A HISTORIAN fears a major £1billion masterplan which would transform Basildon town centre could create a “ghetto”.

Vin Harrop has raised serious concerns about the draft plan put forward by Basildon Council’s ruling group.

The proposal, set to be discussed on Wednesday, includes 4,000 new homes, a new transport hub, moving the council office, rebuilding the Towngate Theatre as well as a 5,000 seat events arena.

But 82-year-old Mr Harrop said: “I think the plans are dreadful and awful, there are far too many homes and too many people will be in the town centre.

“These homes are going to be tiny and this is not what I had envisaged at all for the town.

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“If this goes ahead I do not think there will be anything unique about the town and it’ll be the same as all the others towns with far too much development.

“Surely the council can come up with something that’s a bit cleverer. With the theatre, the issue is they have never said what they want it to be for.

“It’s never going to be used for West End try outs and I think what we need is a flexible space that can made to be bigger or smaller if and when it’s needed.

“They need to have a programme and more of an idea for how the theatre will be used and the rest will follow.”

Mr Harrop said the 5,000-seater arena plan proposed to replace the current Westgate Shopping Centre would not work due to the size.

Fellow historian Ken Porter, chairman of the Basildon Heritage Group, also raised concerns over the housing in the vast proposals.

He said: “I am concerned about the large number of flats proposed. I think the coronavirus outbreak will mean we need to rethink housing,;it must be awful to be stuck in a small flat.

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“I would also like to see the look of the theatre kept similar or improved so many recognise it by the way it looks.”

The 76-year-old added: “I would also like to see some kind of information centre or heritage centre included in the plans.”

On Friday the Echo revealed how the documents, also show where 4,000 new homes will be built across the town and how a new “connected transport area” - which would bring together the train station and bus station - could lead to a new hotel being built nearby.