Basildon New Town

Extract from the Technical Report of the 1951 Master Plan

Part I: Sections 1 - 8 - Historical Background

PART II. THE AREA AS IT IS TO-DAY.

ADMINISTRATION.

9.     The Designated Area lies within two Urban Districts in the County of Essex. The principal authorities concerned with the administration and servicing of the Area are set out below:-

PATTERN OF DEVELOPMENT.

10.     The Designated Area covers 7,834 acres, being rather less than six miles long from east to west and three miles across from north to south. Of this total area some 4,300 acres consists of scattered development, smallholdings, and waste land which has been sold off for building but never built upon. The remaining 3,500 acres is farmland of variable quality.

11.     The developed area (of 4,300 acres) contains a population of about 25,000 people, or not quite six persons per acre. This population is chiefly centred in two districts: Laindon-Langdon Hills-Lee Chapel to the west, and Pitsea-Vange-Basildon to the east. The centres of gravity of these two districts are about 3½ miles apart; there are no east-west roads directly connecting them, nor any direct bus services, although there is connection by rail.

PHYSICAL SETTING.

Landscape and Topography.

12.     The land within the Designated Area north of the railway (Upminster line) is generally undulating, ranging from 40 ft. A.O.D. to 90 ft. A.O.D. Two low ridges run north and south, Through Laindon and Basildon respectively, with low lying flat areas on either side. These areas are difficult to drain and not very suitable for development. The land to the south of the railway is more hilly being part of a range bordering the Thames marshes and the levels vary from 10 ft. A.O.D. to 370 ft. A.O.D. (Above Ordnance Datum).

13.     Extensive and interesting views can be had from many vantage points within the Designated Area, not only from the Langdon Hills and Vange Hills overlooking the Estuary, but also from the outlying ridges running to the north. Typical of this part of Essex, is a church crowning a small hill.

14.     Apart from Langdon Hills the area is not well wooded. Many of the larger hedgerow trees have been cut down where development has taken place. Most of those remaining are elms and have been attacked by the disease. Bramble and thorn scrub has grown up on the extensive areas of vacant land.

15.     A more detailed report on landscape by Miss Sylvia Crowe, F.I.L.A. is included at Appendix A and the topography as far as it affects drainage is discussed later in this report.

Climate.

16.     The area generally has a low rainfall, and is one of the dryest in England. The prevailing wind is south-westerly or westerly, but during the first six months of the year north-easterly, or easterly, winds are not infrequent. This is one of the colder parts of the country especially in the late spring and early summer. Fog is not unduly frequent and occurs chiefly on winter evenings and most often in December.

Geology.

17.     Nearly the whole of the designated area is covered with London Clay, The only exceptions being small areas of Claygate beds and Bagshot sands capping the high ground (Vange hills and Langdon Hills) and an area of Alluvium on Pitsea and Vange marshes.

18.     The London Clay is a stiff brown clay down to a depth of ten feet, below which is blue-brown clay. This clay shrinks and cracks when dried in normal summer weather, down to a depth of about 3 feet. This shrinkage of the clay to greater depths is caused by tree roots. These withdraw moisture from the clay up to a distance of ten feet from the end of the roots which normally spread to a distance equal to the height of the tree.

19.     Sulphate concentrations are present both in the dry clay and in the ground water, generally in such proportions as to require the use of high alumina cement for foundations and for sewer construction over four feet in depth. The sulphate is also liable to attack iron pipes.

PUBLIC UTILITY SERVICES.

Existing Water Supply.

20.     The designated area is within the statutory supply area of two water authorities. The major part of the area, some 6,934 acres lies within the area of the Southend Waterworks Company. The remainder of the area (in the vicinity of Langdon Hills) is supplied by the Billericay Urban District Council who receive a bulk supply for this purpose from the South-Essex Water Company. The existing main sources of supply for the Southend Waterworks Company are the Company's Langford Works, Oakwood and Vange reservoirs, and various wells from which water is pumped at Slice's Gate, Downham, Wickford, Pitsea, Bowers Gifford, Laindon and Dunton.

