BASILDON Council has announced it is to set up a housing development operation to bring hundreds of new homes to the area.


The authority is proposing to set up its own development company to build on derelict land in the district to provide much-needed homes and create local employment as quickly.


Instead of simply selling off hard to shift patches of land to a housing developer, it will develop areas itself, with homes a mixture of private council housing.


The Tory administration’s deputy leader, councillor Phil Turner, has proposed the idea and he will take £80,000 out of the council’s reserves coffer to start up the company. This will then start developing ideas for the first phases of development.


He said: “I want to create a company that thinks about the council as a housing developer. We need to raise our sights a bit higher.


“We will be using our own land to bring forward schemes to maximise the benefit and value from the land because the council will own both the land and homes.


“We don’t need to make a big profit. We just need to get the best value for our residents.


“Residents should see a sharper shift to getting homes built and this is my way of giving back to Basildon."