RSS East Of England Plan - Broads Authority

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Section 13 Sub-Areas and Key Centres for Development and Change
POLICY ETG2: Thurrock Key Centre for Development and Change
continued
(f) whether Lakeside Basin should be designated a major town centre.
Any proposals for future growth at Lakeside Basin should safeguard the vitality and viability of existing town centres
within the catchment of any proposed development, including relevant town centres beyond the region.
13.19 Since the examination in public, new evidence has become available about the impact of additional retail floorspace at
Lakeside Basin. Different parties take different positions on whether additional floorspace can be developed at Lakeside
without harming the vitality and viability of existing town centres. Given Lakeside’s importance to South Essex, which is
emphasised in the Thames Gateway Delivery Plan 2007, and its potential, if remodelled and regenerated on sustainable
development and transport lines to attract substantial investment and be a major driver of regeneration, the opportunity
should be taken to review this work as a matter of urgency, and to determine the appropriate level of any additional retail
and leisure floorspace growth and whether Lakeside should be defined as a major town centre. The Regional Assembly
working with partners, particularly Essex County Council, Thurrock Borough Council, and Thurrock Thames Gateway
Development Corporation, should review Policy ETG2 though an early revision of this RSS. The revision should be
completed by the end of 2009 and should inform the preparation of the relevant Thurrock Development Plan Documents,
particularly the core strategy currently in progress.
POLICY ETG3: Basildon Key Centre for Development and Change
Local Development Documents for Basildon should:
• facilitate the physical, economic and social regeneration of the original new town together with expansion to
create a sustainable and balanced community;
• support Basildon’s role as a business hub within the sub-region, building upon its existing strengths as well as
opportunities for continued diversification;
• promote regeneration of the town centre to secure a full range of high quality sub-regional services and facilities,
including an enhanced retail and leisure offer, new jobs and homes, and the development of a strategic
transport interchange.
POLICY ETG4: Southend on Sea Key Centre for Development and Change
Local Development Documents for Southend on Sea should:
• facilitate physical, economic and social regeneration of the urban area including maximising the re-use of
previously developed land;
• achieve an urban renaissance of the town centre by establishing it as a focus for cultural and intellectual
activities led by the development of a university campus, securing a full range of high quality sub-regional
services and facilities, and providing for mixed use development to secure new jobs and homes;
• upgrade strategic and local passenger transport accessibility, including the development of strategic transport
interchanges around existing transport nodes; and
• improve surface access to London Southend Airport and support employment uses there that would benefit
from an airport location.