THE leader of Basildon Council has stepped headfirst into the local debate about the Laindon Community Centre and assured residents that it has a bright future and the site will not be used for flats or other housing.

He was answering continued concerns about the centre's future, which is now entirely in the council's hands as the association that ran it was forced to hand it back to the council because they have run out of money.

The centre is currently closed because of its poor condition and some residents in the area have spoken of their fear that the centre could be lost forever and a Facebook page campaign to save it has acquired 3,500 members since it was created just before last Christmas.

Its members are fearful that they will be left with a smaller centre - or not one at all, with a spokesperson saying: "A lot of people are concerned that the new building could be smaller than what's there already.

"We've all became a family, there's a gym, bar area, an outdoor space, it can be used for events. It also really gives a lifeline to the elderly.

"We just want answers about what's next. We hope the current facilities including the bar won't be replaced, and there is worry we'll be left with a smaller hall instead."

Now Cllr Callaghan has made a pledge that the centre will return, bigger and better than before and added: "And if it costs a lot of money, we will spend a lot of money to make that happen."

Victor York is a trustee of the association that ran the centre who says that there has been a lack of investment in the past in a building which is nearly 30 years old which led to its closure when it was unable to meet the demands of combating covid-19 because of poor ventilation and heating.

The current closure and its consequences further added to local concerns because the association hemorrhaged so money during the lockdown and closure it had to hand the keys back to the council.

He said: "The council, who are the landlords and are able to dictate the terms and conditions under which the centre operates, took the view that the centre could not open and operate safely within guidelines.

"The community association have been faced with remaining responsible for the costs of utilities, salaries (which despite furloughing staff required money to be paid) and the hire agreements for technical equipment, etc.

"With absolutely no income for lettings, the cash balances rapidly dissipated and despite urgent and frequent pleas to the council to assist, which had no effect, the association found itself, to put it bluntly, broke.

"It must be clearly understood that at all times the association in many meetings made it clear to the council that unless financial help was forthcoming from them, the association would be unable to continue operating. The Council have not contributed any money to assist.

"The lease was due for renegotiation for July 2021. The council finally offered the option of an immediate surrender of the lease thus relieving your Association of increased expenditure, and together the trustees and committee decided that faced with that dire financial situation there was no alternative but to agree the surrender of the lease to the council.

"We look forward to the end of the present restrictions and hope that the Council will refurbish the centre to modern standards and once again seek to allow the people of Laindon to run the facilities for the benefit of Laindon residents."

That is a request that Cllr Callaghan says will be met - without conditions or a detrimental affect on the local community.

He says: "There has been a lot of chat about the Laindon Community Centre. Let me make it clear, I have a sizeable forehead, I can probably get it all tattooed on there if I wanted to but the message is clear. There will not be any houses of flats on the site of the Laindon community centre.

"Forty-two councillors passed a unanimous motion that protected that site. Laindon Community will remain Laindon Community Centre.

"There is a question of course because the building has many, many defects involved in it and it has many problems involved in it.

"There is a question now about what we want the building to do in the future and do we either refurbish that building to make it fit for purpose or do we rebuild a building so that it is bigger than the existing building, offering new services as well.

"That is not a decision for me to make, that will be a decision for the public to make. Which is why on 10 March we will begin to present all of that information to the public and then begin a consultation exercise so that the public can have their say.

"But to be really, really clear, Basildon Council will not be getting rid of the Laindon Community Centre and in actual fact, having been a councillor for the past ten years and watched it decline to a point where there was zero money going into Laindon Community Centre we are going to be the first administration to get that centre back up and running in a proper, fit for purpose way.

"And if it costs a lot of money, we will spend a lot of money to make that happen so that is our assurance to people."