Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Basildon Borough Council sought advice from ministers or officials at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government regarding the sale of council-owned land at (1) a price below market value, and (2) a lower price than had previously been agreed with the vendor without reopening the offer of sale to previous bidders.

Basildon Borough Council are not required to and have not sought advice from the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government regarding the sale of general council owned land.

However the Council did submit an application under section 25 of the Local Government Act 1988 in respect of housing land at Buckingham Green. The application was approved on 4 April 2018 in favour of the disposal to Swan Housing Association Limited, with the Council maintaining nomination rights over new homes delivered.