Is Billericay's Youth Being Priced Out Of The Town?

Are rocketing land and property values in Billericay thwarting the Town’s efforts to provide a permanent local venue for its young people? Cllr Trevor Stansfield, Town Councillor for Billericay West Ward and a long standing advocate of youth initiatives in Billericay, believes this could be the case.  

Cllr Trevor Stansfield has been a longstanding advocate of Billericay youth initiatives

For more than ten years Cllr Stansfield, together with Colleagues on the Town Council and Billericay youth leaders, has been working hard to acquire land and financial resources to build a youth centre in the Town. Billericay Town Council and many local residents, in particular Cllr Stansfield, would like to see a permanent local venue for its young people as they believe this would be a positive way of encouraging the Town’s teenagers off the streets.

A recent survey of young people in Billericay carried out by supporters of the scheme, including Cllr Stansfield, found that the majority did not want more organised activities but a place to chill out, listen to music, dance and generally hang around with friends and peer groups. Sound recording facilities and a snack bar were also high on the wish list.

As far as organised youth initiatives go Billericay has a lot to offer. The Town’s main church organisations, Billericay Baptist Church, Christ Church (C of E) and Billericay Methodist Church all have dedicated youth leaders, some full time,  successfully running a variety of weekly youth clubs, activities and special events.  

At present Billericay has no venue for the exclusive use of young people.  Spiralling land and property values make it even less likely that this situation will change in the foreseeable future. Land and property is simply too valuable to give away and too expensive for local charities to buy.

Trevor Stansfield spoke to Steven Okeefe for Phoenix FM.

Article by Steve Mead, 23 Apr 2008
Posted in Local features

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