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Ruling Conservatives vote to sell off Basildon playing fields for housing

4:30am Friday 17th September 2010 in Echo News

RESIDENTS were disgusted after ruling Tory councillors voted to sell-off playing fields across Basildon.

More than 170 residents watched a heated emergency full council meeting at the Towngate Theatre, St Martins Square.

Councillors debated a motion put forward by the opposition Labour group, which called on the ruling Tory administration to drop plans to sell playing fields off Pound Lane, Laindon, Kent View Road, Vange, and Felmores, Pitsea to fund the new £38 million Sporting Village, in Gloucester Park, Basildon.

The Conservatives made the most of their overwhelming majority to ensure Labour lost the vote, which means the land sale will in all likeliehood go ahead.

Phil Rackley, deputy leader of the Labour group, said: “It is grossly unfair that residents in areas already robbed of green space are being asked to pay for it through the loss of more open space.”

Tory council leader Tony Ball said: "We are elected to make difficult decisions.

"Sometimes you have to look at what is good for the whole borough."

Residents repeatedly booed councillors during the debate and shouted abuse at the Conservatives after the vote.

David Sumner, 41, from Kent View Road, said: "I can't believe how smug they were. My daughter plays in our field every day with her friends. It's disgusting."

Comments(34)

Trainman says...
11:48pm Thu 16 Sep 10

Money speaks Many languages.

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Seasider90 says...
12:30am Fri 17 Sep 10

Will the Tories be happy when every piece of grren field is concreted over? They'll then be moaning when kids start roaming the streets and causing trouble.

DONT LET THEM GET AWAY WITH THIS! Civil disobedience is the only way to make them listen.

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SARFENDMAN says...
7:06am Fri 17 Sep 10

Playing fields are a priceless community asset which should be protected. The next generation certainly wont thank the miserable failures of those responsible for looking after their inheritance by selling them off for development. An appalling decision. Outrageous!

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basildon john says...
7:20am Fri 17 Sep 10

Not one word of explanation as to why the Tories have signed up to one of the costliest sports centres/villages in the UK; most cost £30 million or less

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Colleen G says...
7:27am Fri 17 Sep 10

I wonder how many people voted for these out of touch tosspots and are still not regretting it. The Tories are stuck so far up their own backsides they don't have a clue how the commoners live. They're not called CONS for nothing! They are systematically destroying everything that's left in this country and I have no doubt it's pure spite for keeping them out of No10 for so long, they are clearly on the rampage and we only have ourselves to blame. They don't care they know they have five years and that's all the puppets need to do the nasty deed. When they retire you can be sure it will never be in Basildon or anywhere the cuts affected. Maybe in five years if there is anything left worth saving we'll vote for something apart from the Lab/Lib/Cons. We reap what we sow. Nice to see the apathetic public here put up a bit of a fuss at the meetings, but that's not enough and the Tories know it. Time for us all to unite and hit the streets and have us a burning!

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Jeannie66 says...
7:55am Fri 17 Sep 10

This is an absolute travesty! It only goes to prove that the councilllors are out of touch with public opinion! It also shows they are out of touch with the local area. The roads are so narrow and winding at KentView that it is hard to get a standard car up let alone a big digger etc. Even the emergency services have problems! I'm sure this will get worse with careful parking!!

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Madame Medusa says...
8:45am Fri 17 Sep 10

Seasider90 wrote:
Will the Tories be happy when every piece of grren field is concreted over? They'll then be moaning when kids start roaming the streets and causing trouble. DONT LET THEM GET AWAY WITH THIS! Civil disobedience is the only way to make them listen.
Aren't the kids already roaming the streets causing trouble? Local Constabulary take note....

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TheWizzard says...
8:47am Fri 17 Sep 10

No doubt the 'deal' was already done, submit a request under the freedom of information act to see when it was signed and find out how much other land has already been 'sold'. If you vote this lot back in next May, then you only have yourselves to blame

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TheWizzard says...
9:00am Fri 17 Sep 10

On another note, councillors Kevin Blake and Ann Blake both live at 17 Daltons Fen in Pitsea just off Rectory Road, take your kids round his house for a game of football etc. All their addresses and phone numbers are on the coucils website

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leslog says...
9:13am Fri 17 Sep 10

SO MUCH FOR LOCAL DEMOCRACY ,THE TORYS PRIORTY IS ALLWAYS MONEY BEFORE PEOPLE ,THAY HAVE IGNORED THE LOCALS VIEWS,AND NATIONALLY THEY WILL IGNORE PEOPLES VIEWS BY PUTING MORE EMPLOYED PEOPLE ON THE UNEMPLOYMENT LIST

