CONCRETING OVER BASILDON

There has been no further indication about the future of the "Land North of Dry Street", but there have been some optimistic signs - and some less optimistic - about other green areas in the town. Earlier this year(May 2009) residents in Lee Chapel South (Nethermayne Ward) celebrated gaining Village Green status for the park at Eastley, thanks to the perseverance of local residents. On the Basildon Golf Course front, the Friends of Basildon Golf Course (FOBGC) are awaiting the date of a new appeal in the high courts, while the company running the course at present appears to be encountering all sorts of financial difficulties. A public inquiry into residents' attempts to designate a well-used path on the northern boundary of the golf course as a public right-of-way will take place at Vange Community Hall, Vange Hill Drive, on Tuesday 15th December 2009. On the broader green issues front, Basildon Council has succeeded in bringing together a number of parties to consider the future of the so-called "Nethermayne Gateway" - the area encompassing Thurrock and Basildon College, St.Luke's Hospice and Basildon & Thurrock University Hospital. Representatives from Essex County Council, all the above bodies, and the Environment Agency(EA) have met on three occasions to try and establish a vision for the area. While there has been much talk about infrastructure investment and the creation of a science/business park, others, including the EA have concentrated on Green issues. Cllr Geoff Williams, as the only Basildon councillor to attend the forum, highlighted the superb and unique characteristics of the huge expanse of publicly accessible open space, and the rich variety of farm-land between Bulphan Fen in the West and Leigh Marshes in the East. It is our view that this area must be preserved for the enjoyment and sanity of future generations !

Power to the People

The local planning process - creating the Local Development Plan - will take a number of years. Until all the "i's" are dotted and all the "t's" crossed we must keep Basildon's green spaces under close scrutiny. Basildon Council's 'Call for Sites' has identified many individual plots within the green belt, whose futures will be determined on their own merits, but Basildon Council has also identified areas of open space and parkland for consideration. Basildon Council's Liberal Democrat councillors will not compromise in their defence of these areas that give Basildon its unique character.

REMAIN VIGILANT !

English Partnerships has now been absorbed into the Homes and Communities Agency.

Does Basildon have the capacity to absorb thousands more houses with all the pressure on transport systems, schools, medical services that it will mean ?

Quality of Life is not just a question of whether there are enough roads, enough hospitals, enough schools to meet the needs of tens of thousands of new families. It is also about a decent environment, access to countryside and fresh air. In Basildon we have a battle on our hands.

Revised September 2009