21.     There is an existing reticulation of water mains covering most of the more fully built up streets in the area. There are no mains in the area north of the railway between Basildon and Vange, in the eastern part of Lee Chapel, in the southern part of Langdon Hills, or in the western part of Laindon. While in outlying areas such as parts of Dunton, Some properties are served by shallow wells, but others are dependant upon stand pipes at a distance of anything up to half a mile away. The existing mains are mostly of small size, insufficient to serve a much additional development.

22.     The present consumption of water in this part of Essex is lower than in similar areas elsewhere, being about 35 gallons per head per day. The cost to the consumer of water supplied by Southend Waterworks Company is rather high.

23.     No industry is likely to be established within the statutory area of the Billericay U.D.C. but only in that of the Southend Waterworks Company, whose charges for industrial premises are based on a formula which gives a rate of 3/3d per 1,000 gallons with subsequent reduction for larger quantities on a sliding scale.

24.     The present capacity does not admit of much increase of consumption over the supply area as a whole. For this reason the Southend Waterworks Company and the South Essex Water Company have jointly sponsored a scheme for impounding water in a new reservoir at Hanningfield. It is estimated that this will add 17 million gallons per day to the available supply.

Existing Foul Sewerage.

25.     Billericay U.D.C. are the Sewerage Authority for most of the Designated Area (some 7,546 acres). Thurrock U.D.C. are the Sewerage Authority for the remainder (some 288 acres) but there are no existing sewers in the Thurrock area.

26.     The major portion of the area drains to the Crouch Valley in the north and is divided into four main drainage areas by three ridges running approximately north and south. A fifth drainage area south of the Vange Hills drains to the Thames.

27.     Of the four main areas draining north, the most westerly area Dunton, is not sewered at all. In the next area parts of Laindon and Langdon Hills are sewered and drain to the Barleylands Treatment Works of the Billericay U.D.C. The main outfall sewer is of adequate capacity to deal with considerable areas of new development, but the sewage works are at present overloaded to twice the designed capacity of 90,000 gallons per day. The next area, comprising the central part of the Designated Area, is not sewered. The fourth, and most easterly, area comprising Basildon, Nevendon and parts of Pitsea, is partly sewered but trunk sewers will require supplementing in size. This area drains by gravity mainly to the Northern Pumping Station of the Billericay U.D.C. whence sewage is pumped to the Shotgate Treatment Works of that authority. There is a small surplus capacity at Shotgate over the designed figure of 160,000 gallons per day.

28.     The area which drains to the River Thames is largely sewered, the trunk sewers being of a size capable of dealing with large areas of new development. The sewage gravitates to a pumping station south of Pitsea station and close to the Pitsea Treatment Works of the Billericay U.D.C. to which it is pumped. The sewage works at present has a surplus capacity of 74,000 gallons per day on a designed capacity of 60,000 gallons per day.

29.     The approximate numbers of properties connected to the existing sewers are:-

         1400 properties in Laindon and Langdon Hills, draining to Barleylands.

         350 properties in Basildon, Nevendon and part of Pitsea, draining to Shotgate.

         800 properties in Vange and part of Pitsea, draining to Pitsea.

Over 600 properties are unsewered.

Existing Surface Water Sewerage.

30.     The Designated Area is fairly well drained by the existing natural system of watercourses, but there are few surface water sewers. The watercourses, over the lengths which are common watercourses, are the responsibility of the Essex Rivers Catchment Board, but otherwise are responsibility of the adjoining landowners. There are four main water sheds which drain naturally to the River Crouch and one which drains to the River Thames. Some low-lying and flat areas might prove expensive to drain, as filling would be necessary to raise the general level of the ground. These areas are show by hatching on Map No. 5.

Existing Gas Supply.

