SECOND ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31st, 1951 - (Part 2)
PROGRESS OF WORKS
Industrial Area
The first contract for roads and engineering works to open up the first 13 acres in the Nevendon Industrial Area was let in May, 1950, to Messrs.
Leftley Bros. Limited, Barking, in the sum of £18,208. This work is now complete. Further contracts totalling £60,692 for site works to open up another 87 acres are now
in progress.
The contract for the first factory, constructed by the Corporation for the South East Essex Wholesale Dairies Limited, was let in September, 1950,
to Messrs. Hosking & Son (Essex) Limited, in the sum of £25,511. The foundation stone of this factory, the first building to be erected in the new town, was laid by Colonel Sir
Francis Whitmore, K.C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., T.D., Lord Lieutenant of the County of Essex, in November, 1950. The factory is now nearly complete.
Housing
The first housing contract, for the erection of 39 houses in Vange, was let in September, 1950, to Messrs. C. S. Wiggins Limited, Thundersley, in
the sum of £47,507. The first nine houses are nearly completed and the first house will be occupied by the beginning of June, 1951.
A contract for 214 houses at Cranes Farm, Nevendon, was let in September, 1950, to Messrs. R. Costain Limited, London, S.W.I, for £386,133. This contract has been badly
delayed by inclement weather, but the first houses should be ready for occupation by the autumn of 1951.
A contract for a further 14 houses in Vange was let in March, 1951.
Details of Civil Engineering and Building Contracts completed and in progress
at 31st March, 1951, are at Appendix D.
ACQUISITION AND DISPOSAL OF LAND
Acquisition
In accordance with Ministerial direction, the Corporation has, in the main, limited its proposals for acquisition to land which is required for development
within two years. The Corporation has also acquired, with your approval, three other properties on grounds of public policy.
During the year some 235 acres of land have been purchased by the Corporation at a cost of £23,685, exclusive of legal charges, surveyors' fees and tithe
redemption. Negotiations for the purchase of a further 155 acres of land for which your approval has been received are proceeding, of which 134 acres are in course of conveyance.
Fragmentation of land into numerous small plots, many of unknown ownership and others carrying nothing more than "Squatters rights", makes the acquisition
of land a long and laborious process, besides increasing materially the costs of acquisition. As an example, the purchase of some 46 acres of land in Luncies South Housing Area, required
for development in 1951, will involve no less than 115 separate acquisitions: 53 of the plots to be acquired have no known owners, so far as can be ascertained at present.
A statement giving the main items of land acquired by the Corporation during the year is at Appendix E.
Disposal
Industrial Land and Buildings
The importance to the successful development of the new town of the early establishment of industry needs no emphasis. Progress in industrial lettings has not
been so satisfactory as had been hoped last year. One factory, already referred to, is nearly completed, and the construction of another of some 12,500 sq. ft. is expected to begin this
summer. Negotiations with another industrial concern have been delayed by production difficulties; this company has taken an option on 6 acres of land in the Nevendon Industrial
Area on which it proposes to erect a factory of some 78,000 sq. feet; there is a reasonable prospect that this proposal will materialise in the near future, and it is understood
that a building licence may be granted. A proposal for the erection of another factory of some 50,000 sq. ft. for an industrial concern from E. London, appeared very promising,
as the Corporation was given to understand that a building licence was likely to be granted. Design work was therefore put in hand and was already far advanced, when it was
learned that a building licence was not likely to be granted in the near future. The reasons for the present restrictions on capital investment are appreciated, but changes in
policy and the apparent impossibility of obtaining any firm indication whether a building licence is likely to be granted for any particular project inevitably prejudices the
Corporation's relations with prospective industrialists, to the detriment of the new town. There is little doubt that the Industrial Area is well sited and attractive to industrialists
but under present conditions its success must depend upon the extent of the backing that Government Departments give to individual industrialists, and that is, of course, outside the
control of the Corporation.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
The First Annual Report referred briefly to the difficulties confronting the Corporation in planning the development of a new town in an area already
containing a large resident population. The period between the designation of an area as a site for a new town and the publication and approval of the development proposals is
inevitably a difficult one; those who already live in the new area are quite understandably apprehensive that insufficient regard may be paid to their interests in the plan of the
new town, and this anxiety has been reflected in the very large number of enquiries relating to the effect of the new town on existing properties that have been received and dealt
with by the Corporation. The publication of definite proposals has served to clear many doubts and allay anxieties; and now that the main lines of development can be foreseen, there
is reason to believe that much of the misunderstanding which prevailed is diminishing, and that, with the growing realisation of the advantages that the new town will bring, fuller
and more willing co-operation will be forthcoming from those who live in the designated area, and who will form an important element in the future population.
It is difficult in any large scheme of comprehensive development, such as a new town, for the public to take any active part in the preparation of the
Plans; this is inevitably the task of the specialist, and many of the factors that will ultimately determine the form of the new town must be judged by other than purely local
considerations. Yet it is important that residents, particularly where, as at Basildon, they are numerous, should understand and assent to the development plans, and as far as
possible make their contributions to them. The Corporation has made a very real effort to obtain the views of the residents on its proposals, and in response to its invitations for
comments and criticisms on the draft plan, many constructive suggestions were received and carefully considered; in many cases it has been found possible to incorporate them in the Master Plan.
Relations with the Local Planning Authority, Local Authorities and Statu-torv Undertakers are good. Monthly meetings are held with the Officers of Billericay and Thurrock Urban District
Councils at which matters of common interest are discussed amicably.
In all matters relating to development of the new town close contact has been maintained with the Officers of your Ministry.
