Housing Minister in Basildon to "top out" the new housing estate at the Roundacre roundabout.
Baroness Sharon Taylor, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Local Government, is in Basildon today officiating at the topping out ceremony of the new housing estate at the Western edge of Basildon Town centre. "Topping out" is celebrated when the last structural component of a building is in place, and it has reached its highest point.
The scheme, built on the site of an old car park, comprises 70 new council homes and 35 houses for private sale, and all of them will be offered to local Basildon people first, for a period of 12 months, under the terms of the Basildon First Charter.
The development has been made possible with support from various government funding streams including the Brownfield Infrastructure & Land Funding (BIL), Brownfield Land Release funding (BLRP) and collaboration with Homes England to secure Affordable Housing Programme funding - £11,694,400 of public money in all.
Baroness Taylor said:
"I'm delighted to be in Basildon to witness these enormous strides in your regeneration. What a delightful little community of homes has been built here in Chapelgate, and to such a high standard. My congratulations to all those involved.
"As a former Council Leader of Stevenage, Britain's first ever Attlee new town, places like Basildon, the 9th, are very close to my heart. The belief in Basildon here is obvious and the prospects for returning the town to its former glory are immense. Basildon is obviously doing its share in meeting the government's ambitious national housing target. Without new homes, and a lot of them, we can't have the growth our people need to thrive and prosper."
Councillor Gavin Callaghan, Leader of Basildon Council, said:
"Basildon Council is building council homes for Basildon people. We promised to tackle the housing crisis, and we promised to put Basildon people first. With these new homes here in Chapelgate, and many others like them, we are keeping those promises. I'm very grateful to Homes England and the Government for willing the means to let us create these lovely homes.
"And this scheme will also be helping many people currently living in temporary accommodation, at great cost to the council, into a permanent home so they are able to restart their lives.
"It's a scandal that 10,000 young people in Basildon are still living with their parents with their life's ambitions stunted, unable even to start building their own families. We will unlock the housing market with more new homes and enable those currently blocked from starting out on life's ladder to reach for their dreams, and to do so in Basildon as members of our community, among their own friends and family."
Built by Sempra Homes, Basildon Council's housing development subsidiary, using the Hill Group as the building contractor, the properties vary in size with two, three, and four-bedroom options.
Melanie Keys, Service Manager at Sempra Homes, said:
"We are delighted to reach this point in the provision of these much-needed new homes for the local community. Chapelgate will support the revitalisation of Basildon's town centre, as well as providing employment opportunities for Basildon apprentices, Basildon local labour, and the Basildon supply chain.
Robert Jack, Regional Director at The Hill Group, said:
"In addition to new homes, Sempra is contributing over £850,000 towards local infrastructure. This funding will support a variety of community services, including NHS healthcare, early years and childcare services, primary and secondary schools, open spaces, culture, play and sports facilities, highways and pedestrian access, and sustainable transport. These contributions reflect Sempra Homes' commitment not only to build homes but also enhance the wider community.
"The Chapelgate development is a key component of Basildon Council and Sempra Homes' broader strategy to improve housing supply and community infrastructure while ensuring sustainable growth in the area."
ENDS
Published 9 April 2025