Basildon Council ramping up plan to divorce from Essex County Council

During a Facebook live with residents, council leader Gavin Callaghan expressed his frustration with an alleged failure to maintain lights and roads.

The council leader called for Basildon to become a “unitary authority” after claiming the county council are “not accountable.”

Speaking on his Facebook live, Mr Callaghan said: “I don’t know if people really fully understand but when you pay your council tax, 86 per cent goes to Essex County Council and a further five per cent to the Police and Crime Commissioner. Basildon Council keeps around about twelve per cent.

“I believe we should leave ECC and I believe Basildon should be a unitary authority in control of 100 per cent of our council tax so we can spend it on our local priorities.”

A spokesperson for Essex County Council said: “The Government’s focus is on devolution, and alongside partners ECC is currently discussing the potential benefits of a deal which devolves powers from central government down to Greater Essex.

“Essex’s three upper-tier authorities (Essex County Council, Southend City Council and Thurrock Council) have until the end of September to put forward the case for devolution here, which if realised would benefit the Greater Essex economy through unlocking jobs, skills and homes.

“There have already been initial discussions which have included Basildon Council alongside all the other cities, borough and districts across Greater Essex.“

Leader of Basildon’s Independent group, Kerry Smith backed Mr Callaghan’s comments.

“I have been calling for Bas-exit for the last ten years. We give the county council a lot of money but we never see any of it. All we have seen is potholes and neglect,” he said.

“We’re being bled dry by a parasitic creature. You have take the parasite off your body so they can’t keep getting blood. They are like a leak. They take all our money and spend it across the county.”