Believe In Basildon

In summer 2025, we were approached by the Community Safety Team at Basildon Council to explore how the voices of teenage girls could be given a platform, first to create teenage spaces in Basildon that worked better for girls and second, to inform the development of the Basildon Town Centre Masterplan. We worked with 11 amazing young women aged 12- 14 from Basildon and produced this report to capture their work. As well as reflecting their community orientated and inclusive approach to creating better public spaces, this report provides guidance for councils on key issues, including: practical steps for councils who want to create better teenage spaces; principles for engagement and co-design; and embedding principles for better teenage spaces in planning documents. While this report is a great starting point, we understand that it is only the start of Basildon Council’s commitment to creating more inclusive teenage spaces and we look forward to the practical implementation of this work.