31.     The supply authority is the North Thames Gas Board, who have an existing reticulation of high pressure mains covering nearly all existing streets within the Designated Area, including those which are not made up. The gas is distributed at a pressure of 15 to 40 Ibs. per square in, and this is reduced by individual governors inside the buildings to the normal pressure of 2½ water gauge. This system would not be satisfactory for a more densely built up area. The supply is brought from Beckton Gas Works by an 18" diameter pumping main laid along the Southend Arterial Road.

Existing Electricity Supply.

32.     The supply authority is the Eastern Electricity Board; and power is brought into the area by 33 A.V. overhead mains which run across Pitsea Marsh to the south and along the north side of the Arterial Road, A.127, on the northern boundary of the Designated Area.

33.     Many of the existing sub-stations are of the pole-type unsuitable for an urban density of development and the existing system of 11 K.V. mains is largely overhead. So also are most of the medium pressure mains in existing streets, although some underground mains do exist. In general terms the present articulation covers about 50% of the area of existing development, but large areas of Dunton, Lee Chapel, Langdon Hills and Basildon have no supply.

Existing Telephones and Postal Services.

34.     There are three small telephone exchanges in the Area, at Laindon, Basildon, and Vange. A skeleton network of telephone cables exists largely following the lines of main roads and connecting indirectly the various centres of population. The existing cables are about 50% overhead and 50% underground.

35.     There is a Crown Post Office at Laindon and nineteen small sub-offices scattered throughout the area; with the exception of that at Pitsea the latter are housed in shops. There are two postal deliveries and usually three postal collections throughout the Area daily.

COMMUNICATIONS.

Existing Road Network.

36.     As has already been said the existing road framework provides no direct connection between the existing townships in the east and west, indeed, as might be expected where no coherent development has taken place, the road pattern is that of an extinct agricultural community and bears no relation to present needs.

37.     The class A roads run east and west roughly on the north and south boundaries of the area. Both were built to carry through traffic from London to Southend. The Arterial Road (A.127) on the north side is a modern dual carriageway road which does not, and will not, form any part of the internal road framework of the Area. It provides an admirable basis for regional communications, but suffers at present from six cross roads and one roundabout in that length of road which passes through or alongside the Designated Area.

38.     The old London-Southend road (A.13) which runs through Vange and Pitsea in the south-east corner of the Designated Area, carries a great deal of through traffic. It will provide good regional communication with Tilbury, Grays, Thurrock and the London docks to the west, as well as Southend and Canvey in the east. It is, however, also a shopping street and of inadequate width. It requires diversion and improvement in any new plan for the area, particularly if the population on the south side is to be increased.

39.     Three class 'B' roads (B.1007, B.1011, and B.1047) run north and south. All these roads carry some through traffic between Tilbury, Shellhaven and Canvey in the south and Chelmsford, Maldon and Harwich in the north. There are four class 'C' roads. Detailed particulars of all existing classified roads are given in Table I of Appendix 'C'.

40.     Development roads are chiefly remarkable for their absence. Roads were not constructed by estate developers when the land was sold for building and relatively few roads have been constructed since. Most of the property in the area is therefore approached by grass tracks (of byelaw width) which are impassable in winter except to light horse drawn vehicles. In some cases there is a narrow footway of ashes or concrete slabs laid without prepared foundations. Detailed particulars of existing unclassified roads is given in Table II of Appendix 'C'.

41.     A summary of the Mileage of existing roads taken from Table I and II is given below:-

Existing Traffic Flow and Accidents.

42.     Congestion occurs on roads A.13 and A.127 at peak periods (weekends) the flows being in the region of 890 and 1,600 vehicles per hour respectively. It is necessary at these times to resort to police control at the junction of -

(a)	Roads A.13 & B.1011 (Rectory Road, Pitsea).
(b)	Roads A.127 & B.1011 (Cricketers Corner, Nevendon).
(c)	Roads A.127 & B.1007 (Laindon Roundabout).

43.     An analysis of the road accidents in the area for the period 1.1.48 to 30.9.50 has been undertaken from the records of the County Police. Having regard to the built up nature of the area the accident rate is not generally excessive.

