£100million rebuilding plan for Wickford stalls (From Echo)

£100million rebuilding plan for Wickford stalls

7:00am Monday 1st March 2010 in

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THE £100million rebuilding plan for Wickford town centre is in tatters.

Basildon Council has pulled out of negotiations with Community Solutions for Regeneration, the last building consortium interested in taking on the scheme.

This means proposals to revamp the swimming pool and library, build a new health centre, move the market into the High Street, and transform the town centre into a series of tree-lined boulevards and public squares have been postponed indefinitely.

The plan was first mooted five years ago.

David Harrison, from the Wickford Action Group which was formed to fight over-development, said: “This is sad news.

“Wickford really needs to be rebuilt in a coherent way, matching the need for improved transport, shopping, health care, and leisure improvements to any extra housing.

“We’ve been waiting for the town centre to be redeveloped for five years, but all we’ve had is hundreds of new flats with none of the infrastructure to support them.”

Malcolm Buckley, councillor responsible for the environment and a Tory Wickford councillor, admitted it was “disappointing” no deal could be agreed.

He said: “I still think we were right to try to reach an agreement with suitable developers to take on the scheme.

“I’m also sure it would have gone ahead if there had not been such a massive fall in property prices.

“It is disappointing because the negotiations have taken a long time and cost a large sum of money.”

The council paid about £700,000 in legal, administrative, and other fees connected with its search for a Wickford Masterplan developer.

Mr Buckley says the council has not given up hope and still plans to press ahead with the plans, which could involve bringing in several developers to carry out different parts of the masterplan.

Mr Buckley said: “Our first priority will be to work closely with south west Essex Primary Care Trust to ensure a new Wickford Health Centre is built as quickly as possible.”

Lynda Gordon, leader of the opposition Labour group, said: “This is very regrettable. It means poor Wickford has been left with all these extra flats and nothing else.

“I would have thought the people of Wickford will be very angry about this.”