Wick Green: Campaigners rejoice as open space saved from care home plan

Wick Green has now been “saved” after council bosses scrapped a deal to build a care home on the land.

Officers will now investigate protecting the land for years to come from any building or development.

Campaigners Wickford SOS embarked on a 28-month journey to stop developing the land.

George Jeffery, Basildon Conservative councillor representing Wickford Park, who backed the campaign, said: “It’s an amazing turnaround.

“With green spaces like this, you don’t know what you’ve got until you’ve lost it, or about to lose it.

“Hopefully it can be protected for my children to walk through it. People cherish it.

“Now we can get on with properly investing in the land.”

At a policy executive meeting, Basildon councillors agreed to rescind the sale of the land, at the junction with Salcott Crescent and Radwinter Avenue, for the care home to be built.

A deal was signed between Basildon Council and developer Montpellier on May 4.

In the past, plans had been mooted for a Marstons pub and hotel.

Malcolm Buckley, Tory councillor for Wickford Castledon, added: “Open spaces like this need to be protected.

“Councillors had supported the campaign to prevent the sale of the lung of Wickford. If the council had sold the land, it would have set a precedent.

“The protection needs to stand the test of time. I think a pub and hotel is right for Wickford, if it’s on the right site.”

Mark Francois, MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, previously raised concerns over traffic increase caused by the development.

Basildon councillors approved the officers’ recommendation over the issue, which read: “The decision made by the policy and resources committee on January 28 to dispose of the site is rescinded with immediate effect...and officers explore options to protect the site from development in perpetuity and report back to a future meeting of this committee.”

Officers will report back in October.