We asked all of the Prospective Parliamentary Candidates for Basildon and Billericay, five questions that relate to concerns the Billericay Action Group have that impact the Borough generally and Billericay specifically so that BAG’s supporters can use those answers in helping decided how to vote.
The Basildon and Billericay Parliamentary Candidates who replied were (in alphabetical order) :
The Basildon and Billericay Parliamentary Candidates who replied were (in alphabetical order) :
- John BARON (Conservative)
- Gavin CALLAGHAN (Labour)
- George KONSTANTINIDIS (UKIP)
the questions and responses
Q1. Housing – When projected natural growth for the Borough requires around 8,400 new homes over the next 20 years, do you agree that plans to build double that number are excessive?
John Baron (Conservative)
"On behalf of constituents, I have already asked the Council to re-examine its estimates and to make sure any figure is robustly evidenced. Ultimately it is the Council’s job to ensure that its estimates are correct, but I do have concerns about the original number. I hope we can all accept that more local housing is needed, particularly for first-time buyers, but we must ensure that the extent of any development is commensurate with local demand."
Gavin Callaghan (Labour)
"It is difficult to understand the accuracy of the projected figure of 8,400 new homes because historically these forecasts have nearly always tended to be incorrect and seemingly always underestimate the potential increases in population growth. Therefore a plan to build in excess of the projection is, perhaps, a more sensible approach to take in order to combat difficulties with infrastructure pressures further down the line."
George Konstantinidis (UKIP)
"We are experiencing an unprecedented pressure to build more houses. This is an issue of high importance. The need for housing is mainly caused by the excessive immigration in which UKIP is the only party that wants to control, ensuring immigration growth is not disproportional to the overall population growth.
I do believe that the Objectively Assessed Needs (OAN) for the Borough of 16,000 new homes together with 49 hectares of employment land is considered unnecessarily high and goes well beyond the figure needed to satisfy the National Planning Inspectorate. I would like to see a review undertaken to look at comparable scenario based on Natural Growth, Migration and ONS official figures as a possible basis for the Council's formula for OAN instead of the proposed much higher Economic scenario.
I support our local Councillors view that Basildon Council has overreacted to the housing needs, and to some extent they see an opportunity to generate easy income, which is a short term benefit with huge long term negative consequences to the county’s economic prosperity that derives from the pressure on local facilities."
Q2. Infrastructure – Billericay traffic is regularly gridlocked, commuter trains are full to bursting point and NHS services are stretched thinly in our town. As Basildon Borough has no control over any of these issues do you agree that they are wrong to consider expanding the town by a further 2,500 new homes?
John Baron (Conservative)
"I will not support any development if the increased infrastructure demand is not properly met and fully funded in advance."
Gavin Callaghan (Labour)
"I think it is wrong to suggest that Basildon Borough council has no control over these things. The council can make decisions that directly impact upon these services. For instance the NHS has seen a huge rise in the number of elderly people admitted to hospital in recent years. Many of these people formally used the day centres and hot meals services that existed but were closed by the council. These services provided lifelines for pensioners but as they were closed and more and more elderly people were couped up in their homes, their conditions deteriorated and they wound up in hospital. So it's wrong to brazenly dismiss the link and influence.
The council must also act on the areas that it does have existing authority over and housing is one. Therefore is must make the necessary proposals.
However, I have long believed that Basildon must become a unitary authority. It is big enough and unique enough to survive as a unitary authority or even form a South Essex gateway with Thurrock. In such circumstances we would have more say over infrastructure.
These will be matters for councils, and not the Member of Parliament for Basildon and Billericay, however."
George Konstantinidis (UKIP)
"We must be very careful to balance the needs of an increasing population with the existing infrastructure and protect the priceless green belt. I would be extremely cautious and support only necessary developments. All development proposals must incorporate transport impact assessments together with other infrastructure requirements including schools, GP surgeries, hospitals and police services. Other service providers must contribute towards the plans and have fully costed finances in place. Austerity measure will prevent this happening but without it I would strongly object."
