After decades of neglect, Billericay's dilapidated town hall is at last to get a facelift, after local councillors gave their blessing to a refurbishment plan worth half a million pounds.

The members of the Billericay Area Committee spoke with one voice as they unanimously welcomed a planning application from developer Lakevale Ltd, which is hoping to turn the High Street landmark into a coffee house, a bistro or a restaurant.

The building has been empty for 20 years, but before that it had played a central part in the life of the town, since it was first built as a market hall in 1830.

Cllr Peter Patrick told the meeting: "It's very sad. The town hall has become the most frightful eyesore. I can't see anybody else being prepared to spend any money on it to get it into a decent state, so if this does bring about an improvement it must be welcomed."

Cllr Desmond Lake added: "I think this development would provide a great asset and would definitely be an advantage to the town."

All of the committee's Conservative and Liberal Democrat members voted to accept the plan, allowing the developers, who bought the site from Essex County Council earlier this year, to begin the £500,000 investment programme needed to bring the 170-year-old building back to life.

It is now in negotiations with a number of potential tenants willing to run the refurbished building as an 'upmarket' restaurant.

It has served as a grammar school, an assembly room, a magistrates' court, a prison, a bank, and a police station, before becoming the town's civil defence HQ during World War II.

After the war it became the local registrar's office and then the chamber and offices of Billericay Urban District Council, which remained the main tenant until it was swallowed up by Basildon District Council.

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