44.     As would be expected, the majority of accidents occur on the class A roads where they pass through the built up parts of Pitsea, Vange and Laindon, and where the class B roads serving these and other built up areas join the class A roads.

Existing Bus Service.

45.     Five bus Companies operate in the area. It is however, poorly served by buses, due partly no doubt, to the inadequacy of the present road system. There are reasonably direct services from Pitsea and from Laindon to the places set out below:-

From Laindon to:
Billericay	... ... ... ...	½ hourly service
Brentwood	... ... ... ...	hourly service
Chelmsford	... ... ... ...	hourly service
Corringham	... ... ... ...	hourly service
Clacton	... ... ... ...	hourly service
Tilbury Ferry	... ... ... ...	hourly service
Basildon (Circular)	... ... ... ...	to meet trains
From Pitsea to:
Southend	... ... ... ...	10 minute service
Grays	... ... ... ...	10 minute service
Wickford	... ... ... ...	½ hourly service
Romford	... ... ... ...	hourly service
Basildon	... ... ... ...	to meet trains

46.     In order to reach Pitsea or Romford, people in Laindon must catch the hourly Pitsea-Romford bus on the Arterial Road. There is a service to Wickford on Mondays only. Pitsea residents have no direct connection with Brentwood; they must go via Wickford to Billericay and Chelmsford, and via Grays to Tilbury Ferry. There are special services for workers from both Laindon and Pitsea to the Bata Shoe Factory at East Tilbury, and between Pitsea and Shellhaven.

Existing Railways.

47.     Two lines serve the area, the direct line from London to Southend via Upminster and the London-Tilbury-Southend loop line. Both lines start at Fenchurch Street Station. The direct line runs through the middle of the Designated Area from west to east. It comprises two tracks and there are stations at Laindon and at Pitsea Junction. The volume of Southend travel and the frequency of trains has made electrification and/or widening an urgent need for many years. The Railway Company have been acquiring land for this widening for a long time.

48.     For most of its length within the Designated Area this line runs either upon embankment or in cutting so that it does not present a very formidable barrier to planning. There are at present three farm access bridges and four road bridges over the railway. Those are all of substantial brick construction but narrow. The farm access bridges are 12 feet wide and none of the road bridges has a total width exceeding 25 feet.

49.     There are four underpasses but, with the exception of that for road A.13., these are small tunnels serving former or existing farm roads; two are inaccessible for normal traffic in winter. The underpass accommodating road A.13 has a carriageway width of only 18 feet, but a total width of 50 feet. The underpass accommodating Lower Dunton Road (just outside the boundary of the area) has a total width of 25 feet. There is one level crossing but this is in agricultural use only and the gates are normally kept locked. There is a length of goods siding at Laindon Station, and a short length of siding off this line at Pitsea Station.

50.     The London-Tilbury-Southend loop line passes through the south east corner of the Designated Area for 1½ miles and joins the direct line at Pitsea Junction Station. This is the only station on this length of line. There are two tracks, with two level crossings (near Pitsea Station and Wharf Lane) providing the only means of crossing the railway in the vicinity of the New Town. A short length of goods siding is available off this line at Pitsea Junction. Passenger trains run on weekdays chiefly catering for the morning and evening journey to work from the Southend district and Pitsea to Thameside.

Existing Waterways.

51.     Vange and Pitsea creeks (about 4 miles long) end at the southern boundary of the Designated Area. At low tide there is no water in the creek but at high tide there is a draught of between eight and ten feet. A central channel is kept clear of silt by a primitive method of sluicing so that the creek is navigable for one hour on either side of high water. Messrs. Churchill Johnson have a timber wharf on Vange creek, and certain building materials are brought there by barge

Existing Air Services.

52.     Southend (Rochford) and Fairlop aerodromes are ten and twelve miles from the Designated Area respectively. There are no services operating from Fairlop at present, but a number of services operate from Southend and the Southend Corporation have plans to increase the size of this aerodrome. There is a flying school run by the Corporation, and two Charter Companies operate from there. Charter trips are chiefly to Johannesberg and elsewhere in Africa. services run to schedule in summer from Southend to Luton, Birmingham, Hull and Aberdeen, Ostend and Jersey.

