We find ourselves in uncertain times when it comes to the future of employment and housing needs, especially in our area where the norm has been a high dependence on commuting to London. We have historically been part of the London commuter belt.
Despite the ‘new normal’ being unclear, the Government continues to press ahead with demands for a huge scale of housing development, largely based on the assumed (and questionable) needs of the ‘old normal’.
The threat of excessive housing development around Billericay at the expense of our irreplaceable green spaces is vivid as it has ever been but the narrative has changed in that “build, build, build” now needs to be part of the COVID-19 economic recovery. That is somewhat understandable.
However, the demand for all these proposed houses does not appear to have been re-tested so the new threat is land being given up to development quickly and with little public scrutiny under this panic to build, with it potentially being moth balled by developers until, or if, suitable demand presents itself. But once it’s gone it’s gone, even if it lies idle. There is a renewed threat to the Green Belt.
Our core aim remains to fight excessive housing development in Billericay to the protection and retention of the Green Belt. That fight will continue at the yet to be scheduled public examination of the proposed new Basildon Local Plan.
However, we acknowledge that some degree of new development is inevitable and a new Local Plan will be adopted by Basildon Council at some point. We simply don’t know when or how many houses it will finally propose. We therefore need to be thinking about that future point and what we would like to see from the development that does eventually take place.
This is not admitting defeat but being pragmatic.
With this in mind, last year we published our Four First Charter setting out at a high level what we want to see from development. It’s not rocket science but some common sense around Affordability, Local Needs, Infrastructure and the Environment. It applies to one or thousands or houses.
We have now expanded upon the Charter in an article that you can read by clicking here - Four Firsts - Beyond Plan Adoption
Thank you for your continued support and interest. Please look out for more articles coming soon.
Despite the ‘new normal’ being unclear, the Government continues to press ahead with demands for a huge scale of housing development, largely based on the assumed (and questionable) needs of the ‘old normal’.
The threat of excessive housing development around Billericay at the expense of our irreplaceable green spaces is vivid as it has ever been but the narrative has changed in that “build, build, build” now needs to be part of the COVID-19 economic recovery. That is somewhat understandable.
However, the demand for all these proposed houses does not appear to have been re-tested so the new threat is land being given up to development quickly and with little public scrutiny under this panic to build, with it potentially being moth balled by developers until, or if, suitable demand presents itself. But once it’s gone it’s gone, even if it lies idle. There is a renewed threat to the Green Belt.
Our core aim remains to fight excessive housing development in Billericay to the protection and retention of the Green Belt. That fight will continue at the yet to be scheduled public examination of the proposed new Basildon Local Plan.
However, we acknowledge that some degree of new development is inevitable and a new Local Plan will be adopted by Basildon Council at some point. We simply don’t know when or how many houses it will finally propose. We therefore need to be thinking about that future point and what we would like to see from the development that does eventually take place.
This is not admitting defeat but being pragmatic.
With this in mind, last year we published our Four First Charter setting out at a high level what we want to see from development. It’s not rocket science but some common sense around Affordability, Local Needs, Infrastructure and the Environment. It applies to one or thousands or houses.
We have now expanded upon the Charter in an article that you can read by clicking here - Four Firsts - Beyond Plan Adoption
Thank you for your continued support and interest. Please look out for more articles coming soon.
