DEMANDS are being made for Basildon Council to buy back a rundown Sixties shopping centre – and let residents decide how they want it rebuilt.

John Dornan, a Tory councillor for Laindon Park, has had enough of waiting for the centre to be revamped by Laindon Regeneration, the company which bought and promised to rebuild it in 2007.

Traders and shoppers want long overdue action as many stores have closed-down. The centre also attracts vandals and yobs and some residents say they are too frightened to shop there.

Mr Dornan called on council leaders to issue a Compulsory Purchase Order, which would allow it to buy back the centre from Laindon Regeneration, at below the market price.

He would like this to be followed by a public consultation, asking what small shops and other facilities residents would like to see in its place.

Mr Dornan said: “The people of Laindon have had to put up with a depressing shopping centre for too long. It has passed the point of no return.

“If we can’t work with the developer then we should bring in a compulsory purchase order.

“The Government is providing grants for new homes across the country, so I’m sure we could get funding to buy back the Laindon Centre and replace it with new shops and housing.

“The council could hold on to ownership of the site, but tender out the contract to rebuild it.”

Roy Hudson, of Pints and Litres off licence, at the Laindon Centre, said: “It would be a good idea for the council to take back ownership, if that’s what it takes to get things moving.”

Yet Tony Ball, Basildon Council leader, believes Laindon Regen-eration will rebuild the centre and wants it to retain ownership of the site.

Simon Hughes, regeneration manager for Basildon Council, said there were two tests a council must pass before it can make a compulsory purchase order, under authority granted by the Town and Country Planning Act.

The first is whether or not the premises the council wants to buy are financially viable, which he claimed the Laindon Centre under Laindon Regeneration still is.

The second is that the council would have to demonstrate it has an acceptable alternative scheme drawn up for the site.

He said: “The council does not have such a scheme,” he said. “It would take considerable time and public money to work this up.”

The council is retaining ownership of much of Basildon town centre, but is putting out to tender the £1.25billion contract for its reconstruction to the Barratt and Wilson Bowden consortium.