A DERELICT bingo hall is finally set to be demolished, with owners of the site revealing a plan to build 90 new flats and a series of shops on the site.

Owners of the former Pitsea bingo hall, in High Road, have insisted hoardings will go up around the site as soon as possible and hinted that work to bulldoze the building could be just weeks away.

The former bingo hall has been hit by two fires and a flood since it closed in 2009, becoming an eye-sore in the area.

SMP Group, which owns the site, says the plans would drastically improve the area while providing much-needed homes for people who want to move to the town.

Omah Hussain, director of the firm, said: “We are going to start demolition and are putting up hoarding very soon, there is some work and a process to do before we can start demolishing it.

“I think we will probably build flats and shops at the site with about 90 flats there minimum.

“Lots of people want to move from London and this will be good for them. We have spoken to Basildon Council about the site and our plans.

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“We’ve been busy doing other stuff but we are planning to demolish it and then submit the plans for the flats. I think the plans would improve the look of the site and would be better for the whole area.

“It will make it a better environment rather than it being a eyesore.”

He hopes the plans will get the green light and says it could be just six weeks before demolition works begin.

It comes after Basildon Council ordered the firm to demolish the building, which was a former cinema, by next March.

Earlier this month Craig Rimmer, councillor responsible for regeneration, said he thought the council would knock down the building and bill the owners if demolition work did not take place.

He added: “I will believe it when I see it but know residents will welcome something being done with the site.

“I think the plans for flats may be over ambitious but we need to see the plans and until we do it’s hard to know. I think due to the location it needs some shops and/or community space and will be limited in terms of height.”