INCLUSIVE GROWTH COMMISSION PROSPECTUS OF INQUIRY ‘I am most anxious that the planning should be such that different income groups living in the New Towns will not be segregated. No doubt they may enjoy common recreational facilities, and take part in amateur theatricals or each play their part in a health centre or a community centre. But when they leave to go home I do not want the better-off people to go to the right, and the less well-off to go to the left. I want them to ask each other ‘are you going my way?’’ - Lewis Silkin on the New Towns Bill, 1946 F O R E W O R D Contents On 30 September 1948 Lewis Yet it doesn’t feel like that for many Silkin, Clement Atlee’s Minister people who live in the Borough. We of Town and Country Planning, are also home to some of the most came to Laindon and addressed a economically disadvantaged areas in the 1 Introduction large gathering at the High Road country. Something is holding us back. school with the words: “Basildon For far too long now, too many people in 2 Commission Research Themes will become a city which people the Basildon Borough have been locked from all over the world will want out of the economic opportunities that 3 Existing Data to visit. It will be a place where exist here. all classes of community can 4 Aims & Objectives meet freely together on equal While this two track economy is not terms and enjoy common cultural unique to Basildon, it clearly has its own 5 We Need You recreational facilities.” characteristics and dynamics. When I took office in Basildon Council in May Fast forward to today and the this year, I was determined we would Basildon Borough is the largest make it a prime purpose of the Council economy in Essex and home to to do what we could to break down the global companies like Ford Motor barriers that separate these twin tracks Company, New Holland Agriculture and open up the way to a more inclusive and Konica Minolta. In the early future. Without this, we cannot fulfill 1950s its population was around the ultimate purpose of the Council – to 30,000. It is now home to more create opportunity and improve lives. than 180,000 people. We are home to over 7,000 thriving businesses, In order to move forward, we must providing more than 80,000 jobs, look around - ensuring that growth and with new start-ups increasing its benefits can translate to all groups faster than anywhere else in Essex. in the Borough, including those who We are 35 minutes from central currently feel most marginalised. We London, have major road links must consider participation, not just and rail lines to two London main distribution outcomes. We must involve stations, three airports within 40 the community in both its process and its minutes and are the nearest town outcomes. Then, and only then, we can to the London Gateway Port. start to give a rebirth to our new town and build a next generation Basildon that The Borough of Basildon is alive offers a bright future to all its residents. with opportunity and has the ingredients to be one of the most This isn’t just a Commission. This is our successful and desirable places in breakthrough. the South East. - Cllr Callaghan, Chair of Policy & Resources, Basildon Borough Council 03 04 1 I N T R O D U C T I O N This document officially marks deprived since 20102. Inclusive Growth the launch of the ‘Breakthrough Focused particularly on beginning to Basildon Borough’ Commission. enable inclusive growth in the Borough, the Commissioned by Basildon Borough Commission will examine and suggest, on Although the Commission will Council in July 2017, and carried a strategic level, the various ways in which need to determine what ‘Inclusive out by an independent Commission Basildon Borough can begin to ensure that Growth’ looks like for the Basildon panel, the Commission is dedicated it is a Borough that residents, organisations Borough, the term, defined by to explore in detail the issues and groups can not only feel proud of, but Cafod1, can be loosely described and barriers for all communities also that every single member is a part of. as: across the Basildon Borough associated with the primary visions Over the course of its duration, the 1. Having broader objectives than and objectives in the Council’s Breakthrough Basildon Borough Panel will increasing income and GDP, and Corporate Plan. be: ensuring that work is done to achieve those objectives, rather Brexit, the Industrial Strategy and - Reflecting on existing documents and than assuming that positive the Devolution Bill have highlighted reports previously carried out on the outcomes will automatically come that within the country, there is topic of and around inclusive growth in through simply creating forms of a certain feeling that its residents the Basildon