesn’t get spoilt!). I was born and grew up in East Anglia and came back here after working as an overseas aid worker in Afghanistan. I grew up in an area near the coast and the sea becomes part of you.
I am married to Lesley and we have two boys, two dogs and am very much involved in our local community including being a West Mersea town councillor, volunteering on safety boat for Dabchicks Sailing Club, Mersea Week and Round the Island Race; being part of St Peter and St Paul’s Church including being a member of PCC; and getting involved in Mersea Museum – which has got to be one of the best local museums in the country, not just the quality of displays- but the active involvement and sheer enthusiasm of so many local people in recording and exploring local history.
I also have a passion for history and have written on local history for the Essex Society for Archaeology and History and am currently writing up some research on Mersea in the Anglo-Saxon and Viking periods.
I also have a particular interest in coastal erosion and flooding, with the issues on Mersea and nearby villages being extremely similar to those I dealt with when I was previously a councillor for a rural and coastal area on the Suffolk coast.
It is a privilege to live on Mersea – one of the best places in the world to live (though we try to keep that just a little bit quiet so it doesn’t get spoilt!). I was born and grew up in East Anglia and came back here after working as an overseas aid worker in Afghanistan. I grew up in an area near the coast and the sea becomes part of you.
I am married to Lesley and we have two boys, two dogs and am very much involved in our local community including being a West Mersea town councillor, volunteering on safety boat for Dabchicks Sailing Club, Mersea Week and Round the Island Race; being part of St Peter and St Paul’s Church including being a member of PCC; and getting involved in Mersea Museum – which has got to be one of the best local museums in the country, not just the quality of displays- but the active involvement and sheer enthusiasm of so many local people in recording and exploring local history.
I also have a passion for history and have written on local history for the Essex Society for Archaeology and History and am currently writing up some research on Mersea in the Anglo-Saxon and Viking periods.
I also have a particular interest in coastal erosion and flooding, with the issues on Mersea and nearby villages being extremely similar to those I dealt with when I was previously a councillor for a rural and coastal area on the Suffolk coast.
Martin's previous experience as a district councillor
Martin was previously a district councillor for a coastal and rural area of Suffolk with very similar issues to Mersea and Pyefleet villages. Some of his achievements include:
Rail improvements
Martin spearheaded a successful three and half year campaign to persuade Network Rail to install level crossing barriers at a dangerous unmanned rural level crossing – eventually taking the issue right up to the chief executive of Network Rail.
(Photo: Martin at the new level crossing barriers with Rt Hon Dr Thérèse Coffey MP)
Martin spearheaded a successful three and half year campaign to persuade Network Rail to install level crossing barriers at a dangerous unmanned rural level crossing – eventually taking the issue right up to the chief executive of Network Rail.
(Photo: Martin at the new level crossing barriers with Rt Hon Dr Thérèse Coffey MP)
Coastguard stations on the East Coast
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Photo: Martin leading fieldwork teaching students about coastal erosion
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River flooding and sea defence
Martin has campaigned at a national level on both river and coastal flooding and erosion, including urging proper respect for the rights of landowners not to have their land arbitrarily subject to ‘managed retreat’ or be ‘required’ to allow their land to erode without compensation. While a district councillor on the Suffolk coast he found that a farmer in the council ward he represented was losing 17 acres of farmland a year to coastal erosion - and the Environment Agency was refusing him to allow him to fund sea defences - claiming that they needed the sediment eroded from his land for nearby beaches. Martin challenged them on this pointing out that the scientific research suggested that less than 5% of eroded material ended up on local beaches. Eventually Martin managed to get a letter personally signed by the Environment minster stating that there was no objection in principle to sea defences on his land. |
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Brexit
Martin co-led the successful ‘Vote Leave’ campaign on part of the Suffolk coast which achieved a majority for leave of 16,934 in what was then one of the most marginal constituencies in the UK. He also wrote for Brexit Central on some of the key constitutional issues and when negotiations with the EU were being blocked by the Irish government, had a letter published in the Dublin based Irish Times, within 24 hours of which the Irish government withdrew their objections. (Photo: Martin with Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP and Rt Hon George Eustace MP). Promoted by Jim Musk on behalf of Dr Martin Parsons, all at Harwich and North Essex Conservative Association, Unit C2, East Gores Farm, Salmons Lane, Colchester, CO6 1RZ
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