A NEW £3million Wetherspoon boasting a roof garden and two floors could open in a former pound shop opposite Basildon’s new town centre cinema. 

Yesterday, it was announced that The Moon on the Square, on Market Square, Basildon will close in September ahead of being demolished. 

The site is crucial to the development of hundreds of homes in the town centre. 

However, bosses at the pub chain provided a boost for beer-lovers, confirming that plans are being worked on to ensure Wetherspoon stays in Basildon. 

READ MORE >> Wetherspoon confirms when it will close pub in town centre

The new pub would be on the site of the former Poundworld shop, which closed in August 2018. 

The pub would be spread across two floors as well as having a roof garden overlooking the town centre. 

A spokesman for Wetherspoon said: “We can confirm that the pub will close in September, but there isn’t an exact date as yet.

“The whole block is being demolished but all the staff were told of this a while ago and will work at other Wetherspoon pubs in the region.

“However, Wetherspoon has completed the purchase of a new site.

“We have plans to create a two-floor trading pub with roof garden overlooking the town square, there are no dates yet as the company requires planning and licensing permission.

“Wetherspoon aims to invest between £2.5 million and £3 million on the project.”

The current site of The Moon on the Square pub will be replaced by a huge block of flats providing 492 new homes in the town centre. 

Councillor Gary Canham, vice chairman of the regeneration and economic development committee, said: “I am not surprised Wetherspoons is moving out as it is in the middle of what is going to be developed I believe.

“It’s not what our administration wanted, this was passed by a previous administration, so it isn’t what we wanted, and we tried to fight the development, but it isn’t a surprise Wetherspoons are closing now.

“But, when you look at the site, where the cinema is, the move is positive, it is good to see for Basildon as it will really highlight that end of the town, so it is nice.

“I am glad, I am 46 now, and I spent my youth in that pub, so it would have been a shame to see Weatherspoons completely go from the town, so it is positive news that they could be taking up somewhere else.”