Q3. Green Belt – The Government’s Planning Minister has recently stated that Councils do not have meet their ‘Objectively Assessed Needs’ if it requires building on Green Belt land. With this in mind do you support building houses on Green Belt land, and if so how many?
John Baron (Conservative)
"I again reiterate that it is up to local people to decide whether they consent to any development – whether or not it is on the Green Belt. In addition, infrastructure improvements - appropriate to the scale of the development - must be fully funded in advance. I will continue to oppose ‘outside interference’ by the Planning Inspectorate or Government once local decisions are made."
Gavin Callaghan (Labour)
"The Labour Party has been quite clear and Ed Miliband elaborated on this at the launch of the Labour manifesto; the planning laws will stay as they are with one major difference between our new approach and the existing Conservative approach - brownfield first.
We will introduce new "use it or lose it" powers to encourage developers to build. I want a housing market that rewards the building of high quality homes rather than land banking and speculation. In addition, councils will be given new powers to reduce the number of empty homes, including higher council tax on long-term empty properties which will encourage higher take up of empty properties, which in turn reduces the need to build more. Further, Labour will set up an independent National Infrastructure Commission to assess how best to meet Britain’s infrastructure needs. It will make recommendations to government, monitor their implementation, and hold government to account.
And crucially, our manifesto has made a clear commitment that part of the planning law will be to "promote access to green spaces in local planning". This hasn't been done before and demonstrates our commitment to the greenbelt and its long term retention.
With the current numbers of brownfield sites that are being land-banked at present in Basildon and Billericay and the changes Labour are proposing to make to these, I can see no reason why any housing must be built on any of the existing greenbelt."
George Konstantinidis (UKIP)
"I would most certainly support minimising the use of green belt land with priority given to the use of brown field land and previously developed land. The key is to reduce the objectively assessed needs - so that we only build that which is required.
In the Basildon Borough I understand that the emerging Local Plan assumed there to be an urban capacity of 6,904 units that could come from the Borough's urban areas and not Green Belt. The relaxation of planning laws has also enabled proposals like Trafford House to be converted from office space to dwellings to be approved.
As local authorities submit their plans to the inspectorate we will begin to see the extent to which the Planning Minister holds fast on his recent statement. If we can get away with not building on green belt then we should do so."
Q4. Travellers – There are currently 175 traveller sites in Basildon Borough and a further 240 have been proposed. Do you agree that Basildon have taken enough sites and that other Councils need to take any imposed increase in these sites?
John Baron (Conservative)
"I have long argued that Basildon Council has done more than its fair share when compared to neighbouring Councils – other Councils should now do their fair share before we are expected to provide more sites."
Gavin Callaghan (Labour)
"We continue to see the knock on effect of the ill-conceived Thatcher government's decision to abolish mandatory travellers camps in each local authority. If such provisions wtill exists today then all council's would be required to have their fair share.
In terms of existing proposals for further pitchers, again, this is a matter for the council, not the Member of Parliament."
George Konstantinidis (UKIP)
"We definitely have more than our fair share of traveller sites, based on the government’s own formulae, and therefore I object to any further increase in such sites."
Q5. Town Character/Localism – Basildon and Billericay have very different histories and characteristics. As an example the recently consulted Billericay Conservation Area Shop Front and Design Guide would be totally inappropriate if applied to Basildon. Do you agree that the principles of Localism require that the two towns should have separate plans that better represent the needs and aspirations of their respective residents?
John Baron (Conservative)
"I agree that Basildon and Billericay have distinct local identities, and that these should be celebrated and respected. However, it is up to local Councillors and residents to ensure that the Borough plan accurately reflects their wishes."
Gavin Callaghan (Labour)
"My personal view is that the gerrymandering of the Basildon Borough in order to make the three Basildon parliamentary seats safe for the Conservatives, has been to the detriment of the towns and its peoples. It is true to say they have two very different histories and characters, but it is the job of the local MP to represent all of the constituency, all of the time. We cannot devise different local plans for different parts of the borough and different parts of the constituency. It is not practicable and it would not be fair. In fact, I believe that for too long the Tory-led Basildon Council has operated this system which has led to increased building in Basildon - to the detriment of the town's history and people - whilst Billericay has received very little in terms of housebuilding and changes to its landscape. So I would not be comfortable with formally separating local plans
Perversely, the principles of Localism do not appear to me, to be present in the Localism Act."
