A LAINDON resident of 42 years is ‘honoured’ to be representing the area he was born and raised in after being elected to Basildon Council.

A by-election was called for the Lee Chapel North seat after Labour’s Kayode Adeniran, who was elected in 2018, resigned earlier this year.

Labour candidate Terry Webb won the seat with 451 votes, beating out the Conservative candidate Deepak Shukla who had 395 votes.

“I’m very pleased and honoured to be elected,” Terry, 69, said.

The area means a lot to me. I was actually born here in Langdon Hills and my formative years were spent in Langdon Hills and Laindon.”

As a teenager he moved to Canvey with his family but returned as an adult and has been campaigning in the area ever since.

Setting out his priorities as a councillor, he pledged to put pressure on the council to complete the refurbishment of Laindon Community Centre soon – a project that has been mired in delays.

“The community centre has for many years been a vital resource for the local community so it’s essential that this building is put back into public use as soon as possible”, he said.

The newly elected councillor added he would be taking Essex County Council to task over the state of roads and pavements in the are which he described as “deplorable”.

Turnout was just 11.23 per cent in the by-election which saw former Basildon councillor Frank Ferguson pick up 98 votes representing Reform UK.

Catherine Quested of the Basildon Community Residents Party won 135 votes and Liberal Democrat Michael Chandler won 55.

Basildon Labour leader Jack Ferguson welcomed Terry’s win.

“I’m very pleased with the result and that Terry has been elected,” he said. “Terry has been a local resident in Lee Chapel North for 42 years and has a long history in community engagement.

“I think he will be a great councillor for Lee Chapel North.”

He added: “During the campaign we listened to residents on what they wanted locally. We understood the issues that they are facing.”