Council bosses have sensationally admitted the curtain will stay closed on Basildon's Towngate Theatre.

Basildon Council leader, John Potter, and the authority's community and leisure committee chairman, Nigel Smith, stunned a press conference on Thursday with the announcement.

Months of negotiations between Basildon Council and Hetherington Seelig Theatres have been shattered by mounting costs and changes to the proposal.

Mr Potter said the council would have to pay a £1.6million subsidy to the company over five years coupled with a start-up cost of £285,000, making it "financially not viable."

He said: "This is a very sad day. We have failed in what we wanted to do but by God we tried. I hope we will get understanding and support from the local community.

"We had anticipated an exciting partnership with HST but instead I am left questioning its commitment. We have been completely consistent and our consultants advised us in December that the original proposals were viable.

"But now they have submitted a fresh set of proposals which have moved the goalposts and have financial implications which it must realise are well beyond what this council can agree to."

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