A DEVELOPER has submitted revised plans for a 35-flat scheme to replace a burnt down bar.
Developer Old School House is behind the proposals to create 35 new homes on the site of the former Reids bar, in Laindon Road, Billericay.
The bar has remained shut ever since it was badly damaged in a fire on July 20, 2022.
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Parts of the roof collapsed during the inferno which saw flames engulf almost half of the building.
The conversion plans put forward would see a third storey added to building.
Following a pre-application process last year, the developer has submitted revised proposals.
The scale of the development remains the same, with 35 flats and 39 parking spaces, with alterations made to the colour of the brickwork, size of the windows, and the landscaping and green shared spaces – with extra trees and bushes included in the latest plans.
“The general principle of using brownfield sites for homes is completely sound, and the best way to deliver new housing for residents while protecting our much-loved green spaces,” Adam Adshead, Billericay Town councillor for East Ward, said.
“It has been a while since that bar was damaged by the fire, so residents are keen to learn what will happen with the building, but as is often the case with these things, it is still early stages and we may be waiting a while longer for it to be put back into use.”
The latest plans will go before Basildon Council’s planning committee in due course.
An independent affordable housing viability assessment undertaken last year estimated the proposed scheme would face construction costs of more than £7.3 million.
The report, produced by BNP Paridas Real Estate, stated it would not be financially viable for any affordable housing to be delivered as a result.
The adjacent part of the buildings accommodating the Billericay Arts Association and a pre-school will be unaffected by the proposals, planning documents state.
A spokesman for the developer previously told the Echo the plans were being considered before the fire hit Reids.
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