What the Masterplan says...
"The area surrounding London Road and the southern end of the High Street to undergo a transition with a strong leisure and recreational theme, building on existing eating and drinking facilities and incorporating compatible residential uses."

The Masterplan strategy for this area
Three blocks are shown on the Masterplan - see this map, but no details are provided, other that that this area is intended to focus on 'eating and drinking' as noted above.

"The Area of the 'Southern Gateway’ comprises at present cluttered, low density developments to the north and south of the rather oversized London Road (A129) which gives the opportunity to intensify land uses in the area. Land use should be focused on the consolidation and development of this area as a location for eating and drinking. The possibility of live work uses that are complementary to this theme should also be encouraged."

What is actually happening?

• An application has now been approved for a 6 storey block of 36 flats and 5 retail units on the site of Frasier's.
  
  
• An application for 24 flats on the site of the old Forge, Woodlands Avenue (behind Halls) has now been approved.
  
  
• The application for Irvon Cottage has now been approved, and a 2 storey linked block containing 8 flats erected on the site. Again, it is in the Masterplan area, but not in the plan. 

Current situation - number of residential units
In Masterplan	Proposals	Plans in	Approved	Built	Current Total
0	0	0	68	0	68

The Wickford Action Group view
Two WAG members were present at the planning meeting where the medical centre was discussed, and spoke up in favour, on the basis that it would be a benefit to the people of Wickford. It was a close vote, with 4 for and 4 against, but it was refused on the casting vote of the Chairperson, Mrs Buckley, thus denying her own constituents a new doctors surgery that would have probably taken on 2 extra doctors (according to the PCT - Primary Health Care Trust representative at the planning meeting).

Another observation is that this area of Wickford could do with a Taxi Rank, or better still a Taxi office.

The phrase 'Intensify Land Use', from the Masterplan for this area (2nd paragraph above), we interpret as over-development.