THURROCK Council has served an Urgent Works Notice on the owner of the State Cinema telling them to make important repairs to the roof of the historic building.

The Notice will mean that unless the owner completes repairs that will make the roof and building watertight within three months the council will step in to carry out the work and then recover the costs from the owner.

Today (Tuesday, 4 March) Cllr Lee Watson, cabinet member for good growth, said: "This is an important and historic building which is why we have been working with Historic England to make the owner aware of their duty to maintain the fabric of the building.

"Despite repeated assurances that work was underway we have been disappointed with the lack of progress and that has left us with no option other than to take action to ensure the roof of the State Cinema is repaired and the building protected.

"By serving this notice the owner now has three months to complete repairs before we step in and take over works leaving them to cover the costs.

"We take the heritage of the borough extremely seriously and will not hesitate to take decisive action when owners do not live up to their responsibility in looking after the borough's historic buildings."