Infrastructure - Policy INF1
The infrastructure requirements for the Local Plan are defined in the Infrstructure Delivery Plan (UDP) which is part of the evidence base.
It can be found HERE.
We don’t expect you to read all of it but it is worth a look if you have time or interest.
At a high level, the IDP includes (or not) the following from a Billericay perspective.
We further explore education, health, roads and transport in the sections below
It can be found HERE.
We don’t expect you to read all of it but it is worth a look if you have time or interest.
At a high level, the IDP includes (or not) the following from a Billericay perspective.
- Land provision for 3 early years and primary schools
- No provision for a new secondary school, or expansion of the Mayflower or Billericay Schools.
- The requirement for a new primary healthcare hub
- No new roads
- A number of road junction enhancements
- A number of junctions to be monitored over time
- The provision of sustainable transport options – paths, cycle ways & bus services
- No new car parks
We further explore education, health, roads and transport in the sections below
Costs, Funding & Provision
In the Local Plan evidence base documentation, Basildon council estimate that the total cost to deliver the infrastructure to support the plan, or more specifically 28,000 new homes and 67,000 more people, is almost £400,000,000. Four hundred million!
All of this is expected to come from developer contributions when the house building takes place via Section 106 agreements as part of planning application approval. There is no up-front investment in infrastructure from the Government, council, developers or the infrastructure providers.
This means that funding will come in drips and drabs as each development is approved and built, and as a result infrastructure will inevitably lag house building. As we have seen in other areas (for example Beaulieu Park Chelmsford), this lag can be several years resulting in huge pressures on existing services.
It can be argued that this is ‘just in time’ provision but in reality, it is ‘just too late’
Infrastructure provision is therefore a huge risk over which Basildon council has no direct control.
All of this is expected to come from developer contributions when the house building takes place via Section 106 agreements as part of planning application approval. There is no up-front investment in infrastructure from the Government, council, developers or the infrastructure providers.
This means that funding will come in drips and drabs as each development is approved and built, and as a result infrastructure will inevitably lag house building. As we have seen in other areas (for example Beaulieu Park Chelmsford), this lag can be several years resulting in huge pressures on existing services.
It can be argued that this is ‘just in time’ provision but in reality, it is ‘just too late’
Infrastructure provision is therefore a huge risk over which Basildon council has no direct control.
Education
Land for three new early years & primary schools is shown in the draft Local Plan in the three associated housing Policies.
Southeast of Great Burstead site H1.
West of Tye Common Road site H5.
Dunton Road Steeple View site H10.
These appear to be 3-form entry year schools.
But it is important to note that identifying the land does not guarantee that they will be built, or when. The final decision will be the responsibility of the local education authority and if they have accumulated suitable funds.
These is no provision for new Secondary school capacity in Billericay. The strategy, if you can call it that, is to build a new secondary school in Basildon and encourage those that travel from outside Billericay to our secondary schools to go to the new school instead, thus freeing up capacity in Billericay. Really?!
Southeast of Great Burstead site H1.
West of Tye Common Road site H5.
Dunton Road Steeple View site H10.
These appear to be 3-form entry year schools.
But it is important to note that identifying the land does not guarantee that they will be built, or when. The final decision will be the responsibility of the local education authority and if they have accumulated suitable funds.
These is no provision for new Secondary school capacity in Billericay. The strategy, if you can call it that, is to build a new secondary school in Basildon and encourage those that travel from outside Billericay to our secondary schools to go to the new school instead, thus freeing up capacity in Billericay. Really?!
Heathcare
Primary Healthcare (GPs, dentists)
The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board state a requirement for a new primary healthcare hub in Billericay of at least 1,200 sq.m. to be ideally located in the south of the town. They also state that it must be totally funded by developer contributions.
In the draft Local Plan Policy H1 for Southeast Billericay a requirement to deliver a healthcare hub in made.
This would appear to show some joined up thinking. However, we have seen several planning applications already accounting for nearly all the land covered by Policy H1 and not one of those applications shows the delivery of a healthcare hub!
Secondary Healthcare (hospitals)
No allowance is made for new hospitals, or increased capacity at existing hospitals, in the Basildon Local Plan.
The NHS is clearly aware of the increase in population that is expected from the Basildon Local Plan but hospital capacity is calculated at a higher strategic level across many neighbouring boroughs making up the Mid and South Essex Essex NHS Trust.
Whilst we have an hospital in Basildon, it is not for the exclusive use of Basildon borough residents. It, together with the Broomfield and Southend hospitals make up a network serving a very large geographic area.
Therefore, from a hospital capacity perspective, we are totally dependent on that strategic NHS approach delivering what’s needed to support a significantly increased population.
The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board state a requirement for a new primary healthcare hub in Billericay of at least 1,200 sq.m. to be ideally located in the south of the town. They also state that it must be totally funded by developer contributions.
In the draft Local Plan Policy H1 for Southeast Billericay a requirement to deliver a healthcare hub in made.
This would appear to show some joined up thinking. However, we have seen several planning applications already accounting for nearly all the land covered by Policy H1 and not one of those applications shows the delivery of a healthcare hub!
Secondary Healthcare (hospitals)
No allowance is made for new hospitals, or increased capacity at existing hospitals, in the Basildon Local Plan.
The NHS is clearly aware of the increase in population that is expected from the Basildon Local Plan but hospital capacity is calculated at a higher strategic level across many neighbouring boroughs making up the Mid and South Essex Essex NHS Trust.
Whilst we have an hospital in Basildon, it is not for the exclusive use of Basildon borough residents. It, together with the Broomfield and Southend hospitals make up a network serving a very large geographic area.
Therefore, from a hospital capacity perspective, we are totally dependent on that strategic NHS approach delivering what’s needed to support a significantly increased population.
Highways - Roads and Transport
As far as we can see, no new roads or major road improvements are planned in Billericay beyond junction enhancements on London Road/Mountnessing Road and Sun Corner as already proposed in existing planning applications.
The Infrastructure Delivery Plan mentions a number of roads or junctions to be monitored, including Sun Corner, Mountnessing Road and Radford Way.
To be blunt, Essex Highway’s focus on walking, cycling and buses continues to be naïve and the lack of road improvements is as telling as it is concerning.
The Infrastructure Delivery Plan mentions a number of roads or junctions to be monitored, including Sun Corner, Mountnessing Road and Radford Way.
To be blunt, Essex Highway’s focus on walking, cycling and buses continues to be naïve and the lack of road improvements is as telling as it is concerning.
