18 November UPDATE. The public consultation on the Local Plan has started. It runs until 12 January 2025.
Please visit basildonlocalplan.commonplace.is/ to take part.
We will be providing help and guidance here in due course.
Please visit basildonlocalplan.commonplace.is/ to take part.
We will be providing help and guidance here in due course.
Basildon council have released details of the new Local Plan. The plan will cover the 20 years from April 2023 to March 2043.
We made an initial analysis which can be read in this file;
We made an initial analysis which can be read in this file;
| local_plan_observations_v2.docx |
At a high level the council is planning to meet the Government's housing need target in full which is just over 27,100 dwellings over the 20 years. of that figure, around 10,000 are expected to come from brownfield development, however, the remaining 17,000 or so will require the release of the current Green Belt. That will be a significant amount of land that is protected from development today.
From a Billericay perspective, covering the wards of Billericay West & East and Burstead, a figure in excess of 5,300 is shown but the data is incomplete and the areas of land being earmarked would support considerably more than that so we need to take the information with a pinch of salt. It could be significantly more, even if they are not part of the initial 20 years supply. As we have long said, once land is allocated in a Local Plan it will inevitably be developed at some point.
In effect the council is looking to take the opportunity to redraw the Green Belt boundaries way beyond the stated need, and even that figure in itself is excessive.
From a Billericay perspective, covering the wards of Billericay West & East and Burstead, a figure in excess of 5,300 is shown but the data is incomplete and the areas of land being earmarked would support considerably more than that so we need to take the information with a pinch of salt. It could be significantly more, even if they are not part of the initial 20 years supply. As we have long said, once land is allocated in a Local Plan it will inevitably be developed at some point.
In effect the council is looking to take the opportunity to redraw the Green Belt boundaries way beyond the stated need, and even that figure in itself is excessive.
This map is based on Basildon council's published Policies Map. It shows the sites allocated in the three district wards making up the Billericay area (Billericay West & East and Burstead). We have also included two sites (H22 & H26) in neighboring Crouch ward near to Barleylands. H sites are the primary development areas, AS represents alternative sites and IF are in-fill (plotland) sites. The E site at Dunton is a proposed employment area but could be considered for housing.
Where cells are empty in the table above the council has not provided the data so the totals shown are the minimum. HA = hectare. Sites IF2 & IF3 in Little Burstead are not shown on the above map as they are too small to be clear.
Our view remains that the true local housing need is below 10,000 over 20 years, supported by recent Census data and expected population growth rates. The figure of 27,100 overstates the need by almost 3 times.
To put 27,100 into perspective, it represents almost 33% growth in the borough's housing numbers and it is equivalent to building the same number of dwellings as there are in Billericay and Wickford today, combined!
We will all have a chance to make our views on the new Local Plan known as Basildon council is planning to hold a formal public consultation which is schedule to start on 18 November 2024 and run until 12 January 2025.
We will provide help and guidance with the consultation but for now please register your interest by going to;
www.basildonlocalplan.commonplace.is
If you have taken part in other council consultations of late you may be registered already.
Please keep an eye on this web page and our Facebook group (see link on this page) for further updates.
We need a big public response to the consultation. Please take part.
To put 27,100 into perspective, it represents almost 33% growth in the borough's housing numbers and it is equivalent to building the same number of dwellings as there are in Billericay and Wickford today, combined!
We will all have a chance to make our views on the new Local Plan known as Basildon council is planning to hold a formal public consultation which is schedule to start on 18 November 2024 and run until 12 January 2025.
We will provide help and guidance with the consultation but for now please register your interest by going to;
www.basildonlocalplan.commonplace.is
If you have taken part in other council consultations of late you may be registered already.
Please keep an eye on this web page and our Facebook group (see link on this page) for further updates.
We need a big public response to the consultation. Please take part.
