25 Sep Council leader “believes in Basildon” when it comes to town centre masterplan
Basildon Council Leader Gavin Callaghan says Basildon town centre is “alive with opportunity” and “nothing is off the table” when it comes to big and bold ideas for its future.
At a meeting of the Town Centre Revival Committee on Tuesday 1 October councillors will hear more about progress on the new town centre masterplan.
Architects, We Made That, have now been appointed to press ahead with a bold new vision to make Basildon one of the most successful and desirable places in the South East.
A special event was held in London earlier this month for potential investors to learn more about the masterplan and the focus for its ambitions. These include the £30million Empire cinema and restaurants development in East Square, 4,000 new town centre homes, offices and increased employment opportunities.
Chairman of the Town Centre Revival Committee Councillor Gavin Callaghan said: “Our vision is to create a town centre that builds on the best of the historic architecture and takes us into a new era of sustainable inclusive growth.
“We believe in Basildon and want a town centre that is vibrant and meets the needs of residents, visitors and businesses alike. We are already heading in the right direction with the development of East Square which will kick-start Basildon’s night-time economy.
“As the largest economy on the estuary outside of Canary Wharf our ambition is equal to that. We have committed to buy land or property to support economic and housing development in our towns and we have invited investors to come to the table with their ideas.”
