Battle to stop new homes stepped up (From Basildon Recorder)

Battle to stop new homes stepped up

2:23pm Thursday 30th November 2006 in News By Jon Austin

Campaigners were today gearing for the next stage of their fight to stop hundreds of new homes being forced on Wickford.

Resident Alan Ball, 49, from Cedar Avenue, is spearheading the battle and now wants to set up a protest committee.

He believes council chiefs are duping local people.

He said: "Wickford is being overdeveloped, but Basildon Council is disguising this as a masterplan. Myself and other residents have been campaigning against this overdevelopment since last April when plans were revealed.

"I even stood as an Independent candidate against council leader Malcolm Buckley last year and took 24 per cent of the vote, which proves there is opposition."

Mr Ball says he and five other residents are keen to set up a committee, which would meet monthly and organise public meetings to oversee the situation.

He said: "First we were told nearly 500 flats were needed in Wickford to pay for improvements. Now it has risen to 600.

"We also have the threat of more than 1,000 homes at Barn Hall and 1,400 on the Runwell Hospital site.

"However, we have recently been told our swimming pool is to be refurbished and not replaced as previously promised."

He said campaigners wanted improvements to the town, but not at all costs.

He highlighted how 600 flats would bring a lot of extra, unwanted traffic.

However, Mr Buckley is confident the campaign will have little impact.

He said: "I'm afraid he has lost the argument already. The masterplan is already in place and the planning applications are coming in.

The number of homes is indicative, not prescriptive, so there could be more or less, but the principle is agreed.

"I can, however sympathise with him about Barn Hall and Runwell. "We do not favour the Runwell development, which is just over the border in Chelmsford, as it is not bringing sufficient investment needed for Wickford to cope with that number of homes."

Call Mr Ball on 01268 562851 or e-mail balla@btinternet.com