page_title: Basildon Town Centre
section_title: Regeneration
hierarchical_section_title: Basildon Town Centre / Regeneration
caption_attribution_description: English: Freedom House, Basildon The 'square' enclosed by this building is one of the focal points of central Basildon. The architecture is typical of the 50s/60s style of most of the town centre, having sprung up in the countryside as part of the 'New Town' movement
context_page_description: Basildon Town Centre is a planned town centre developed during the creation of the town of Basildon, Essex, in the 1950s. The architect Sir Basil Spence worked on its design.
context_section_description: In the 1990s Basildon Council planned a regeneration of the Town Square and the former home of the council offices. Westgate, listed above, was developed onto the former council office site. In the town square, the 1960s town clock was removed, as was the escalators up to High Pavement (replaced initially by a temporary staircase, now a permanent structure containing stairs and lifts). Also removed was part of Keay House, what is now called Southgate House, which had jutted out into the Town Square. The town square was re-paved and the building of two retail pavilions, now operated by Toni & Guy and Costa, were completed in 1998.
  The late 2000s downturn in the global economy negatively impacted on Basildon Town Centre and a 2013 survey found 31 empty retail units with retailers including KFC, McDonald's Pizza Hut, Adams and Peacocks leaving the Town Centre. As a result of a period characterized as a "rapid decline" by developers CZWG £1bn regeneration proposals were announced by Basildon Council in 2012. The proposals include the creation of a cinema, the creation of between 1,500 and 2,000 homes, a 150-room hotel and a college for up to 2,000 students. So far the only development given planning permission is the building of the new South Essex College campus on current site of Basildon market, which was due to open in 2015-16. Basildon Market was earmarked to move to St Martin's Square, with work starting in July 2016. However delays meant the market did not move until 2018. The council have also purchase Freedom House and bits of East Walk as part of the regeneration plans.
  In 2013, SEEVIC announced that they would be opening New Campus Basildon Studio School, which would be temporarily housed in their facility in the ICON building but would transfer in September 2014 into Churchgate House. However this never materialized and the college, still based at Churchgate House, announced in January 2017 that they would be closing from September 2017.
  There were attempts to sell Trafford House a building that was used by Ford Motor Company up until 2005 but which has been vacant for almost a decade. Developers were given planning permission in 2014 to turn the building into flats, which opened in 2015.
  Another vacant building, The Aviva Building, has been vacant since 2008 when the insurance company laid off staff. Proposals to turn this building into flats were rejected in 2013, and it has since been reduced in height by several stories rather than being demolished completely.
caption: Freedom House (pictured) is one of several areas of Basildon Town Centre subject to regeneration proposals.
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