News in Basildon

WORKS are set to get underway on a scheme to reduce people's exposure to air pollution in and around East Mayne in Basildon.

It comes after the Government directed Essex County Council and Basildon Borough Council to address an area of the A132 East Mayne which was identified as exceeding legal limits for nitrogen dioxide.

ST Luke's Hospice has launched a partnership with New Look as part of the national 'Give back, Feel Good' campaign and its South Walk Basildon charity shop will play a key part.

The charity shop will be offering customers a New Look discount code when they donate a bag of pre-loved clothing as part of the campaign which is a partnership, jointly run by New Look and national charity, Hospice UK.

A SERIES of preventative workshops will be delivered in four of Basildon's secondary schools focusing on racism, extremism, and prejudice.

The sessions will be delivered by the West Ham United Foundation as part of their 'Stop the Hate' project, and have been funded by the Safer Basildon Partnership. The participating schools will be Woodlands School, Basildon Lower Academy, De La Salle, and James Hornsby.

BASILDON Council has awarded Freedom of Entry to the Borough to the East of England Ambulance Service, in recognition of their heroic efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Freedom of the Borough is the highest honour awarded in exceptional circumstances, where the recipient has provided outstanding services which have brought significant pride and satisfaction to the borough.

SOUTH Essex College held an official opening ceremony to welcome students, staff and employers to its new Basildon town centre campus today (Thursday, 21 October).

The event to celebrate the official opening of the college's Centre for Digital Technologies coincided with Association of Colleges 'Colleges Week.'

THE new government minister for apprenticeships and skills was in Basildon today (Thursday, 21 October) to take a tour of the South Essex College campus and its T-Level provision.

MP Alex Burghart visited the college's new Centre for Digital Technologies in Basildon town centre to celebrate Association of College's 'Colleges Week.'

A MAN aged 70, who went missing in Basildon has been found safe and well.

He was reported missing from the Nethermayne area around 6.35pm yesterday.

ARRESTS made in Basildon were among 55 made across the region in recent days as specialist police officers seized £180,000 in cash and took more than 6kg of drugs off the Essex streets as part of a week of action focused on disrupting County Lines drug supply.

County Lines Intensification Week took place across the country between 11 and 17 October. Of the 55 arrests made by Op Raptor teams in Essex, 39 people were charged, 13 people were released under investigation and three people were released without charge.

THE Met Office has warned that Basildon and South Essex could be subject to localised flooding because of heavy rain expected late this evening (Wednesday, 20 October) and into the early hours of tomorrow.

It has issued amber and yellow warnings, and says Basildon and the local rural area could be among the worst affected areas. The warning says homes and businesses are likely to be flooded, causing damage to some buildings

THE Basildon branch of Frankie & Benny's, the family-friendly Italian American restaurant chain , has undergone a major refurbishment and will reopen on Friday (22 October).

The site at the Festival Leisure Park has been refreshed and updated to create a more modern look and feel whilst maintaining the core identity of the Frankie's brand.