THE re-opening of a beloved community centre has been delayed, with Tory bosses admitting urgent safety work needs to be carried out.

The Laindon community centre, on Aston Road, has been closed since the start of the Covid pandemic, but council bosses had promised open the venue “as soon as possible.”

Residents had been hopeful of a June re-opening, but the council has now pushed it back to “September time.”

Citing safety concerns, and ensuring the building meets fire safety regulations, “there was no hope” of getting the building open this month.

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Andrew Baggott, leader of the council, said: “We want to get in there, but we have to put safety first. It’s devastating, but we have to do it right.

“I made a personal pledge that we would get the Laindon Centre reopened as soon as possible, and that is a commitment I intend to keep.

“A significant amount of work needs to be done to reassure the insurance company on things like the heating system and how the heating system works.

“It broke my heart, I wanted to cry when I saw the brief”.

The previous council administration insisted the centre was “not in danger”, despite fears it could have been demolished.

The former mayor of Basildon, David Burton-Sampson, said: “I’d like to say this is unbelievable but it is not. We made clear the extent of issues the centre has that need to be dealt with to make it safe.

“The Tories called us liars and wound up residents to the same tune, now they have to admit we were right.

“Every defect we outlined from the insurers now confirmed as serious issues. Shameful.”

Tory bosses were unable to issue a cast iron guarantee that the centre will re-open in September.

Campaigners however still remain hopeful.

Brian Clark, 52, from the Save the Laindon Centre campaign, added: “It is dragging along, but I understand they have to get it right.

“Fire regulations have changed since it was built, and we need to future proof the building. We’re now looking at September, but the work needs to be done.”