Following the release of our White Paper challenging Basildon Council’s excessively high housing target a number of replies have been received by the Billericay Action Group, mainly expressing their thanks and support. These have come from politicians of all parties. We are also aware of individual residents who have written to their local Basildon Councillor expressing their concerns and who have also received replies.
Formal responses have been received from our local MP, John Baron and from Councillor Dr. Richard Moore who wrote on behalf of all of the Billericay Borough Councillors.
We welcome John Baron’s response to our White Paper where he clearly confirms our view that the high number of 16,000 was chosen by Basildon Borough Council and not set by Central Government:
Formal responses have been received from our local MP, John Baron and from Councillor Dr. Richard Moore who wrote on behalf of all of the Billericay Borough Councillors.
We welcome John Baron’s response to our White Paper where he clearly confirms our view that the high number of 16,000 was chosen by Basildon Borough Council and not set by Central Government:
“The numbers … in the Local Plan are not Government driven targets. The Government has made it clear that it is up to local Councils to determine the need for housing in their local area and to act appropriately to fulfil it”. - John Baron
Mr Baron also states that any figure must be realistic in meeting the demands of local population growth. We note that he does not say we must also meet the needs of large scale migration; he refers only to local population growth.
Unfortunately he also repeats the assertion that there must be a Local Plan in place to prevent uncontrolled development in the Borough. This echoes the response from Basildon Council.
BAG has stated on many occasions that we fully understand the need for a Local Plan and repeat our view that a bad plan is as bad, if not worse than no plan.
The aim of our document is not to prevent implementation of a Local Plan but to ensure that the OAN within that Plan more accurately reflects the real need for the Borough. The inflated OAN proposed will result in extensive loss of Green Belt across the Borough and lead to urban sprawl. Other Boroughs are already proposing development on our borders in addition to the proposals made by Basildon and will increase populations in Wickford and Laindon. The letter went on to say that he and local Councillors will not support development in the green belt unless adequate money for infrastructure is also available in parallel. BAG would have liked to have seen our MP come out more clearly in saving the green belt from unnecessary and damaging development as have others in the area. On the plus side he was:
In our White Paper we had showed that Brentwood for example had used more recent data in their calculation than Basildon who had taken an average of older, out of date information as well as more recent data. We take great encouragement from John Baron’s letter. In the past he has appeared disinterested and remote when responding to resident’s concerns. However, it seems he now realises that we are serious; that we are able to make a reasoned case against the OAN; that we are a credible group and that we have support within the community :
“Interested to read (BAG’s) white paper and in particular the approaches adopted by other local authorities” - John Baron
“I have written to Basildon Council on your behalf to ask whether it is possible for any of the suggestions made in your white paper to be taken into account, thereby reducing its OAN figure”. - John Baron
We are hopeful that our MP's proposal to discuss ways of reducing the OAN with Basildon Council is welcomed, but we will continue to raise the issues of loss of Green Belt, Localism and reduction of the OAN, regardless of improved infrastructure.
Barons note contrasts with Cllr Moore’s letter. Cllr Moore, as the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Planning (and the “political” owner of the Local Plan in Basildon) inevitably concentrated on stressing that there is a process being followed; that comments from residents had been requested and that Basildon Council is:
Barons note contrasts with Cllr Moore’s letter. Cllr Moore, as the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Planning (and the “political” owner of the Local Plan in Basildon) inevitably concentrated on stressing that there is a process being followed; that comments from residents had been requested and that Basildon Council is:
“analysing all of the comments and will determine how it demonstrates that the responses were taken into account when preparing the next phase of the Local Plan” - Dr Richard Moore
He makes no comment on the specific issues raised by our White Paper, explaining that there are points in the process where formal public consultation occurs. We hope, however, that our arguments which clearly demonstrate that a lower number could have justifiably been selected will resonate with our Councillors and taken into account in the next phase. However, Cllr Moore does thank us for “developing your ‘White Paper’ which is a useful contribution to the debate”.
To read the White Paper - and to see how you can help please see bit.ly/BBC_OAN
The full version of MP John Baron’s reply, Basildons response to his letter and Cllr Dr Richard Moore letter to BAG can be found below.
To read the White Paper - and to see how you can help please see bit.ly/BBC_OAN
The full version of MP John Baron’s reply, Basildons response to his letter and Cllr Dr Richard Moore letter to BAG can be found below.
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The full version of the Councils response to Mr Baron and his associated letter to us can be found below.
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