PLAQUES celebrating the lives of famous residents may soon be seen on buildings across Basildon.

Vin Harrop, director of Basildon Heritage Project, has been seeking advice from English Heritage, which is responsible for London’s blue plaques.

He is keen to introduce similar ones to mark homes where some of the town’s most famous people once lived.

Mr Harrop plans to start by commemorating author Rodney David Wingfield, creator of TV crime Detective Inspector Jack Frost, played by Sir David Jason, who lived in Honeypot Lane, Basildon.

Other potential figures include Victorian landscape painter Edgar Longstaffe and Kathleen Ferrier, a post-war singer.

Both of them lived in Laindon at some point in their lives.

Mr Harrop said: “This is about raising the profile of Basildon and making people realise we have had some very important people in our midst who have contributed to public life in some way.

“People are part of our heritage as well as bricks and mortar, and it is important to recognise them.

“Mr Wingfield’s contribution to TV and radio was enormous, as he reached millions of people.

“To think he was sitting at home in Honeypot Lane is quite hard to believe.”

Mr Harrop hopes to form a Basildon commemorative plaques scheme group to organise a competition inviting people to design Basildon’s own plaque.

Mr Harrop added: “Being a new town, it will perhaps be more modern in outlook than the traditional London blue plaques.

“It may be square rather than round, with more than two colours and with a modern typeface.

“We feel we want something that can be identified with Basildon.”

Alison Frappell, blue plaques co-ordinator at English Heritage, said it had offered advice and guidance.

She said: “Our advice ranges in everything from design issues to the importance of research, right through to getting consent for plaques and selection criteria of who should propose and judge figures for commemoration.

“We hope to enable towns such as Basildon to build on their heritage with this scheme, and we are pleased to hear the project is being considered.”

Mr Harrop will seek lottery funding for the scheme, as opposed to the Basildon Heritage Project, which is funded by Basildon and Essex County councils, Pitsea Marshes Trust and the Heritage Lottery.