George Konstantinidis (UKIP)
"Finally, I recognise the difference between the two towns of Basildon and Billericay and therefore any future planning should reflect this."
John Baron (Conservative)
"On behalf of constituents, I have already asked the Council to re-examine its estimates and to make sure any figure is robustly evidenced. Ultimately it is the Council’s job to ensure that its estimates are correct, but I do have concerns about the original number. I hope we can all accept that more local housing is needed, particularly for first-time buyers, but we must ensure that the extent of any development is commensurate with local demand."
Gavin Callaghan (Labour)
"It is difficult to understand the accuracy of the projected figure of 8,400 new homes because historically these forecasts have nearly always tended to be incorrect and seemingly always underestimate the potential increases in population growth. Therefore a plan to build in excess of the projection is, perhaps, a more sensible approach to take in order to combat difficulties with infrastructure pressures further down the line."
George Konstantinidis (UKIP)
"We are experiencing an unprecedented pressure to build more houses. This is an issue of high importance. The need for housing is mainly caused by the excessive immigration in which UKIP is the only party that wants to control, ensuring immigration growth is not disproportional to the overall population growth.
I do believe that the Objectively Assessed Needs (OAN) for the Borough of 16,000 new homes together with 49 hectares of employment land is considered unnecessarily high and goes well beyond the figure needed to satisfy the National Planning Inspectorate. I would like to see a review undertaken to look at comparable scenario based on Natural Growth, Migration and ONS official figures as a possible basis for the Council's formula for OAN instead of the proposed much higher Economic scenario.
I support our local Councillors view that Basildon Council has overreacted to the housing needs, and to some extent they see an opportunity to generate easy income, which is a short term benefit with huge long term negative consequences to the county’s economic prosperity that derives from the pressure on local facilities."
Q2. Infrastructure – Billericay traffic is regularly gridlocked, commuter trains are full to bursting point and NHS services are stretched thinly in our town. As Basildon Borough has no control over any of these issues do you agree that they are wrong to consider expanding the town by a further 2,500 new homes?
John Baron (Conservative)
"I will not support any development if the increased infrastructure demand is not properly met and fully funded in advance."
Gavin Callaghan (Labour)
"I think it is wrong to suggest that Basildon Borough council has no control over these things. The council can make decisions that directly impact upon these services. For instance the NHS has seen a huge rise in the number of elderly people admitted to hospital in recent years. Many of these people formally used the day centres and hot meals services that existed but were closed by the council. These services provided lifelines for pensioners but as they were closed and more and more elderly people were couped up in their homes, their conditions deteriorated and they wound up in hospital. So it's wrong to brazenly dismiss the link and influence.
The council must also act on the areas that it does have existing authority over and housing is one. Therefore is must make the necessary proposals.
However, I have long believed that Basildon must become a unitary authority. It is big enough and unique enough to survive as a unitary authority or even form a South Essex gateway with Thurrock. In such circumstances we would have more say over infrastructure.
These will be matters for councils, and not the Member of Parliament for Basildon and Billericay, however."
George Konstantinidis (UKIP)
"We must be very careful to balance the needs of an increasing population with the existing infrastructure and protect the priceless green belt. I would be extremely cautious and support only necessary developments. All development proposals must incorporate transport impact assessments together with other infrastructure requirements including schools, GP surgeries, hospitals and police services. Other service providers must contribute towards the plans and have fully costed finances in place. Austerity measure will prevent this happening but without it I would strongly object."
Q3. Green Belt – The Government’s Planning Minister has recently stated that Councils do not have meet their ‘Objectively Assessed Needs’ if it requires building on Green Belt land. With this in mind do you support building houses on Green Belt land, and if so how many?
John Baron (Conservative)
"I again reiterate that it is up to local people to decide whether they consent to any development – whether or not it is on the Green Belt. In addition, infrastructure improvements - appropriate to the scale of the development - must be fully funded in advance. I will continue to oppose ‘outside interference’ by the Planning Inspectorate or Government once local decisions are made."
