Basildon Green Belt 'open for developers' amid lack of local plan

Council documents reveal it expects to adopt a new local plan in the last quarter of 2027 after councillors scrapped the emerging local plan – a blueprint for 18,000 new homes – in March.

As a result, the council is likely to see many developments pushed through at appeal, effectively stripping it of planning control, according to a planning barrister.

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Quoting the ruling of a recent appeal, Zack Simons, planning barrister at Landmark LC, says “ significant green belt release in Basildon is inevitable”.

Maitland Lodge plans (Image: Inland Homes)

His comments follow a successful appeal by developer Inland Homes.

Basildon Council had rejected the firm’s plans to bulldoze Maitland Lodge in Southend Road, Billericay, to build 47 new homes on a site identified for 20 homes in the council’s now-scrapped plan.

However, the firm was successful at appeal, with the planning inspector stating in a ruling published last week that despite the emerging local pan being scrapped the “evidence base” and proposed allocations of the plan are still applicable.

Southend Road site for 47 new homes (Image: Inland Homes)

In short, developers have a good chance of winning appeals for developments on land identified for housing in the old local plan.

“It’s Christmas for developers in Basildon right now and will continue to be until a new plan is in place,” councillor Kerry Smith said.

“Basildon’s Green belt is up for grabs, and it's first come first serve.

“By the time we have a new plan, most of the sites we identified in the old plan will have probably been built on already!”

Mr Simons, who acted for the Maitland Lodge developer Inland Homes during the appeal, said: “The inspector described the shortfalls in housing land supply and delivery in Basildon as 'stark' and affordable housing delivery as 'abysmal' - all, of course, the consequence of not having a plan in place for so many years.

“When plans are withdrawn as they have recently been in Basildon, Herstmere and Castle Point, we can expect many more appeals like the one at Maitland Lodge over the next 18 months or so on sites in the Green Belt which had been proposed for allocation. And some sites which hadn’t been.

“Not all those appeals will succeed, of course. But many will.”