PITSEA’S new market will open at the start of 2014, the Echo can reveal.

The eagerly-anticipated, £30million Pitsea regeneration plan started in May.

It will eventually see the whole of the area above High Road transformed to make way for a new Morrisons superstore, Aldi shop and market place.

Traders admit they are struggling as customers are put off by the area, which currently resembles a construction site, but the market will be moved to its new home, just off High Road, from January 8.

The number of stalls will be more than halved – down to 89 from 200 – but management says the new market will offer customers a better environment to shop in.

The other main projects within the regeneration are also on target according to a Basildon Council report, despite fears from the local Labour Party that progress had stalled.

Frank Nash, director of Charfleets, which runs Pitsea Market, said: “We could have finished in October, but we decided to wait until the new year to give the traders the best shot over Christmas.

“In the new year it will be trading in the unknown, but at least they will have Christmas, which is always a good period of trading.

“Although it resembles a construction site at the moment, this will bring the market into the 21st century and we’ll have a huge Morrisons that will hopefully attract people into Pitsea for the first time, too.”

The market will continue to run on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and there is already a waiting list for traders who want a pitch.

The swimming pool has finally been demolished as part of the proposals, about a year after it closed for the last time.

The report reveals a new Aldi store will open in June 2014, with the Morrisons supermarket to be completed six months later.

But there is a question mark over whether it will be open for business by Christmas next year.

Labour’s Gavin Callaghan, who represents Pitsea North West, and demanded a progress report on the regeneration, said: “This report looks like it’s been written by optimistic eyes, but I welcome the opportunity to scrutinise the evidence.

Malcolm Buckley, councillor responsible for regeneration, will be at next Tuesday’s environment and regeneration scrutiny committee at the Basildon Centre, to discuss Pitsea.

Locals can put their questions to Mr Buckley by sending them throughMr Callaghan before the meeting, e-mail gavin.callaghan @members.basildon.gov.uk.