Anti - Dry Street campaigners continue to fight plans (From Basildon Recorder)

Anti - Dry Street campaigners continue to fight plans

11:40am Friday 22nd February 2013 in News By Luke Lambert

CAMPAIGNERS have vowed to continue their fight against plans for up to 725 new homes at Dry Street in Basildon by taking up their cause with councillors.

Protestors met at the Basildon Centre in St Martin’s Square on Tuesday night and said they would write to members of the planning committee to try and stop the homes being built.

They also want to whip up support across the town in the hopes of putting together a 5,000-strong petition which would trigger an emergency Basildon Council meeting about the proposals.

Dermot Cavanaugh, Chairman of the Green Action Group (GAG) said it was vital that as many people as possible got behind the movement.

He said: “We need numbers but not only that we need people who are truly against building on one of our finest green spaces. We saw with the new college application in the town centre that the often appeals aren’t enough so we must fight to ensure we have done enough.”

The meeting also featured members of the Longwood Equestrian Centre, which will move as a result of the homes, and the Essex Badger Protection Group after a report revealed the wildlife was also home to protected badgers.

The meeting raised concerns about possible flooding at the bottom of Dry Street, traffic congestion at Nethermayne and access to Basildon Hospital for emergency vehicles as well as the overriding environmental concerns at the site.

Residents agreed the best course of action was to write to Conservative planning members Tony Hedley, Carole Morris, David Dadds and Paul Arnold.

Labour councillor Andrew Gordon, of Nethermayne ward, organised the meeting with Mr Burton-Sampson, said: “The plans haven’t been thought through but it is up to us to show how big a problem this development will cause. We all have talents and we must use them to our advantage.”