Town hopes to be a green trendsetter

7:53pm Tuesday 24th July 2007

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BASILDON is aiming to become the green capital of the country.

The district is preparing to become a centre for research into renewable energy and low carbon technology.

Experts are now looking at ways of making the district as green as possible.

Plans are already being drawn up for ways of making the Basildon Centre a green, solar-powered base for Basildon Council as part of its multimillion-pound revamp with renewable heating.

The council also wants to secure cash to make new buildings in Craylands, the Five Links estate and town centre as green as possible.

Basildon Renaissance Partnership wants to introduce new planning policies to reduce local carbon emissions. The partnership consists of Basildon Council, English Partnerships, the East of England Development Agency, Thames Gateway South Essex and the Department of Communities and Local Government.

The partnership also wants to set up training courses to teach about renewable energy technologies.

Stephen Horgan, Basildon Council's cabinet member for regeneration, said: "Our plans for the regeneration of Basildon have set high standards of sustainable design, but further work will ensure Basildon does even better.

"It also provides an opportunity to establish the regeneration projects themselves as examples to other districts and establish Basildon at the forefront of renewable energy technology in the UK."

Chris Balch, chairman of Basildon Renaissance Partnership, said: "This agreement will give Basildon Renaissance and the council a wealth of knowledge on technologies currently available to reduce carbon emissions.

"The development of new planning policies will also mean a more favourable environment for businesses that wish to introduce renewable technologies into their workplace."