COUNCIL officers have been slammed for failing to chase up money from developers for safety improvements to a notorious underpass.

Bradgate Developments was ordered to pay £30,000 for CCTV cameras in Lower Southend Road, Wickford, as part of an agreement with Basildon Council in 2006.

The section 106 agreement stated Bradgate must provide the money before construction of its 173-home apartment block started.

Nine years after later, the improvements have still not been made, despite residents now living in the flats.

David Harrison, a Wickford Independents councillor, has labelled the ongoing saga "scandalous."

Mr Harrison, who represents Wickford Park, said: “The agreement says it should provide a CCTV system for the subway and that it should be prior to the commencement of the development.

“This shouldn’t happen as these are legal agreements and someone should be keeping an eye on it.

“I think it is scandalous.”

Residents and shoppers have called for cameras to be installed in the underpass due to safety concerns.

Fears were raised after reports of a suspicious man following women through the subway this summer.

In July, the Echo revealed Basildon Council was still awaiting £4million in contributions from developers, known as section 106 agreements, which are linked to planning applications across the borough.

The likelihood of the money being paid was cast into doubt by a Government directive urging councils not to delay schemes by waiting for developer’s cash.

When Mr Harrison raised concerns at a scrutiny meeting this week, committee chairman Allan Davies, Labour councillor for Fryerns ward, said: “We were given full assurances section 106 agreements were being monitored and kept up-to-date.”

Mr Harrison added: “The council should be very strict on these agreements.

“If a legal agreement is made, the authority should make sure it is adhered to in specific time.”

A Basildon Council document from July states the Lower Southend Road underpass improvement cash was “still awaited” and was “being pursued."

In July, Bradgate director Glen Charters told the Echo there is a camera attached to Riverside apartment block overlooking the entrance to the subway, but he was unaware of any cameras being allocated for inside the underpass itself.