A 3,500-seat arena could cost around £50 million and, despite assurances to the contrary, could replace an existing theatre and/or council offices, a meeting has been told.

Basildon Borough Council is proposing a new events venue in the town centre. Issues of cost, climate and demand for an open-air venue mean the preferred option is a venue with a roof.

The plans for the arena are being partly inspired by similar venues in Swansea, Cardiff, Derby, and others, which "aren't necessarily that successful", a council assistant director told the council meeting. 

It comes as Basildon is being transformed, with almost 500 flats for rent now under construction in the town centre and the council is also working on a huge overhaul of the Westgate Shopping Park, with hundreds of homes, a hotel, and a new Aldi planned for the site. 

New flats planned for Basildon

Councillors and council officers discussed the plans at a regeneration & Economic Development Scrutiny meeting on Wednesday, 3 December.  Explaining the proposals, Jonathan Tazzard, assistant director of property, assets and development said he's "not sure" having both the Towngate Theatre and the arena "would work financially." 

Speaking of the benefit, he added: "It's a good reason to come to Basildon, 3,500 seats is a number we came to after some previous consultancy, because it will attract the sort of acts which have a very regional pull.

"As part of a wider town centre strategy, we want a leisure and culture-led offering. Apart from the Towngate there's not much else at the moment, in the town centre.

"We want people from outside the town to come in and spend their money, and it's not just the arena, it's the bars, restaurants and they will hopefully have had a really positive time in Basildon and want to come back or even live here.

"So it's about changing the image and identity of Basildon, it's driving footfall and it's increasing land values." 

In October, the council's planning committee agreed the first phase of the council's plans for the Westgate Shopping Park, which includes a new seven-storey 95-bedroom hotel with a rooftop bar and a block of 97 one and two-bedroom flats. The homes will be extra care flats for people aged 55 and over who require additional care and support.

"There will be 79 one-bedroom flats and 18 two-bedroom flats.

Jessica Power, councillor responsible for regeneration, jobs and skills, told the meeting: "Town centres have changed, they are not the shopping venues people used to have as town centres.

"But by having that leisure lead and cultural lead regeneration, that footfall comes to the town centre, which then may bring some of those retailers. If you look at other places across the country where an arena has opened or a new stadium, you get the food and beverage businesses, you get the shops and outlets around it because there is footfall there, so hopefully it will increase Basildon as a destination."