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nibbo says...
9:15am Fri 17 Sep 10

"Tony Ball" your father would be disgusted with you, you have let down all the people he helped in his time as a councillor. I've always voted conservative at local level but never again,you have mismanaged the councils budget and the ordinary people are now going to pay for it. It's not just children that are affected by this ruling it is everyone. By the way i cant afford to pay my council tax next year as ive just signed up for a top of the range sports car and need that money to pay for it although i only really need a little runaround. "sound familiar"

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Phil Jacobs says...
10:07am Fri 17 Sep 10

People need to join the current campaigns now on the following facebook group sites '' save our recreation ground '' and friends of northlands park '' These just aren't open spaces Basildon Councillors are selling off these are children's local playing fields and these sales have got to be stopped. These sales are morally wrong and shameful. All the Tory Basildon Councillors voted Yes to sell off these sites and they should all be ashamed of themselves. All they care about is their smug self inflated ego's. The current Tory administration have got their funding for the Sporting Village wrong and it's local children and older residents who are to suffer. There are 42 Councillors, they should put their heads together and find alternative funding rather than selling off these children's green playing fields. They have not listened to the people, their pleas or some good points that have been put forward. They have had there vote and the people will have their vote later in the ballot boxes. The people of Basildon district should start taking note of what is happening with the constant sales of children's playing fields and join the campaigns to stop it as it maybe their Children's site next. The way Basildon Councillors are going there will be NO local green playing areas left. They will be trying to get our back gardens next. This is a peoples issue, people need to unite against this and speak out against the shameful Tories that voted yes to the selling off of so many beloved children's green playing fields. JOIN THE ABOVE GROUP FACEBOOK SITES NOW. Thank You

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Discouraged says...
10:32am Fri 17 Sep 10

When Basildon was built, clever people put in parks with football pitches, cycle tracks and lakes. Now stupid stupid people want to turn beauty into concrete. Balls.

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gitreal says...
10:38am Fri 17 Sep 10

Once green fields are gone, they are gone. With so much concreting over of land, it risks flooding and all kinds of environmental damage. Once damage is done, it is done and there is no turning back.

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Bas Tenant says...
10:43am Fri 17 Sep 10

The answer is VERY simple !
YOU voted them in, YOU vote them out !

Remember their wrong doings when the elections come round !

The pen is mightier than the sword !

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lastonestanding says...
1:00pm Fri 17 Sep 10

Bas Tenant wrote:
The answer is VERY simple ! YOU voted them in, YOU vote them out ! Remember their wrong doings when the elections come round ! The pen is mightier than the sword !
At last the only comment that made any sense. The trouble with Labour voters in Basildon is, they are lazy, if you dont like whats going on in your town then vote them out, dont rely on some1 else to do it for ya.
Its all basildon land thats being sold off by a tory council that in the main live outside Basildon.
Demolition man "Buckley" wants to bulldoze most off basildon and build flats and flats and more flats, the only redevelopment he dont want is the Prison at runwell hmmmm why oh yeah its on his doorstep.
NEXT ELECTION GET OFF YA BUM AND VOTE. dont matter who, Ukip if ya want just dont vote con or worse dont waste ya vote.

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TheFunkyPresident says...
5:45pm Fri 17 Sep 10

I attended last night as an impartial observer. I don't live near any of the playing fields, I haven't signed any petitions and I don't belong to any campaigning groups.

I was horrified by what I witnessed. The behaviour of the tory councillors last night was disgraceful.

Cllor Phil Turner pointed aggressively at a member of the public and shouted at him to 'shut up'. The audience reacted with shock but the chairperson did nothing.

Cllr Sandra Hillier screamed at residents that they were lying about how often they used the fields. Cllr Kevin Blake later repeated the allegation.

When a gentleman in the audience said he ran a football club on one of the fields so could testify that it is in constant use, the conservative councillors just laughed and rolled their eyes as though he was a moron.

Cllr Stephen Horgan laughed in the faces of protestors and sneered and smirked his way through every impassioned speech against the sale of the land.

Cllr John Dornan implied that the residents were imbeciles by saying they were only protesting because labour councillors had 'stirred them up'.

During every argument made against the sale of the land, the conservative councillors looked bored, openly laughed or just talked amongst themselves. It was clear they never had any intention of reconsidering their decision.

The entire meeting was a farce, a whitewash and a waste of time for all involved.

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TheFunkyPresident says...
6:08pm Fri 17 Sep 10

Regarding comments along the lines of, 'If you don't like it, vote them out' - the worst offenders are elected in Wickford and Billericay and constantly dump on residents from Pitsea and Basildon who have no opportunity to vote them out.

