THE grand plan for the future Basildon town centre will include more than 1,000 flats and new restaurants alongside the new cinema, but residents still worry about a lack of shops, infrastructure and affordable homes.

The long-awaited £26.7million Vue cinema threw open its doors on Thursday and Basildon’s new Labour-led administration is confident its town centre masterplan - including an arena at the Westgate Shopping Centre - will help the town thrive.

Multiple large-scale homes projects are also in the works, but residents fear the town centre will continue to struggle despite praising the new East Square cinema.

Resident - Michael BlackeryResident - Michael Blackery (Image: LDRS)

Zoe Simmonds, 37, who works in Basildon town centre, said: “It sounds like far too many flats for the space around. It’s probably quite overpopulated as it is to be honest and I suppose the services, the doctors and everything struggle as it is and more stress on them.”

Michael Blackery, 77, added: “I do think the plans and changes will make a difference but it’s sad to see because the business in Basildon has declined drastically in just the last ten years. Shops are just going overnight now and they’re building flats where there used to be shops which is a shame.”

Plans for 245 homes have been agreed upon for the former Great Oaks Retail Park, in Great Oaks, Basildon which was once home to Staples and Carphone Warehouse.

Other proposals include 492 homes on the site of the former Moon on the Square pub, in Market Square.

Plans - how the flats could look at the former Great Oaks retail parkPlans - how the flats could look at the former Great Oaks retail park (Image: Donard Real Estate)

There are also agreed plans for 495 new homes on the site of the former Marks and Spencers in the town, near St Martins Square.

John Knock, 81,  said: “I am in favour of the retail side but not all these flats. It’s a shopping centre or it was, they’re going to build flats on the old Marks and Spencers and other sites, it’s going to be swamped. 

“The schools are all full to capacity, no one thinks about that. Let’s just stick a load of homes in the town centre, no infrastructure, nowhere to park and I’d like to see it as it was in the Sixties when it was shops.

Michael Stroweger, 33, said: “I think the cinema is a good idea and think it will do well here, I will be going and taking the children there, we will love it.  With the flats, it depends on who these homes are for because, in the flats near the train station, everyone comes from London. If the housing is for the people in this area that’s great.”