BILLERICAY ACTION GROUP
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June 2019 UPDATE

17/6/2019

 
As expected, Basildon Council submitted the Local Plan to the Planning Inspectorate in March and we now expect the Examination in Public to take place later this year, potentially October.

This is when we, as well as landowners, developers and their agents, can try to influence the outcome with the independent Planning Inspector before a plan is finally adopted and put in place.

We can see through the Regulation 19 consultation responses submitted at the end of last year that developers are calling the plan unsound and are pushing for more houses. They cite the fact that the Council has not met its full housing numbers (OAN) and they can, unsurprisingly, can help fix this!  They are suggesting more sites, larger sites and higher densities of housing whilst at the same time trying to wriggle out of infrastructure commitments.

They are suggesting alternatives routes for the relief road which will blight large areas of south west Billericay near Frith Wood, and one developer is still trying to prove that the wood itself is not ancient, which is contrary to the Council's own analysis.

Bottom line is that developers will do all they can to push up their own profits with scant regard to the local residents.

We will of course continue to fight the opposite case at the Examination in Public, arguing that the number of houses being proposed for Billericay is significantly too high and is not what local needs dictate, the loss of Green Belt should not allowed and infrastructure provision is poor. Plus the relief road is unneeded and is no more than access to development.

The May ward elections saw the Conservative group lose control of Basildon Council to a coalition of Labour and Independents, known as the Basildon Alliance. We have yet to see any clear actions from the Alliance with regard to the Local Plan but it would appear that they will try to make changes, potentially overturning some of the amendments made by the previous Conservative administration. It is probable that we will have to fight the Council as well as developers.

We will post further updates in due course.

John Madge
20/6/2019 11:39:07

Despite their greedy perspective, it should be no surprise that developers also state the local plan is unsound and, like every other logically thinking person, have probably noted that the proposed plan places very low priority to the resultant negative impact on existing communities and infrastructure. Naturally, they are circling like wolves in the perceived confidence that they can exploit this weakly conceived plan in the name of profit and disregard the resultant negative impact it will cause with impunity. Hopefully the government inspector will make his decision based on sound methodical judgment, rather than political pressure and developer lobbying.

In the catastrophic event that the local plan does go ahead in its current form, I can only assume that our so called political representatives will have the resources to rectify the resultant mess without having recourse to increase the council tax.

John M


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    Aims of BAG

    To protect the green belt around Billericay from excessive loss through development.

    To prevent the character of our historic town from forever being destroyed.​

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    • What Is A Local Plan?
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    • ​Save Frith Wood & the South West
    • ​Housing Affordability
    • ​Commuting & Infrastructure
    • Local Roads & the Relief Road
    • ​The BAG point of view
    • ​Regulation 19 consultation
    • Local Plan Structure
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    • How Residents Can Help

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Billericay Action Group