We say “No” to additional housing being dumped on Basildon and “No” to additional tax burden on Basildon Borough residents

Last night, Basildon Council’s Policy and Resources Committee met to discuss, amongst other things, an innocuous-sounding report on the Association of South Essex Local Authorities (ASELA).

If you have never heard of ASELA it is with good reason. It meets in secret, with no resident involvement, publishes no agendas, and records no minutes to allow scrutiny of their decisions. The proposals that are being pushed through this unaccountable body are a blueprint to add yet another layer of bureaucracy at the taxpayers’ expense.

 

“While the Conservatives are getting on with supporting businesses and residents as we emerge from the pandemic, Labour and their so-called ‘Independent’ backers are selling out Basildon, with increased housebuilding, mega tower blocks, and fanciful pie in the sky plans, all of which are designed to boost the Labour Leader’s profile at the expense of Basildon residents.” ~ Cllr Andrew Baggott

The creation of a ‘combined authority’ for South Essex will not serve the interests of the residents of Basildon Borough. Additionally, buried in the report are provisions for a future ‘South Essex Metro-Mayor’ to take control of our planning and future housebuilding in the Borough.

We fear that this would lead to the brunt of new housing being dumped on Basildon. Already, the Labour-led Administration is paving the way for this through their plans to fill Basildon Town Centre with high-rise tower blocks.

Cllr Andrew Baggott, Leader of Basildon Conservatives, said: “While the Conservatives are getting on with supporting businesses and residents as we emerge from the pandemic, Labour and their so-called ‘Independent’ backers are selling out Basildon, with increased housebuilding, mega tower blocks, and fanciful pie in the sky plans, all of which are designed to boost the Labour Leader’s profile at the expense of Basildon residents.”

Basildon Conservatives moved an amendment to the recommendation to cease work on this until the Government have published their upcoming White Paper on local government structures, due in September. This was defeated by Labour and Independent councillors but we will continue to argue that we need a structure of local government that serves Basildon Borough as a whole, not the narrow interests of developers and local politicians looking to make a name for themselves, and local people deserve a say. 

“As a South Essex MP I am completely opposed to this ridiculous white elephant, which would impose a needless layer of additional bureaucracy over half our county and which has been dreamt up in private, over two years of secret meetings, by a cabal of six council leaders and six chief executives. ~ Rt Hon Mark Francois MP

We say ‘no’ to this and, together with our MPs, will oppose these added burdens on Basildon taxpayers and lack of consultation. We will also fight Labour’s ill-conceived Town Centre ‘Master Plan’.

The Rt Hon Mark Francois MP, Member of Parliament for Rayleigh & Wickford, said: “As a South Essex MP I am completely opposed to this ridiculous white elephant, which would impose a needless layer of additional bureaucracy over half our county and which has been dreamt up in private, over two years of secret meetings, by a cabal of six council leaders and six chief executives.

“Not only were backbench councillors deliberately excluded from this process, so were the people of South Essex and their elected MPs, who have never been formally briefed by Association of South Essex Local Authorities about the combined authority.”