CAMPAIGNING residents in Wickford have spoken of their delight after the newly elected leader of Basildon Council announced the authority was minded to block the sale of a public open space that has been the centre of controversy.

Basildon New News has ben following the campaign by residents to stop the sale of Wick Green.

Now they have been told that new leader Cllr Andrew Baggott has saud he will be honouring the Conservative group's election pledges, and will follow through on the residents' wishes to save Wick Green and keep it as a green space.

But while pleased with the news, a spokesperson for the campaign group, Wickford SoS, said: "We will not stop campaigning for this precious green space to be protected until we know that this land is finally saved and protected from any further threat of development.

"It is now over two years since we started our campaign back in March 2019.

"We have had to deal with broken promises from the Wickford Independents, arranged petitions where we collected 400 signatures, held a Facebook survey to which we had 738 people responding and a number of other events, including planting our Christmas tree Gilbert which was donated by the Wickford Wombles and a Christmas service on Wick Green.

"Wick Green is the green lung and vital to the residents of the Wick, it is our only pedestrian access into our town centre and other amenities for the residents of the Wick, to lose this green space would be devastating.

"The land itself is peaceful and tranquil, ideal for wild life, listening to the birds and seeing the pollinators around the wild flowers. It is good for quality of life and mindfulness, a calming and relaxing walk for anyone using this green space."