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Search the Public Notice PortalThe leader of Basildon Council has provided a fresh look inside the long-abandoned town centre M&S.
A video shared by council leader Andy Barnes on Facebook shows him exploring the empty M&S building, which has stood unused since it closed in spring 2018.
Cllr Barnes took a stroll through all three floors of the building, before walking onto the buildings roof.
Inside, much of the site is just an empty space, with rubble scattered across the floor.
Some parts of the site still have the "vintage M&S carpet," as described by Cllr Barnes.
Barnes called the site "very dark, very spooky," but joked about a lack of spiders which he called "disappointing."
Plans for the site have changed several times since its closure.
Under the former Labour administration, the council hoped to transform the building into an indoor market and entertainment hub similar to London’s Boxpark, but those plans were scrapped after the Conservatives took control.
The Labour plan would have seen the council purchase the building in summer 2025 and open the venue in time for the 2026 World Cup.
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It was designed to be a centrepiece of Labour’s regeneration vision, offering street food, live entertainment, and public screenings of major sporting events.
However, the new Conservative administration opted for a different approach.
The council now plans to refurbish and lease the building as conventional commercial space.
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