After meeting with the local council leader, Richard said:
"It is so important to me to have a good working relationship with our local Councils - both the leadership and staff - wherever possible. Council leader Cllr Andy Barnes and I, and the other portfolio holders too, are in regular contact and throw in the occasional pint too. Most recently (see below) in the local Spoons in Billericay to chat about Basildon and Billericay and how his administration is delivering for local people on Basildon Borough Council and pushing back against central Government’s power-grab on planning. It’s always helpful as an MP to maintain a good working relationship with the Leader of the Council and I’m pleased to be able to have more regular meetings now. It’s also great that many things I have raised previously have since been fixed, especially the parking issue at Lake Meadows which was such a damaging and spiteful policy.
Whilst the Basildon Borough Conservatives are working away on their priorities at Basildon Council, such as tackling the financial issues and toxic working culture they inherited. They are also working away on things that really matter, such as regeneration “Laindon Henge” - with work hopefully to fully restart in the first half of next year. And the fight back on the outrageous housing targets imposed by Government now made worse still by Andy Burnham-led Government’s decision to attempt to force through the previous Labour-run Council’s “Local” Plan. It’s also nice to see the efforts they’re putting into fixing the failure with Morgan Sindall’s contract that was left for them so they can ensure residents in social housing actually get the help they need with their properties. Housing issues across #Basildon especially is on of the regular issue that constituents come to me about.
I look forward to the continuance of a great working relationship with Basildon Council’s leadership."
