Shoebury has been dealt a double blow with uncertainty surrounding two of its social clubs.

The Maplin Club in Vanguard Way has closed down while the Eagle Working Men's Club in Seaview Road could be demolished to make way for sheltered homes.

Southend Council confirmed it has received an application to demolish the Eagle but owner Richard Jenkins has added confusion by saying he has no immediate plans to raze it to the ground.

He said: "Just because you apply for a job does not mean to say you are going to take it. The club is flourishing and I have no intention of closing it down at the moment."

However, John Hales, former chairman of the Eagle club, said he was concerned about the possibility of future development on the site.

He said: "My main objection, apart from the fact that the club is for social interaction by all Shoebury folk, is the proposal to turn it into a set of sheltered housing units. We have too many of these kinds of places in town and fewer places for locals to meet.

"The Renown pub has closed and so has the Maplin Club. For people in Shoebury there is rapidly becoming nowhere to go."

Geoffrey Govier, the ex-honorary secretary of the Maplin club, admitted it had gone into voluntary liquidation. He said: "Technically it is up for sale and it will be up to the receiver to dispose of it.

"The cause was a lack of revenue and support over the last four years. We had to buy land next to the club for a fortune, when we used to only rent it at a peppercorn rate.

"It is a big loss to Southend and Shoebury and there is nothing left to replace it."

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