Relations with the Local Planning Authority, Local Authorities and Statutory Undertakers are good. Monthly meetings are held with the officers of the
Billericay and Thurrock Urban District Councils at which matters of common interest are discussed amicably. In all matters relating to development of the new town close contact has been
maintained with the Officers of your Ministry.
Relations with the Press are cordial.
THE CORPORATION
Visits
The Corporation was honoured by visits by yourself on the 13th May, 1950, and by Mr. Lindgren, your Parliamentary Secretary, on 10th April, 1950.
Meetings and Membership
The Corporation has met 17 times in the year under review.
Mr. N. Davenport was appointed a member of the Corporation on 19th October, 1950. The membership of the Corporation is otherwise unchanged.
Staff
The following Chief Officers were appointed during the year and took up their duties on the dates specified below: —
Chief Engineer—Mr. H. W. Dupree, A.M.I.C.E. 4th August, 1950.
Chief Estates Officer—Mr. J. H. West, F.R.I.C.S. Ist January, 1951.
The number of staff in posts on 31st March, 1951, was 98, distributed as follows: —
Administration
Legal
Architects
Engineers
—Outside Staff |
...
...
...
...
... |
12
5
24
24
4 |
 |
Finance
Estates
Industrial Workers
Clerks of Works
|
...
...
...
...
|
6
9
10
4
|
|
State Management Advisory Committee
Two meetings of the Committee have been held in the year, and recommendations on the number and size of licensed premises to be established in Fryerns
neighbourhood have been forwarded to the Secretary of State.
FINANCE
Annual Accounts
The audited Accounts for the year ended 31st March, 1951, with the Balance Sheet at that date are appended at pages 52-57.
The gross expenditure on administration, including estates, amounted to £67,200. Income was £848 which, when added to the cost of salaries transferred
to capital projects at £14,786, made a total credit of £15,634. The deficit for the year was, therefore, 51,566. Of this sum 12,613 will be met by Ministerial Grant, £1,112 represents
the depreciation charged for the year, and the balance at £37,841 is added to Other Development Expenses and capitalised.
The capital expenditure for the year, excluding capitalised administration, was £156,818 and details appear in the Capital Account on page 54. Regards the
figure of £42,189 for the acquisition of land, this is inclusive of legal fees and costs and the redemption of tithe annuities. This comprises an acreage of 369 acres together with
certain buildings needed for future purposes. Also included is land in course of conveyance to the Corporation at the financial year end.
The capital assets of the Corporation now amount to £224,022 at cost price less depreciation. The Housing Estates within this total include 267 grant aided
dwellings in course of erection together with several properties which have been acquired to allow future development. These latter properties are meanwhile let on appropriate
terms. The site preparation of the Industrial Estate is well advanced and substantial progress towards completion of the first factory has been accomplished at a cost to date of
£15,881. The Corporation's own Administrative Headquarters are almost completed.
Advances received during the year amounted to £148,000 making a total to date of £180,300. Repayments have begun in this year and amount to £230 off the
principal sum together with interest in this year of £2,902. The outstanding capital commitment of the Corporation at the 3lst March, 1951, was thus £180,070.
Financial arrangements with local authorities and statutory undertakers.
Reference is made elsewhere in this Report to the proposed grant of powers making the Corporation the sewerage authority for the Designated Area. The Order
will enable the Corporation, as from the 6th April, 1951, to provide new sewage disposal works and sewerage systems for the Designated Area, as such development is clearly on a scale beyond
the financial capacity of the local authority concerned. Accordingly, within the terms of the Order, the local authority⏼Billericay Urban District Council—have
agreed to a financial arrangement with the Corporation based on the annual repayment by the Council to the Corporation of an amount equal to the sewerage rate levied on newly rated
properties which will drain into the new sewer. This income will be applied as an off-set to the capital and maintenance costs of the new works defrayed by the Corporation.
Cost of development
The Corporation has given close attention to the initial costs of development needed on those aspects which will show little or no financial return over the
future7#8212;main sewers, open spaces and various capitalised expenses. In this respect, a careful survey of the economic and financial implications of the Master Plan has been undertaken,
from which the formulation of a preliminary development policy has been established. These early decisions are very much complicated by the present upward surge in capital costs and any
worthwhile conclusions on the assessment of property and ground rents for present and future purposes become extremely involved. Nevertheless the Corporation adheres to the principle that
if the heavy cost of developing the New Town is to be covered, each individual undertaking—industrial, commercial, residential or public utility—should bear the site cost
appropriate to it. The decision that Government Departments are to acquire land at the existing use value, with the sole addition of a payment in respect of the cost of roads and sewers,
will deprive the Corporation of the benefit of some of the profit it is usually hoped to credit towards the cost of the whole development when valuable sites are disposed of.
Income
The difficulties encountered by the Corporation in its efforts towards the early establishment of profitable industry in the Area is referred to in
detail elsewhere in this Report. To date nearly £45,000 has been directly expended upon the initial preparation of the Industrial Estate and this work and expenditure continues. No
emphasis is needed to show the growing urgency of securing now industrial rents and revenues to defray the servicing of this expanding capital outlay.
L. H. KEAY, Chairman.
Title: Basildon Development Corporation - Second Annual Report for the period ended March 31st, 1951 Publisher: Printed and published by His Majesties Stationery
Office. Comments: This report was reproduced in its entirety, unedited and unabridged. The report was taken from a publication entitled: 'NEW TOWNS ACT, 1946 - Reports of the
Aycliffe, Basildon, Bracknell, Corby, Crawley, Cwmbran, Harlow, Hemel Hempstead, Peterlee, Stevenage & Welwyn Garden City & Hatfield Development Corporations for the period ending 31st
March, 1951.' It was Presented pursuant to Act 9 & 10 Geo. 6. c. 68, section 13 (6) and Ordered by The House of Commons to be printed 20th November 1951. |
