Richard recently met with clubs located on Gardiners Way in Basildon to learn more about their proposed future.
Speaking after the meeting, Richard said:
"Yesterday, I met with several organisations and the on Gardiners Way in Basildon to hear their concerns with the approved development for new homes and its lack of progress. I’m grateful to Basildon United FC, Basildon Rugby Football Club, Basildon Post Office Sports and Social Club, Basildon Sport and Leisure Club, Culpeppers UK, and the Missing family for coming together yesterday to meet me.
Despite planning permission being approved for hundreds of homes on the site, nothing further has come forward, leaving the family and organisations in limbo for years. I know the Council is fully aware of their troubles and do speak with them, but as each person explained last night, they need concrete assurances that it will happen and when so they can plan for their futures.
For local areas generally, we also need to see houses built where permission has been granted. It’s crackers that the council and central government are pushing ahead with Green Belt development across the Borough when their own housing bodies aren’t developing land already granted permission on.
For example, one of the clubs explained that they have a grant from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport ready to go, but if they start the works and then get displaced by the housing scheme, then they become responsible for repaying the money. This is extremely concerning to me and will have massive consequences for a club that we all need to be supporting.
The Missing family has also been going through it for years and I visited them at their home recently to learn more about it.
It was very clear to me last night that they need to know when the plans will progress so they can prepare for their future, and I’ll be raising this at every appropriate level to get the answers they need. I’ll also pop along to each organisation to see them in action and discover more about what they do – especially as many of them really help with the health and wellbeing of local people."
