THURROCK Council has been accused of exaggerating the cost of refurbishing the Thameside Complex, which houses the borough's theatre, because it wants to shut the building down.

The controversial plans of the council have sparked public anger and demonstrations, and councillors who are due to attend a meeting of the authority's corporate overview and scrutiny committee tomorrow (Tuesday, 16 November) expect to be lobbied by demonstrators and campaigners prior to presentation of a budget report.

There have already been a number of public protests, most recently a well-attended demonstration at the Civic offices when councillors should have been attending a full council meeting, but it was called off.

Last week Nub News reported on the possibility of the council handing over the building to a community interest group as a way of saving the building, but details about that remain sparse.

And while there has been a cautious welcome to the comments of Cllr Mark Coxshall there remains much concern about the council's approach and position and fears for the other services the coimplex offers.

A regular visitor and volunteer at the museum also housed at the Thameside has expressed her concerns about the future of that facility – and the library also situated within the complex.

Odette Stevens is an active campaigner in the fight to save the Thameside. and while she welcomed the chance of a community takeover but said campaigners wanted to scrutinise the details.

She said: "I think this is a good idea but community ownership is far from a done deal and the campaign group will be discussing their response. There is a breakdown of running costs and they are not that bad. The council has exaggerated what's wrong with it.

"It's not going to cost a lot to put right. It needs a new boiler and things like that. It's all the stuff that should have been done over the years."

Ms Stevens added: "They want to move the library and the registry office but they aren't giving them much room. The library will have room for eight bookshelves and two computers but at the moment they have about 30 computers and two floors of books.

"They are talking about putting us in an empty shop in the High Street but there won't be enough space as we have so many artefacts. We want to stay where we are and we want to be together with the library."

Proposals "to deliver services more effectively from fewer buildings" will be discussed by the corporate overview and scrutiny committee next week.

Also see:

Thameside 'not fit for purpose'.