Residents are being given a chance to have their say on a major redevelopment of a retail park, which is “bringing new opportunities, money and life back to our largest town centre.” Basildon Council is consulting residents on its huge plans for the Westgate area of the town, which include creating a large hotel, homes, shops, and a giant arena stage.
Plans could also include extra care housing, which is similar to sheltered housing, as well as other changes to create a “welcoming and thriving gateway”—according to designs on the consultation site. The website also shows new green and open spaces with allotments, community gardens, “nature-based play”, and “green squares” proposed for the edges of the Westgate area.
The council took ownership of the Westgate Retail Park, off Fodderwick, Basildon, in the summer, spending £18 million. It is holding a public consultation to get the views of residents and the community. Plans currently include a “landmark” hotel and “high-quality homes.”
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The first phase of the huge redevelopment will include the large, new hotel and the homes, which will replace part of the large, vacant building at the shopping park. A planning application is expected to be submitted in the early summer. After the council purchased the Westgate Shopping Park, it meant the authority had control of 5.41 hectares of land on the western edge of Basildon town centre, including the Towngate Theatre and the Basildon Centre.
The Westgate area of Basildon and masterplan
(Image: Basildon Council)
The consultation website states: “The combined Westgate and town centre sites represent a significant asset for the Council, offering a major opportunity to transform the area by delivering new homes, community, culture, leisure, employment and high-quality public and open spaces.”
Labour leader of Basildon Council, Gavin Callaghan, said: “Basildon Council wants more control over what is developed in our town centre as part of the regeneration. We don’t want to see tower blocks built so we intervened in July and bought the Westgate Retail Park.
“Our borough is at the forefront of regeneration in the South East and this administration is seizing that opportunity. We are bringing new opportunities, money and life back to our largest town centre. This is what we mean when we say Believe in Basildon.”
The consultation is set to close on January 31, and can be found here. Alternatively, printed copies of the feedback form are available from reception at the Basildon Centre.