A COUNCIL leader has decided it is time to think bigger than “a play area here or CCTV there”.

Tory leader of Basildon Council Andrew Baggott is keen to leave a legacy for the town but his new strategy has been criticised for lacking substance.

Councillor Baggott has overseen the development of a new corporate plan since May which has been approved.

However it provides little detail of what is planned or how it will happen.

Instead the plan contains broad ambitions such as improving the health of residents, encouraging business investment and reducing crime.

Councillor Baggott said: “These plans have always been made to time in with elections and that is a narrow way of doing things.

“What I want to do is allow council officers to use their time more strategically and stop looking at just one years’ time but also four and eight years.

“If all we do is think about can we deliver a play area here or CCTV there then we are not looking at the bigger issues.”

Despite Mr Baggott’s ambitions the published plan runs at just four pages.

In describing how the ambitions will be achieved, the plan simply states it will ensure value for money, seek financial solutions, embrace digital technology and treat all part of the borough fairly.

Labour leader Gavin Callaghan, slammed the plan calling it “half-hearted and lacking substance”.

He said: “It took five months to produce a corporate plan that was a blank sheet of paper.

“It is now clearer than ever that the Conservatives do not have the ideas, vision or plan to take Basildon to the next stage and it will take a change of administration to get the council back on the right path and that is what the opposition is working to achieve.”

Mr Baggott insisted there are projects planned but refused to discuss what they might be at this stage.

He said: “We do have an action plan being formed its just that Labour hasn’t seen it yet. Things move slowly because of the committee system we have in place. We are going to break it down, see what aspects relate to what committee and they will then  be discussed.”