Gavin Callaghan (Labour)
"The Labour Party has been quite clear and Ed Miliband elaborated on this at the launch of the Labour manifesto; the planning laws will stay as they are with one major difference between our new approach and the existing Conservative approach - brownfield first.
We will introduce new "use it or lose it" powers to encourage developers to build. I want a housing market that rewards the building of high quality homes rather than land banking and speculation. In addition, councils will be given new powers to reduce the number of empty homes, including higher council tax on long-term empty properties which will encourage higher take up of empty properties, which in turn reduces the need to build more. Further, Labour will set up an independent National Infrastructure Commission to assess how best to meet Britain’s infrastructure needs. It will make recommendations to government, monitor their implementation, and hold government to account.
And crucially, our manifesto has made a clear commitment that part of the planning law will be to "promote access to green spaces in local planning". This hasn't been done before and demonstrates our commitment to the greenbelt and its long term retention.
With the current numbers of brownfield sites that are being land-banked at present in Basildon and Billericay and the changes Labour are proposing to make to these, I can see no reason why any housing must be built on any of the existing greenbelt."
George Konstantinidis (UKIP)
"I would most certainly support minimising the use of green belt land with priority given to the use of brown field land and previously developed land. The key is to reduce the objectively assessed needs - so that we only build that which is required.
In the Basildon Borough I understand that the emerging Local Plan assumed there to be an urban capacity of 6,904 units that could come from the Borough's urban areas and not Green Belt. The relaxation of planning laws has also enabled proposals like Trafford House to be converted from office space to dwellings to be approved.
As local authorities submit their plans to the inspectorate we will begin to see the extent to which the Planning Minister holds fast on his recent statement. If we can get away with not building on green belt then we should do so."
Q4. Travellers – There are currently 175 traveller sites in Basildon Borough and a further 240 have been proposed. Do you agree that Basildon have taken enough sites and that other Councils need to take any imposed increase in these sites?
John Baron (Conservative)
"I have long argued that Basildon Council has done more than its fair share when compared to neighbouring Councils – other Councils should now do their fair share before we are expected to provide more sites."
Gavin Callaghan (Labour)
"We continue to see the knock on effect of the ill-conceived Thatcher government's decision to abolish mandatory travellers camps in each local authority. If such provisions wtill exists today then all council's would be required to have their fair share.
In terms of existing proposals for further pitchers, again, this is a matter for the council, not the Member of Parliament."
George Konstantinidis (UKIP)
"We definitely have more than our fair share of traveller sites, based on the government’s own formulae, and therefore I object to any further increase in such sites."
Q5. Town Character/Localism – Basildon and Billericay have very different histories and characteristics. As an example the recently consulted Billericay Conservation Area Shop Front and Design Guide would be totally inappropriate if applied to Basildon. Do you agree that the principles of Localism require that the two towns should have separate plans that better represent the needs and aspirations of their respective residents?
John Baron (Conservative)
"I agree that Basildon and Billericay have distinct local identities, and that these should be celebrated and respected. However, it is up to local Councillors and residents to ensure that the Borough plan accurately reflects their wishes."
Gavin Callaghan (Labour)
"My personal view is that the gerrymandering of the Basildon Borough in order to make the three Basildon parliamentary seats safe for the Conservatives, has been to the detriment of the towns and its peoples. It is true to say they have two very different histories and characters, but it is the job of the local MP to represent all of the constituency, all of the time. We cannot devise different local plans for different parts of the borough and different parts of the constituency. It is not practicable and it would not be fair. In fact, I believe that for too long the Tory-led Basildon Council has operated this system which has led to increased building in Basildon - to the detriment of the town's history and people - whilst Billericay has received very little in terms of housebuilding and changes to its landscape. So I would not be comfortable with formally separating local plans
Perversely, the principles of Localism do not appear to me, to be present in the Localism Act."
George Konstantinidis (UKIP)
"Finally, I recognise the difference between the two towns of Basildon and Billericay and therefore any future planning should reflect this."
