BASILDON Council will save £200,000 a year if three empty town centre buildings are transformed into an events and creative campus, it has been revealed. 

Basildon Council has had its Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Arts Council England Creative Development Fund for a grant of £5 million accepted to go to the next stage.

This will see three council-owned buildings transform into a creative campus with family spaces, VR events, and workspace for firms in the creative industry.

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The three vacant council-owned buildings include the former British Heart Foundation furniture store, Robins Cinema and drop zone, and the former American Diner at the Great Oaks site.

In the meeting, on Thursday, Tory councillor Anthony Hedley, said this could save approximately £200,000 per year if the building’s are brought back into use.

He said: “This is a significant achievement as we understand only 25 per cent of EOIs submitted have been selected to progress to the next stage.

“This is really good news.

“The estimated cost for holding three empty properties in the town centre is £200,000 per annum.

“With this creative campus we can provide new opportunities and stimulate new creative-digital enterprises right here in Basildon and bring new life to parts of the town centre in need of redevelopment. Basildon has the largest and fastest-growing economy in Essex.

“We are a recognised centre of excellence in digi-tech.

“Developing and maintaining that growth is key as we want to encourage people to learn, live and work right here.

“I hope the Arts Council England will share our ambition for Basildon as a centre of growth for the creative industries.”

The new campus would create workspace for firms and new businesses in the creative industry, as well as host social and event spaces and create more employment.

The council say this could include “flexible event space, immersive tech space, such as augmented (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality, consumer activity spaces, a VR booth/immersion pod, family gaming spaces, and social spaces with catering.

The council have until mid-November to develop a full business case and plan for the proposed campus after being selected for the next stage.