Compromise will be needed to ensure the regeneration of Hadleigh town centre goes ahead, councillors have warned.

Castle Point Council is inviting developers to put forward proposals to help with the redevelopment of a “gateway” area on the “island” between the High Street and London Road.

The site includes the former Crown pub, HadleIgh Old Fire Station and the county library.

The council has been trying to agree a masterplan for the area since 2011, but has been slowed by a dispute with Essex Highways about the road layout.

Developers are being asked to come up with suggestions before January 19.

Plans to modernise Canvey and Hadleigh town centres were first mooted in a council “regeneration framework”, covering the period 2008-2013.

Frustrated councillors at Wednesday’s council cabinet meeting spoke of the lack of progress.

Council leader Colin Riley said: “If Hadleigh is to be regenerated, we really have to get this right this time.

“If we don’t get this right now, we won’t get it right at all, because it just won’t happen.

“Clearly, it is a struggle.”

Mr Riley urged Essex County Council, which owns the library and fire station sites, to approach the project with an open mind.

He added: “Naturally, Essex County Council wants a nice, new library out of it, but things have changed and it now has these community hub-type libraries.”

Steve Rogers, the council officer responsible for regeneration is to meet county council officials soon to discuss the project.

Mr Riley said: “He will be meeting senior officers to make them realise without some sort of give, the regeneration of that island cannot go ahead and cannot work.”

As part of the scheme, councillors hope to agree on the building of a new exit road from the Morrisons supermarket, on to London Road.

Castle Lane and Homestead Road car parks were previously earmarked for housing, but the council now hopes to sell part of the Castle Lane site to laboratory equipment business Esslab.

The companywants to expand its site in The Endway, creating as many as seven jobs.

Mr Riley said plans for housing there had now been removed from the masterplan proposals.