Laindon Place, Basildon

The project seeks to improve the opportunities for the regeneration of Laindon Place in terms of new retail and creating an environment to support businesses opening in the new high street being developed in Laindon. The project will deliver the installation of Electric Vehicle charging points, installation of shop frontages and the provision of quality public realm to support the creation of a new high street for Laindon.

The Laindon Place development is the regeneration of the old Laindon Shopping Centre. The regeneration will deliver a brand-new high street with shops, landscaped public realm, parking, a new supermarket, 224 new homes and an expanded new health centre.

The project will:

• Support the new shops and thereby viability of the scheme in the longer term by funding provision of shop fronts;
• Support the new shops by funds going towards a more efficient and improved public realm to encourage more passing trade than was historically evident;
• Support the wider government agenda for low carbon transport infrastructure with the provision of active EV charging points.

Funding approval

The project was considered by the Accountability Board on 12th March 2021 and the decision was made to approve the award of GBF funding to the project, subject to the following funding conditions being met:

• written confirmation being received from Essex County Council that Essex Highways have approved the public realm works; and
• written confirmation being received from Essex County Council that the S73 application for the installation of electric vehicle charging points have been approved.

At the September 2021 Accountability Board meeting it was noted that, Essex Highways approval for the public realm works had been confirmed. However, an extension to the November 2021 Board was agreed to finalise the approval of the section 73 application for the installation of the electric vehicle charging points.

At the November 2021 Accountability Board it was agreed that the requirement for planning approval to be obtained for the electric  vehicle charging points to be delivered as part of the project is not required as permitted development rights can be used to deliver these elements of the project.

At the Accountability Board on 11 February 2022 it was agreed that GBF funding can be retained against the Project beyond 31 March 2022 for a maximum period of 6 months.

At the Accountability Board on 23 September 2022 the Board agreed to the removal of the project from the GBF programme.

£85m of investment to East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock

The Getting Building Fund focuses on projects that can progress quickly and that will stimulate and better integrate economies in some of the most economically impacted and COVID-affected parts of the South East.

£85m of Getting Building Fund investment has been secured, enabling delivery of 45 projects across East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock.

Find out more here