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Development update - September 2008
Here's what's happening in the
town at the moment. Click the left menu links to read more.
3-31 Runwell Road ('Runwell
Towers') - work stopped July 2008
84 flats with some retail
outlets in a 5 storey block on the site of 3 car sales plots, and overshadowing
Wickford tennis club and the cricket ground. The application from the mysterious
'Butie Limited', registered in the British Virgin Islands, has now been sold on
to Explore Living, who have boarded up the site and started building.
Nice fat profit to the faceless men who planned it all. We will be naming them
soon! |
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Barn Hall - Land north of
Station Avenue
The planning
application from Gleeson's and Gladedale's for 200 homes on this site
was submitted in June 2007, but the council delayed the decision date
and because of the
delay, the developers have been able to appeal. The hearing was held
over 4 days from 24 June, and the result will be published in about 6
weeks. The land is NOT green belt due to another oversight by the
council, and the worry is that these 200 homes could be the tip of the
iceberg of 2,000 homes around Barn Hall. Decision expected October 2008 |
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Riverside Place, 1-29 Lower
Southend Road
173 flats in two 6 storey blocks by Bradgate Developments (Director Runwell
councillor Ray Ride). Approved in June 2006, flats were offered for sale for
completion December 2007, but the building is somewhat behind this, as shown
below for phase 1, the block running along the side of the bypass - will the
wooden cladding will keep out the traffic noise?. No decision
has been made on the removal of the sorting office on the site of phase 2, and
the owner of the Marco Polo restaurant on the site has a planning
application pending to
open a Thai restaurant upstairs! |
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Frasier's Site - work
stopped August 2008
36 flats with 5 retail outlets, in a 5 storey block on the site of
Frasier's cafe/bar. Although this area of the Masterplan was set for
leisure, the council passed it even though they previously turned down a
similar application for the Medical Centre and 30 sheltered flats on
this site. Site now cleared, and currently being built by George Wimpey. |
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Woodlands Road
24 flats in a 4 storey block, passed in June 2007 for Childs Property.
This was not in the Masterplan, but is in the area covered by it - it is
an extra. The ground floor is underway as can just be seen in this pic.. |
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The Willows
The second phase, 'the Nissan Hut', is now well underway. This is for 2 extra stories over
New Look in the Willowdale Centre for 24 flats by Metropolitan &
County, similar to the previous development on the other corner of the
building. Had Chelmsford Council been in charge, each 24 development
would have had to include a contribution for affordable housing, but
Basildon's weak planning policy let them get away with none at
all. Goodness knows where they are all going to park. |
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Swimming pool &
Health Centre
Just passed, no building started yet. The first part will be the 48
flats in a 3 storey block by Family Mosaic, to replace the 20 flats
demolished last year. This will be followed by 51 flats and a replaced
swimming pool / library / health centre. The pool will be closed for 18
months.
The last we heard was that the council is in dispute over the funding
for the initial flats development, see the Echo
23 May 08 |
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Essex
Park Garage (Audi showroom)
Not in the
Masterplan area, but yet more flats for Wickford. The plan to build 87
flats here was turned down by the planners, but this was unsurprisingly
overturned on appeal. Demolition work is now underway.
Wickford County Infant
School
A proposal from Basildon Council to Essex County Council was put to the
infant school governors to demolish the infant school and merge it with
the junior school. This would release prime land for the Masterplan, and
it was fortunately rejected by the
school governors. Common sense prevailed in this case! read
more
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