'Monstrous plans' for Wickford (From Echo)

'Monstrous plans' for Wickford

3:54am Friday 3rd August 2007 in News By Jon Austin

ANGRY residents are accusing Basildon Council of "blackmailing" them into supporting the large-scale development of Wickford town centre.

Members of Wickford Action Group claim the ruling Tories are telling councillors they must either back the controversial £100million masterplan - which includes 650 flats - or watch Barn Hall's green fields be developed, to satisfy Government house-building quotas.

The blackmail accusation came after the council approved the latest round of flats - 24 apartments in Woodlands Road, not far from Wickford train station.

Referring to Barn Hall, Sylvia Buckley, the development control committee chairman, said: "In order to protect green areas, most flats will have to go in the town centre."

The huge green space is set aside for housing, but the council and campaigners are battling to restore it to protected green belt status.

Meanwhile, developer Gleeson is waiting to see if a first planning application for 200 homes at Barn Hall, off Station Avenue, gets approval, despite strong opposition. That site could take up to 1,500 homes.

Alan Ball, action group chairman, said: "It is basically blackmail.

"The council is saying if we don't accept flats in Wickford, Barn Hall will be developed."

Council leader Malcolm Buckley, Mrs Buckley's husband, said: "It is not blackmail, it is a statement of fact.

"We have housing targets and if they are not in town centres, it will be green fields. The masterplan means we can plan to build in areas which cause least damage and bring in private investment. The action group is against laying a single brick in the town centre."

The latest approval will see the developer, Childs Property, knock down three former shops on The Forge, in Woodlands Road, and build a four-storey block of 24 flats.

Labour councillor Lynda Gordon was the only development control committee member to vote against the latest plans, branding them "monstrous".

Some residents said it looked like a prison.

Ms Gordon told the committee: "You appear to want to swamp the town with flats, which is not the solution.

"You can't keep putting up huge, monstrous flats."

The committee heard the flats were the same size as an earlier application refused for being too big.

Yet officers recommended approval this time because of its a more "traditional" design.