A Point of View
Billericay District Residents' Association
Where Now?
If you are reading this, then there is a high probability that you are a member of the Billericay District Residents’ Association. Why? Why are you a member? What service does the association provide to you?
Like many of the town’s residents, I have been a member since I came to live in the area in 1975. At that time the association was extremely active. The historic town of Billericay had already been swallowed up by the upstart Basildon New Town, and the huge new Queen’s Park Estate threatened to overwhelm its services and infrastructure. Billericay District Residents’ Association saw itself as a pressure group defending the interests of the town and its residents. For several years, the nine Billericay councillors on the Basildon District Council all stood for election as representatives of the Residents’ Association. There were active campaigns – such as that for a town swimming pool, and for the community centre at Hannikins Farm. At the same time there was concern about the proposal for a new supermarket, which threatened some of the historic buildings on the High Street and would also displace Billericay Arts Association from their headquarters in The Fold, which was then located in what is now the Waitrose car park. There seemed to be a lot going on at that time and much of it was contentious. As editor of ‘The Resident’, then as now, Trevor Stansfield must have found it relatively easy to fill the newsletter with items of interest pertaining to current issues affecting the town.
But what of today? In 2009, Billericay is a quiet dormitory town, with a settled population. There are no great developments afoot or even on the horizon. So what use is a pressure group, if there is nothing to pressure?
The Billericay District Residents Association can justifiably boast that a high proportion of the town’s residents are members, but why are the people of the town so loyal? Of course, the fact that the annual membership subscription is still less than the cost of a cup of cappuccino may be a factor and, for some, the monthly notification of forthcoming coach trips is an attraction, but surely a residents’ association should have higher aspirations.
To the casual observer, the Association may appear to be an ‘old boys’ club’, with many of its officers having served on its committees for decades. However, I do not believe that this is a true reflection of the situation. I think that the opposite is the case. For one thing, it ignores the bedrock of the association, the road reps who go out in all weathers to deliver ‘The Resident’ each month. It seems to me that these stalwarts of the organisation face a real dilemma. They can soldier on, supporting the association in which they have invested so much time and effort over many years, or they can just let it wither away. The Association has an executive committee, as well as the two area committees, and it would certainly welcome an injection of new blood, which could revitalise the organisation and help it to thrive in the new century. There is a desperate need for new people and new ideas, without which the Association will surely die, having succumbed to chronic apathy. Would that matter? Would it matter to you? After all, Billericay now has its own Town Council, which was not the case back in the 1980s. There is also the Billericay Society, whose mission statement is ‘to preserve Billericay’s heritage’. So is there still a niche for the Residents’ Association to fill?
What do you think? How can the Association support the residents of Billericay? Apart from maintaining constant vigilance on the provision of public transport services, car parking facilities, and developments in the High Street, what issues should be addressed? Which improvements might improve the lot of Billericay residents?
If you have ideas, do you also have the time and the inclination to drive them forward? If so, let us hear from you. And if you know others who feel the same way, then drag them along, too. It’s up to you!
Alan Waddoups.