10 Aug Residents reveal what they want to improve Laindon town centre
Residents have responded with their views about improving Laindon High Road and surrounding areas, suggesting improving the café and retail offering, more planting and greenery and better transport connectivity among other key aspirations.
Basildon Council recently surveyed residents asking them to list things they want to see and ranking possible options from most to least important for the focus of local development.
Making public areas more attractive has come out as a big theme, with improvements to pedestrian pathways, followed by more planting and greenery, as popular ways to achieve that.
The results will now inform the council’s work on preparing improvement plans for Laindon.
Councillor Kerry Smith, Chairman of the Laindon Town Centre Working Group, said: “With new building happening soon and knowledge of what residents want, we’re going to take the opportunity to help make Laindon more attractive with more landscaping and greenery.
“When asked what residents would like to see in the area around Laindon train station they told us that removing the dilapidated café building owned by C2C, an improved drop off and pick up area, and more lighting, parking, bike storage and policing were important.
“New shops, a GP surgery and offices are coming around the former Laindon Shopping Centre, we can seize the opportunity to refresh the space between the train station and the new shops, making the area a more relaxing, better place to visit and shop.”
The survey feedback will be used by council officers to produce a full report so that the council can make evidence-based representations to the Government and Essex County Council to obtain the grants and assistance to improve the area.
Laindon Town Centre Working Group, which was established by the Town Centre Revival Committee, conducted the survey to seek the views on the area around Laindon High Road and Laindon Station.
