Basildon Council has dropped reusing Raquels after a £128,000 quote to clear pigeon mess. Its papers also price underpass and lighting work at up to £110,000.

Basildon Council is not considering bringing the former Raquels building back into use. The reason is the cost of simply getting inside to look at it: a quote of £128,000 to remove pigeon mess before a surveyor could go in.

The council says this in slides prepared for its Regeneration Scrutiny Committee, which meets at 7pm on Wednesday 28 October in the St Georges Suite at the Basildon Centre (agenda and papers).

What the council says about Raquels

According to the slides:

  • when the council bought the Market Pavement site, a survey found “many repairs were required to Raquels”
  • earlier in 2026 the council looked at a full survey, to see what bringing the building back into use would cost
  • before a surveyor can get in, the pigeon mess has to be cleared and an asbestos survey done
  • the quote for the pigeon mess alone was £128,000
  • with the survey on top, the council judged it “not deemed to be a productive use of Council funds to progress any further”

The slides add that buildings left empty for a long time can be “very prohibitive” to make safe, “in particular in relation to fire safety since the changes in legislation since Grenfell”.

The council ends: “While we appreciate the cultural significance of this site, due to substantial works and costs involved the re-use of this building is not being considered at this time” (committee slides, Enclosure 1).

The papers do not say what will happen to the building instead. They do not mention demolition, a sale or a timetable.

Up to £110,000 for underpasses and lighting

The same meeting gets a report on making the town centre feel safer. It follows a Town Centre Safety Report completed in 2025, and a lighting audit carried out this year (town centre safety report to committee).

The council wants to start with underpasses and lighting, because those are easiest to fund. The indicative costs are:

Work Indicative cost
Top-priority underpasses about £30,000
Further lighting £60,000 to £80,000
Combined £90,000 to £110,000

The money is not yet secured. The report says the council is exploring Section 106 open space contributions, which developers pay, and external funding. The slides also list police, fire and crime commissioner funding as “tbc”.

The underpasses

The report names underpasses around Broadmayne, Southernhay and the Asda area. A map in the slides marks eight in priority order, including ones at Gloucester Park and Uppermayne, Uppermayne and Cranes Farm Road, Roundacre, the Kingswood tunnel and the station car park.

The proposed work is:

  • clearing vegetation so people can see along the route
  • deep cleaning and removing litter and debris
  • murals and other public art
  • removing barriers that are not needed
  • better lighting

The council is also looking at using probation unpaid work for some of it, subject to agreements, supervision and health and safety checks.

The lighting

New lighting went in along the main thoroughfare in 2024. This autumn, minor lighting work in Town Square has been paid for through Make Space for Girls. Festoon lights between the trees in Town Square and Southernhay have been paid for from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The next phase would cover arrival routes into the town centre and lighting on selected building fronts. The report says “there are still some areas that need attention”.

Two other ideas from the 2025 safety report, town centre wardens and hoardings, are not costed. The report says further work will be done “to clarify proposals” on both.

The rest of the regeneration update

The slides cover six other pieces of work. The main dates:

  • Former M&S, Town Square: a consultant team has been appointed to take the plans for a public sector office building through to a planning application. An inception meeting was held on 12 October. Public consultation and the planning submission are due in spring 2027.
  • Wickford town centre masterplan: a draft goes to scrutiny in January, with a final draft and public consultation in February or March 2027, according to the slides. The written report says spring 2027. Engagement has already included Wickford Town Council, a local school and community groups.
  • Pitsea and Laindon masterplans: final drafts and public consultation in June 2027, according to the slides; the written report says later in 2027. The draft Laindon principles include completing “the Laindon Centre development to restart trust in future regeneration plans”.
  • Local Plan: submission to the Planning Inspectorate is due by 31 December 2026, with examination in spring 2027 and adoption by winter 2027. Separately, an extraordinary council meeting on 26 October will debate a motion to withdraw the plan.
  • Construction academy: two local training providers have agreed to run it, and a planning application has been submitted. Full details are due at the January meeting.

The masterplans would also be used “to facilitate Compulsory Purchase Orders if required”, according to the slides.

What it means for you

  • The committee meets in public at 7pm on Wednesday 28 October at the Basildon Centre, St Martin’s Square, and the meeting is webcast. It is a scrutiny meeting: councillors comment on the plans, they do not make the final decisions.
  • If you use the underpasses, the priority list in the slides is the clearest indication yet of where work would start. No dates have been set.
  • Wickford residents get the first chance to comment on a town centre masterplan, in spring 2027.
  • If you want to raise a point, contact your ward councillor before the meeting.

Sources