A plan designed to keep money and jobs flowing into Billericay and Wickford has received the go ahead from Basildon Council.

The council claims that investment in the Basildon district has increased considerably in recent years, and is confident that its new Economic Regeneration Strategy 1999/2000 will continue that trend.

Under the strategy, which was approved by the council's regeneration and environment committee last week, the council will cultivate partnerships with industry, business and other organisations, and work to attract more money into the district.

It also aims to bring more jobs and training to the area, to add to the hundreds of people already found jobs under the council's Basildon Breakthrough scheme.

Cllr Loraine Rossati, chairman of the regeneration and environment committee, said: "A lot of hard work has already gone in to attracting investment into the district and identifying additional sources of funding that will further help regenerate the entire district.

"Initiatives such as Basildon Breakthrough have also played a big role in helping rejuvenate Basildon through working in partnership with other agencies to give Basildon, Billericay and Wickford people every opportunity of capitalising on the new jobs being created in the district.

"Already more than 500 people have benefited from Breakthrough and this strategy will enable us to help even more."

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