Response to Wickford Action Group letter
Echo 28 October 2008, letter from Carole Morris

THE recent letter from John Rushton clearly stated Basildon Council's District Plan would have categorised Barn Hall as green belt, which would have protected it from development. The council also turned down the planning application for this site. It is, therefore, very illogical of him to conclude the council wanted this development. A more logical conclusion might be reached if he had considered why the Government delayed ratifying the District Plan and how much claw-back the Government will get for any development on this, ex- Ministry of Agriculture, land.

CAROLE MORRIS
The Hastings
Wickford

Note from John Rushton, Wickford Action Group.

Carole Morris is one of the three Conservative Councillors for the Wickford North ward which includes Barn Hall, and like us, has always spoken up against the building on Barn Hall, and we don't doubt her sincerity in this.
   What we do have issue with is the competency and the dual standards of the Basildon Council Tory leaders. Yes, they state now that they plan to bring Barn Hall back into green belt, but if they had managed to get a Local Development Plan in on time, as almost all other councils in the UK did, then all of this would never have happened. It is just not correct to blame the Government for delaying ratifying the Plan, it was the Council's incompetence! 
   I'm sure Mrs Morris won't agree, but we believe that the Council knowingly allowed this to happen in order that they would get a bit closer to meeting government house building targets, and of course more income from the council taxes. 
   We often hear Councillors bemoaning the severe pressure put upon them by Government house building targets, but without them, our children wouldn't have anywhere to live if they relied on feeble councils like the one we have. Basildon Council's response for Wickford is the Master Plan, which is where we really have to disagree; 700 flats in 5, 6 and 7 storey blocks is NO SOLUTION for raising families!  

The Wickford Action Group was very much against the building on Barn Hall, but it was clear to us what the outcome would be, see the letter published in the Echo on 22 February. 

We will get masterplan AND Barn Hall homes