LAND USE.

Agriculture.

53.     Rather less than half of the Designated Area is under cultivation. The farm land is not first class, but it is regarded by the Ministry of Agriculture as of value for corn production. In consultation with the Land Commissioner farm units have been classified as good, average or poor in relation to the standards of this part of Essex.

54.     A total of 3,128 acres is farmed privately and 420 acres are at present farmed through the County Agricultural Committee. There is also a large number of smallholders cultivating land within the Designated Area; most holdings do not exceed 2 acres, although a few are as large as 20 acres. The total acreage of this type would amount to about 380 acres.

Built up Areas.

55.     An approximate summary of the principal uses to which the existing developed land is put is given below, from which it can be seen that the area is not ill supplied with social and other facilities. It is the poor standard of structure and design and the widespread scatter of the whole pattern of development, frequently without roads and services, which is so unsatisfactory a feature of the area. On the other hand, the town is unbalanced industrially, economically and socially, and there is a shortage of playing fields and other public open space. More detailed consideration of present land use in relation to proposals for development is given in Part II of this report.

Summary of Principal Land Uses in Developed Areas.

56.	Type of Property.	Approx. No.		Approx. Acreage.
	Dwellings.	8,700		1750
	Building land not yet developed.	-		1270
	Nursery gardens.	23		61
	Shops and offices.	294		35
	Churches.	21		11
	Halls.	23		6
	Other public buildings.	8		2
	Primary schools.	6		25
	Secondary schools.	2		28
	Clinics.	3		3
	Industrial buildings.	20		9
	Open storage.	30		17

Full details of the acreage of present land uses are given in Table IV of Appendix "C".

57.     The rates (1951) are assessed at 19/6d. in the pound, and the product of a penny rate throughout the Urban District of Billericay is £875. (There are only 162 properties situated in Thurrock Urban District. It is interesting to note that the average rateable value of all dwellings within the Designated Area is about £10. A normal five-room Council House being at £17.

Age and condition of Properties.

58.     In this area the age of a property is no guide to it's "condition" in the accepted planning use of the term. Indeed, the pre-1918 buildings are usually in much better condition than the post 1918 buildings, having been constructed originally to a much better standard.

59.     The "age and condition" survey has therefore been carried out in accordance with standards of structure and amenity as set out below; the total number of dwellings in each category is also given.

AGE AND CONDITION NOTATION
60.          Class	Structure	Approx. No. of Dwellings
A	Brick and tile to Housing Act Standards	2,045
B	Light structure to Housing Act Standards	1,003
C	Brick and tile below Housing Act Standards	823
D	Light structure below Housing Act Standards	1,115
E	Chalet or shack in good condition	1,847
F	Bad structure and condition	1,170
G	Very bad structure or derelict	713
Note:	The Housing Act referred to is that of 1936: the survey was only carried out by inspection of the property from the outside.	8,716

61.     Apart from the essential demolitions to permit change of land use, it has been assumed that property in Classes A to C should generally be retained but that properties in Classes D to G may be cleared at the appropriate time if their retention would hinder the property development of the area.

62.     The distribution of these various classes of dwelling is shown in accordance with the future neighbourhood groupings proposed in the Master Plan, in Table V in Appendix C. A study of this Table, together with the maps Nos. 4, 9, 18 and 19 suggests areas which should probably be redeveloped to a new street pattern, but this problem is a matter of detailed planning which is outside the scope of this Report.

Population Density.

63.     The population at present living in the area is estimated at 25,000. The gross residential density of the area at present developed would then be about 6 persons per acre, this low residential density resulting from the amount of undeveloped land within the substantially developed areas. The net residential density is also low throughout the area on account of the great depth and wide frontages of many of the developed plots. At the same time, there is a variation between one street and another of from 2 to 50 persons to the acre (this calculation being exclusive of vacant plots and of non-residential users).

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