The 2024 Local Election Campaign is underway

Conservatives are fighting to keep control of Basildon Borough Council

Local Elections are taking place across the country and, here in Basildon, local Conservatives are fighting to keep control of Basildon Borough Council in what is the first 'All in, all out' election in over 20 years. Following recent boundary changes, the number of wards has been reduced from 16 to 14 and all 42 council seats are up for grabs on Thursday, May 2nd.

Basildon Conservatives have been in charge of Basildon Council since 2021, following several disastrous years under the previous Labour/Independent Alliance. They continue to demonstrate that they have no positive plan for the Borough and no idea how to manage the finances or balance the books, as evidenced by the recent failure of the Labour Group to prepare an Alternative Budget at the recent budget-setting meeting, which less than half of them bothered to attend. They have criticised our plans for town centre regeneration but, remember, their idea of 'regeneration' was to fill our town centres with multi-storey tower blocks! They want to pitch different parts of the Borough against one another, put through a Local Plan that builds all over our local Green Belt, and they support Sadiq Khan's expansion of his money-making, motorist-attacking, business-busting ULEZ scheme.

If Basildon Conservatives retain control of Basildon Council, we will:

• Balance the Budget - We will maintain the Council's sound finances to keep the Council Tax as low as possible and deliver reliable local services.
• Stand up for Law & Order - We will continue to invest in our Community Safety Wardens, while working closely with Essex Police to enhance our Public Space Protection Order (PSPO).
• Invest in Communities - We have continued our unprecedented £40 million Safe & Sound programme of estate renewal to ensure that there are no forgotten estates in Basildon. We will also continue our extensive programme of investments in leisure facilities, play areas, community halls and town centre public realm improvements in every part of the Borough.
• Fix the Bins - The changes we made to waste and recycling collections were necessary and the most far-reaching in over 20 years but we recognise not every aspect of the changes has worked as we would hope. Labour are making a wholly unaffordable and unfunded pledge to change back. Conservatives will fix the system and make it work for residents.
• Regenerate Basildon Town Centre - We will create a strong and vibrant town centre in Basildon, having already secured multi-million pound investments in a new digital creative centre, new cinema and new food and drink outlets to generate the night-time economy the town so desperately needs.
• Deliver a Local Plan that works - We voted to withdraw the flawed Local Plan because we want to protect more of the Green Belt, push back against housing numbers that we believe are grossly excessive and ensure that we get the infrastructure first. Labour and Independents have been clear - they would bring back the withdrawn Local Plan and progress their tower block designs and build over the Green Belt. We have already started the process of working closely with local residents to ensure we deliver a plan that meets the needs and aspirations of Basildon people.  
• Fix the Roads - Everyone knows that the current state of our roads is not right and Basildon Conservatives will continue to demand more investment from Essex County Council and Central Government to fix potholes and repair pavements across the Borough. 
• Oppose Labour's ULEZ expansion - Sadiq Khan's so-called Ultra Low Emission Zones are less about improving air quality than they are about raising revenue to bail out Khan's bankrupted TfL by charging hard-working motorists to drive into Greater London. This is already having a massive detrimental effect on local residents and businesses here in Basildon, who travel within the ULEZ zone for work or family commitments. Conservatives across Essex resolutely oppose this tax on motorists.

On May 2nd, use your vote to help deliver an even better Basildon. Vote Conservative.

We are pleased to announce our slate of local candidates (*sitting cllr seeking re-election):

Billericay East - Andy Barnes, Martyn Mordecai and Andrew Schrader*

Billericay West - Anthony Hedley*, Danny Lawrence* and Phil Turner*

Burstead - Andrew Baggott*, Kevin Blake* and Richard Moore*

Castledon & Crouch - Stuart Allen*, Alex Myers* and Terri Sargent*

Fryerns - Ola Dawodu

Laindon Park - Sam Gascoyne*, Jeff Henry* and Kevin Wingfield*

Langdon Hills - Chris Allen, Stanley Edemakhiota and Sandeep Sandhu

Lee Chapel North - Deepak Shukla and Joanna Wingfield

Nethermayne - Ann Blake, Dave Martin and Maz Uluhan

Pitsea North West - Mark Cottrell, Lewis Smith and Stuart Terson*

Pitsea South East - Yetunde Adeshile*, Gary Canham* and Craig Rimmer*

St Martin's - Davida Ademuyiwa* and Deepak Roy

Wickford North - Peter Holliman*, Carole Morris* and Don Morris*

Wickford Park - Yvonne Child*, George Jeffery* and Gary Tagg