A public meeting was held by Basildon Council in the Barnhall Community Centre, Alderney Gardens, Wickford and was attended by over 300 concerned residents. Malcolm Buckley (Leader of the Council), Tony Ball (Deputy Leader), and Councillors Carole Morris and Michael Mowe addressed the meeting, as did Councillor Don Morris from Essex County Council and Councillor John Little from Chelmsford Borough Council plus members of the Wickford North Green Action Group (WNGAG). All emphasised their opposition to any development on Barn Hall and their desire to return the land to Green Belt - a policy strongly supported also by John Baron MP whose letter was read to the meeting. Councillors explained the History of the land and its current status as Special Reserve - which will probably mean that any planning application will be refused on the grounds that there are sufficient other sites within Basildon District to ensure that the Council's housing target of 10,700 new homes by 2011, agreed with central government, is met without the use of the Barn Hall land. However, a refusal of planning application will be appealed against by the developers, Gleeson Homes Ltd and The Glendale Group - which would mean that there would be a Planning Appeal Hearing and a report by the Planning Inspectorate to the Secretary of State, who would make the final decision regarding the future use of the land. Remember that, when the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) sold the land to Gleeson Homes Ltd, there was an agreement that, in the event that the land was subsequently developed, a further sum of money would be paid to central government.

Councillors clarified that the proposed development was NOT part of the Wickford Masterplan, which had been mentioned by Andrew Martin Associates at their 14 December 2006 exhibition (see below) on behalf of Gleeson Homes Ltd and The Gladedale Group. The Wickford Masterplan is part of Basildon Council's own plans to regenerate the town centre and incorporate 600 plus new homes alongside new shops, restaurants and amenities for the whole community. This is 'brown-field' development and is necessary for the Council to meet its housing target without building on land in Special Reserve like Barn Hall.

WNGAG presented their initial petition from canvassing all the streets adjoining the proposed development. It contained 679 letters of protest and a total of 1,297 signatures on these and the petition.

The fight continues when the planning application is made - expected to be in mid-2007.