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New £3.6m Wetherspoons super-pub will be one of chain’s BIGGEST boozers stretching over 2 floors of old Poundworld
Images show how the new venue will look, with excited locals hailing the plans
A “GHOST town” is set to be revived with the opening of a £3.6million Wetherspoons pub.
The King of Essex will be built over two floors of a former Poundworld in Basildon, and is expected to be one of the chain’s biggest boozers.
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Basildon is jokingly known as Bas Vegas for its out-of-town entertainment complex of bars and restaurants and Hollywood-style sign.
But locals have long moaned about the town centre for its boarded-up shops and say it’s dead at night.
There isn’t a single pub in the town centre - but residents desperate for a pint will soon have a night out as work is due to start in a matter of weeks.
Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “We are looking forward to developing our new pub in Basildon.
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“The town had a Wetherspoon pub for many years and we are confident that the new pub will be even better and a great addition to Basildon’s social scene.
“The level of investment highlights Wetherspoon’s commitment to the town and its residents.”
Jody Bird, 58, a retired local, said: “It’ll be much more lively in Basildon now and means we’ll have somewhere to go at night.”
Her friend, Tina Snell, 61, added: “When the new pub opens, we’ll all feel a lot safer when we’re out on the town at weekends. And The King of Essex, what a brilliant name for a pub.”
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Financier, Sherry Knowles, 42, says: "I hate going out in Basildon at night, because the restaurants close early and there's no cinema, so night life is virtually non existant.
"I'm more likely to go out when there's more people around and it might encourage the cinema to actually get built."
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Mindaugus Odinas, 40, an operations manager at a nearby car plant, said: "I'm looking forward to the pub opening, hopefully it'll bring more people to the town."
Mental health nurse, Marius Abalassi, 34, and his wife, Ioana, say they are looking forward to eating out with their small children at the new venue.
Town centre shoppers Sharon and Steve say they enjoy staying in Wetherspoons hotels, but are concerned the new pub could attract yobbish behaviour to the area.
I'm not worried about any possible trouble, we need a bit of life here, it's becoming a ghost town
Heather
Sharon said: "It's got to be a lot more up market for me to want to go there."
Steve added: "And I can't help worrying there'll be trouble caused by late night drinking." They declined to be photographed.
However, many are not concerned.
Joan, a life-long Basildon resident, said: "I used to go to the previous Wetherspoons, which closed down two years ago, to meet my friends from Canvey Island and there was never any bother that I saw, especially from younger drinkers."
Her friend, Heather, 75, echoed that, adding: "I'm not worried about any possible trouble, we need a bit of life here, it's becoming a ghost town."
The King of Essex is due to open its doors in late November and will create 70 new jobs.
Stuart Wilson, 41, is particularly delighted at the prospect of new jobs being available in the hometown.
He said: "It'll be great if they can get jobs at the new pub, as they won't have to rely on public transport, which eats into their wages and doesn't make it worth their while going to work."
Councillor Kerry Smith, leader of Basildon Independent Group said: "It's good to see Sir Tim Martin investing in Basildon, through a pub with a very good name."
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It comes after locals of Dagenham, East , admitted they were fed up of their ghost town high street.
Residents said they have "had enough" of the borough as old hotspots have closed down and they're desperate to leave.
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