They're voted in time and again by residents in their wards who are completely unaffected by these sort of developments and, I expect, highly appreciative of the fact that their councillors are making sure these travesties don't go on in their own back gardens.

The councillors fighting the development, all labour or lib dem, are those who come from the areas closest to these developments; Fryerns, Nethermayne, St Martins and Pitsea.

There is a clear class divide here. Those in Basildon and Pitsea tend to vote labour or lib dem, while those in the richer areas like Wickford, Billericay and Burstead vote in the ruling conservatives.

Those ruling conservatives consistently choose to eradicate green spaces in the labour/lib dem constituencies, knowing they are represented by a minority of councillors and therefore are almost completely powerless to fight the decisions. Meanwhile, they ensure that their own constituents are kept sweet by the lack of developments in their own areas.

That's why they never get voted out.

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charlies mum says...
6:36pm Fri 17 Sep 10

Yes most of the the tories who voted last night to steal our childrens green play areas do live and represent Billericay and Wickford. Except John Dornan, Frank Tomlin and Jilly Hyde all represent Laindon Part and all spoke in support of the sell off of Pounders, Luke Mackenzie represents Vange and voted to sell of Kent View Road and Finally Andrew Baggott, Ron Liversy, David Abrahall. Mo Larkin and Ann Blake all represent one or another part of Pitsea and supported the Felmore sell Off. Not all are up for election next year but those that are will expect our support. So there will be the oppotunity to show them that as they couldnt support us and preserve our open space they are not desearving of one single vote from us.

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shallotman says...
8:21pm Fri 17 Sep 10

Wonder what Labour have sold off, if they had been in power.Strange how they always have the answer. In opposition.

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dooley23 says...
8:57pm Fri 17 Sep 10

Bas Tenant wrote:
The answer is VERY simple !
YOU voted them in, YOU vote them out !

Remember their wrong doings when the elections come round !

The pen is mightier than the sword !
doesnt matter who u vote for, the person is already chosen months before
by the people who control the world.

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lastonestanding says...
10:29pm Fri 17 Sep 10

charlies mum wrote:
Yes most of the the tories who voted last night to steal our childrens green play areas do live and represent Billericay and Wickford. Except John Dornan, Frank Tomlin and Jilly Hyde all represent Laindon Part and all spoke in support of the sell off of Pounders, Luke Mackenzie represents Vange and voted to sell of Kent View Road and Finally Andrew Baggott, Ron Liversy, David Abrahall. Mo Larkin and Ann Blake all represent one or another part of Pitsea and supported the Felmore sell Off. Not all are up for election next year but those that are will expect our support. So there will be the oppotunity to show them that as they couldnt support us and preserve our open space they are not desearving of one single vote from us.
John Dornan,Frank Tomlin,Andrew Baggott and Mo Larkin all represent Basildon areas but they all live in Billericay, Strange that.
"represent"???? Tony Ball might want to Google that long word, You were elected to represent the people of the whole of Basildon Mr Ball not "to make difficult decisions" If as you say this is good for the whole borough and to be used for by the whole borough, what land will you be selling off in Billericay or Wickford?

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vangebasildon says...
10:33pm Fri 17 Sep 10

Sorry but l just can't see how joining current campaigns on facebook group sites is going to help change anything.
.
Surely it has to be as much direct action as possible i.e regular demostrations by as many residents as possible etc etc. Perhaps look at interupting as many council meetings, bombarding councilors and MP's with letters, emails etc

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charlies mum says...
11:49pm Fri 17 Sep 10

The Labour group have never supported the building of the Sporting Village so if they had been in power they would not have had to sell off anything as it would not have been built.

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village of the damned says...
9:13am Sat 18 Sep 10

the conservatives are scum tbh! they think building houses and flats everywhere is ok, well they'll be no countryside left before long thanks to davvy boi and his sh!tty conservatives :(

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TheWizzard says...
9:22am Sat 18 Sep 10

Those that were there and witnessed there attitude should now write to the local government ombudsman.
The address is
Local government ombudsman
PO Box 4771
Coventry
CV4 0EH

or phone

0300 061 0614

web add www.lgo.org.uk

I am sure the coiuncil will not mind being investigated

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Kim Gandy says...
11:17pm Sun 19 Sep 10

Smug? Tories? Never! This is the same Tory council who have overseen the destruction of Crays Hill this past decade.

Why should they care about a few playing fields?

Not being funny but did any of you consider voting UKIP in the local elections?

Because we would not tolerate this desecration at any price.

