Basildon Council leader disappointed over high-rise plans

Plans for Basildon town centre were approved by a previous administration, but stopped by the Conservatives

A council leader said he was disappointed to lose an appeal opposing high-rise buildings in a town centre.

Plans for Market Square in Basildon, Essex, included 500 homes and buildings up to 17 storeys high.

It was approved by a previous Labour-led coalition, but the new Conservative administration raised concerns and stopped the development.

Basildon Council leader, Andrew Baggott, said the authority would be "reflecting on the decision".

After the Conservatives, who took over the council after May's election, rejected the proposals, the developers, Orwell Real Estate, appealed to the government's Planning Inspectorate.

It backed the developers appeal against the council and the development could now go ahead.

An artist's impression of the regeneration of the Basildon town centre show several high-rise buildings

Mr Baggott said: "This particular planning process began over a year ago and the scheme had already been partly through the planning process before the change in administration.

"If we had been in administration then this development would not have met our vision for the town centre, which was very different."

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Orwell Real Estate said: "We look forward to progressing a scheme that will deliver important regenerative benefits and new homes to Basildon town centre."

Opposition Labour councillor Jack Ferguson told BBC Essex that due to the planning laws "any development in the town centre would be difficult to refuse".

He said the previous Labour-led coalition had tried to "influence the developments to make them work for Basildon" rather than turn them down.

"It's a disappointment the council has spent the last nine months trying to overturn the decision," he added.

The plans would see the redevelopment of the Eastgate shopping centre and other town centre retail units

Basildon Council faces two other planning investigations by the Planning Inspectorate next year after developers appealed against council decisions.

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