A PROJECT to build more than 100 new homes on an abandoned former car park in Basildon town centre has stalled due rising costs and a shortage of funding, it has been revealed. 

Plans to build new flats and houses on the former “car park 14”, near the Roundacre roundabout and Basildon train station, were approved back in December 2022 but the site has remained empty since. 

The project, including 35 houses and 70 flats, was due to create much-needed homes to help tackle Basildon’s housing waiting list. 

Sempra Homes, the council-owned house building firm, had initially wanted to build 233 homes in a ten-storey block, but reduced the scale of the scheme following public backlash.

Andrew Schrader, Conservative councillor for Billericay East, said: “The project has indeed stalled due to rises in construction costs that have impacted upon the scheme’s viability. This issue has affected several other schemes.”

In order to overcome the financial hurdles, Mr Schrader says Sempra has applied for Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land funding to enable the delivery of essential infrastructure across three sites in the town.

That includes car park 14, as well as schemes to build 35 homes in Broadmayne and 26 new homes at Tyefield.  

The bid has been submitted to The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Homes England.

Mr Schrader added: “I gather this has been positively received and we are hoping for a favourable decision, which I believe is due next month.

“We are hopeful that, if the bid is successful, Sempra will be able to start on site straight away next month.

“I feel particularly passionate about the Car Park 14 scheme, mostly because it’s a really good scheme which will bring a piece of derelict land that has gone unused and unloved back into use.”

Mr Schrader also announced to full council on Thursday that permission has been granted by the British Royal Household for the development to be called “the Coronation Estate”.

He said: “I’ve been able to secure permission from the Lord Chamberlain’s Office that, when the development is complete, roads will take their names from items of coronation regalia.”