Borough, paying particular ‘growth’ such as job opportunities, want to ‘take back control’. In order attention to any resultant suggestions or housing opportunities etc.; for the country to be progressive, it outcomes; must be inclusive of the people that 2. Understanding that growth is reside within it. This change has - Conducting further research through a series of participatory workshops, surveys, inclusive of gains in human and not gone unnoticed in the Basildon interviews, and community engagement societal development, as well as Borough. The Council’s Corporate Plan, alongside various local activities; economic growth; economic and social policies, speak of a need for the future - Drawing conclusions from both the 3. Ensuring that any growth and Basildon Borough to be socially previous and further research in order to its benefits can translate to all and economically sustainable, provide a strategic oversight and a clear groups in the Borough, including aspirational, and inclusive. series of strategic recommendations that the most marginalised; will identify and guide how the Council and It is increasingly recognised that the community can more effectively work 4. Considering participation, growth is not all about increasing together to unlock ability, capacity, and not just distribution outcomes; GDP, but about using wealth drive, in order to inspire change. therefore acknowledging that in and resources in a different way. order for ‘growth’ to happen this Prosperity does not trickle down to This will then be fed back to the Council in must involve the community in all automatically. In the Borough, a final meeting, with the intention that any both its process and its outcomes. we are well aware of this; recent recommendations and strategic insights statistics show that Basildon given can inform policy development, social Borough is 5th in terms of the Local and built infrastructure, and inspire real Authorities that have become more change. 1Cafod, (2014), ‘What is ‘inclusive growth? Cafod Discussion Paper (Full Version), August 2014’ [Online], 2 England, R. (2015), ‘Basildon’s Level of Deprivation 2015: An Analysis of the Index of Multiple Deprivation’, 05 Available from: https://cafod.org.uk/content/download/17223/133621/file/Inclusive%20Growth%20full%20 Basildon Borough Council: Basildon Borough 06 paper.pdf 2 C O M M I S S I O N R E S E A R C H T H E M E S Why? VISION PLACE 1 What is Inclusive Growth? 2 What makes a place? The Basildon Borough has in the Netherlands highlight its recently undergone extensive worldwide presence. social, economic, and political The Commission will need to discuss The Commission will need to change. We believe that in the Basildon what inclusive growth means to the discuss the geographic and spatial Borough, beginning to enable inclusive Basildon Borough characters that make Basildon The Council’s recent decision to growth could: Borough switch from a Leader and Cabinet form of governance in favour of - Boost household income and a Committee System highlights a overall economic opportunities in the distinct change in political control. Borough and change overall aspiration and opportunity within the borough; ECONOMY PEOPLE This step change is reflected 3 Encouraging Economical Growth 4 Encouraging Social Growth throughout the Borough in many - Close the productivity gap between forms; the Council’s Corporate the Borough and make it a more ‘equal’ Plan highlights that in order for playing field; the Borough to capture its full The Commission will need to The Commission will need to potential, it “must change” and - Drive up external interest into the discuss economic growth in the discuss social growth in the this must be done by “work[ing] Borough and ‘rebrand’ the Borough Basildon Borough, and how this can Basildon Borough, and how together effectively, all of us as one with positive connotations, as contribute to inclusive growth this can contribute to inclusive together, as one borough, with opposed to outdated stereotypical growth residents, businesses, community expectations; organisations and other public service”3. - Genuinely improve the wellbeing and lives of all living in the Basildon This inclusive vision is one Borough; that is beginning to be seen POLITICS BRIDGING THE GAP not only around the UK, but - Allow economic and social growth to Governance & Policy Inspiring Change Your Way also worldwide. Influential be felt by all that live in the Basildon 5 6 commissions such as the ‘RSA Borough. ‘Inclusive Growth’ Commission’ and the ‘Working Well Pilot’ in This can be done by exploring and Manchester have highlighted the creating recommendations from a The Commission will need to discuss In light of all of the geographic, importance of inclusive growth variety of