After years of wandering, Billericay's nomadic town council is at last to get a home of its own, right at the town's historic heart.

Since its creation in 1997, the town council has had to carry out its business from a borrowed room at Basildon Council's Billericay area housing office, using borrowed furniture and borrowing halls at schools and the day centre to stage public meetings.

Now, after two years of homelessness, the town council is finally getting the chance to put down some roots.

It has taken out a lease on The Coach House on Crown Yard, set back from the High Street opposite Woolworths. The first floor - known as The Loft - is set to become the town council's permanent office, while the downstairs is being transformed into a meeting room.

Cllr Geoff Galer, chairman of the town council's premises and equipment working party, said: "This is really good news, for the town council and for the town.

"We have always been at the Basildon Council housing office on a temporary basis, and we were reminded of that every time we got our - admittedly small - bill through, with its notice that this is only 'temporary accommodation'.

"Basildon Council has treated us very well but it will certainly be good to have our own front door to open to the public when we like and not when we are told we can, and to have all our meetings in one place.

"At last the people of Billericay will know exactly where we are and will have far better access to their town council."

In all £25,000 has been set aside to cover the costs of moving into and equipping the new premises.

As befits the home of the town's representatives, the town council's new home has played an important role in Billericay's history.

The Coach House was formerly attached to the Crown Inn, which for centuries before the advent of the railways was the stop off point where coach services to and from Rochford or to the spa towns of Southend or Hockley would change horses.

The new premises are currently being decorated while town council staff look for desks, chairs and tables with which to furnish them. It is hoped that the office will be open by the end of August, with the meeting room coming into service soon after.

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