Especially not after the Basilwood fiasco. These councillors think nothing of playing fast and loose with your money.

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Phil Jacobs says...
9:54am Mon 20 Sep 10

Many residents have been trying very hard to stop the Tory Basildon Councillors from constantly developing children's playing fields they have written numerous letters, e mails to a number of people and groups. They have heckled, protested, posted on sites and sent out leaflets until they have dropped but it needs ALL people everywhere to do this. Everyone needs to spread the word in whatever way they can to tell others what is going on in Basildon and that the constant building on children's playing fields is wrong, disgraceful and shameful and it has to stop now. Joining facebook groups ''save our recreation ground'' and ''friends of northlands park'' is just another way of spreading the word, telling people what they can do and showing the Councillors how many people have been willing to join in their protest against their decision to develop on children's playing fields. I urge anyone to write letters, e mails and all the otherthings but join the facebook groups as well. Thank You

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essexgirl2 says...
3:27am Tue 21 Sep 10

leslog wrote:
SO MUCH FOR LOCAL DEMOCRACY ,THE TORYS PRIORTY IS ALLWAYS MONEY BEFORE PEOPLE ,THAY HAVE IGNORED THE LOCALS VIEWS,AND NATIONALLY THEY WILL IGNORE PEOPLES VIEWS BY PUTING MORE EMPLOYED PEOPLE ON THE UNEMPLOYMENT LIST
Very well said, i did not vote for them, nor for the turncoat lib dems, act in haste and repent as leisure as they say.

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justice for basildon says...
10:01am Tue 21 Sep 10

Conservative Councillor Mo Larkin for Pitsea South East who lives in Billericay, there's a suprise. Mo Larkin at the first extraordinary meeting threatened to call the police to have residents removed and scared the life out of children present and then at the reconvened extraordinary meeting voted with all her Conservatives chums to vote for childrens playing fields to be developed on and this is the same person who is expecting to represent Basildon as its first Mayoress. Retire now Mo your no longer wanted in Pitsea South East or go and find a safer seat nearer home in Billericay with your Conservative chums they serve the people that voted for them with the same contempt.

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justice for basildon says...
10:15am Tue 21 Sep 10

Basildon Conservative Councillor Phil Turner Billericay West at the reconvened Councillors meeting actually shouted at a member of the public audience in an aggressive manner '' to shut up '' and you can't but wonder why residents that are trying to stop their childrens playing fields from being devloped are saying that all the Conservative Councillors are not listening to them!!!!!!!!!!!

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justice for basildon says...
10:37am Tue 21 Sep 10

Basildon Conservative Councillor Stephen Horgan Billericay West current deputy leader of the Council if you ever wonder why you have not made it to MP perhaps it could be at all the public meetings you were incapable of listening to anyone or unwilling to answer any valid questions that were put to you. Worse than that you treated the public with disdain. Sneering and smirking at any plea to stop the developments on childrens playing fields that were made. At the reconvened Councillors meeting instead of talking about the issue all you were more interested in was making personal attacks on the opposition. Start listening and treating people with respect. Until then don't put yourself forward for MP and save your political party some cash.

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justice for basildon says...
10:56am Tue 21 Sep 10

Conservative Basildon Councillor Luke Mackenzie for Vange. Kent View Recreation Gound, isn't that in the Vange Ward, isn't that one of the Children's playing fields being proposed for development. The people of Vange have done petitions with thousands of signatures etc etc but Mr Mackenzie couldn't even be bothered to turn up at the residents public meeting where nearly 250 residents attended to hear their pleas and although he knew that the residents were strongly opposed to the development of Kent View, he closed his ears and voted with his Conservative chums to continue with the devlopments on the proposed children's playing fields. He didn't even speak at the extraordinary meeting even though Vange residents were shouting for him to do so. So much for speaking for or serving the people that voted for you. You are no longer welcome in Vange Mr Mackenzie find yourself a safer seat with your chums in Billericay or suffer the same support in Vange when you stand for re election that you have given us.

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justice for basildon says...
9:15am Wed 22 Sep 10

Conservative Basildon Councillor Malcolm Buckley Wickford Castledon cabinet member for the environment no less in reference to developing childrens playing fields says in todays paper 22nd Sept '' sometimes an unpopular decision is the right decision and I'm certain we're doing the right thing over the Sporting Village'' I have been looking up some old Echo articles and it would seem you do not always make the right decision perhaps the Echo could remind us all of some of those decisions. The right decision for you Mr Buckley and your Conservative chums is stop developing children's playing fields and find the capability to find alternative funding for your Sporting Village and leave childrens playing fields alone.

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