Lost Forever - Basildon Borough Council approve 250 houses, off Laindon Road, adjacent to Frithwood

This view could be lost forever following last month’s decision by Basildon Borough Council’s Planning Committee to approve a planning application for 250 houses on Green Belt land west of Laindon Road running across the rich farmland to Frithwood Lane and ancient Frith Wood.

The primary justification was a dire shortage of new property and a somewhat convenient reclassification of the land as ‘grey belt’ under very new planning guidance, supported by a recent Green Belt Study, that weakens the protection of much of the land around Billericay.

This is clearly a very sad and worrying outcome, potentially setting the scene for what is to come in the future, with several other planning applications awaiting a decision.

However, the application is now subject to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government considering calling-in the application for review and we have started lobbying for that to happen.

We would like to thank the several hundred residents that objected to this application, and very specifically those that attended the planning committee meeting and spoke out in public.

As always, resident action and involvement is important. We must use our voices.