A COMMUNITY club described as the “beating heart of Canvey” has risen from the ashes – a year-and-a half after being gutted by fire.

The Corner Club, in High Street, is open following a £200,000 rebuild.

In the aftermath of the blaze in November 2010, there were fears it would cost too much to re-open the bar, as it had been heavily under-insured.

Borough councillors also put the dampener on the scheme by saying it was too much of a flood risk to rebuild.

But co-owners Lee Petch, 46, and Frank Bennett, 58, refused to throw in the towel and “dug deep” into their own pockets to find the cash.

Mr Petch said: “It’s been so many months of hard work, but it’s been worth it. We’re not quite finished with the decor, but we thought we’d open anyway because customers just couldn’t wait. When the club burnt down, people were crying – begging us to re-build it. That is the extent of how much people love this place.

“I’ve ploughed everything I have into this. We have put in £100,000 from our own pockets, while the other £100,000 has come from insurance.”

The blaze – which broke out in a cannabis factory behind the building – not only ruined the 100 year old Corner Club but also wrecked several other businesess and outlets on the industrial estate.

Mr Petch, of Shell Beach Road, Canvey, said: “The new club will look amazing once the finishing touches are in. We’ve got some things that make us stand out from the rest.

“We’ve done everything to keep prices down and we’ve been told we have the cheapest Guinness – £2.60 a pint – in these parts. We’ve also got a plasma TV to show live sporting events and have darts teams organised.”

“We’ve installed a video jukebox which will be free for customers – so they can have whatever music they want on.

“Again, we’ve been told we are the first bar in the region, possibly the country, to have this for free.”

Castle Point Council finally approved plans for the new club in September following a mountain of pressure from residents who held a rally in the charred remains to show how much it meant to them and fired off more than 100 letters of support to council chiefs.

Five business, including shops, were razed during the fire but the Corner Club is so far the only venue to be rebuilt.

A council spokesman said: “The buildings on the frontage which were destroyed have all been removed and we understand the land is now being used informally for parking.

“We’ve had no inquiries for redevelopment at the site.”