A developer is ready to stump-up £20,000 towards providing a bus link at Basildon's Festival Leisure Park - if a 60-bedroom hotel and fitness club at the site is given the all clear.

Basildon Council has been urged to approve the plans on the condition Compass Roadside hotels signs an agreement to help finance a shuttle service.

Last month plans were on the cards for a bus and taxi route linking Ghyllgrove to Festival Leisure Park. However, they were dropped after public outcry from residents over safety and noise.

Bus company First Thamesway is delighted with the proposal but admits a dedicated service could be a long way off.

Chris McCormick, divisional manager, said: "We would be happy to sit down with Basildon Council to talk about providing a service.

"But because of the cost we would not be able to provide a dedicated route. Only a diversion from an existing service would be an option.

"This £20,000 is a big step in the right direction as there has been a lot of public request for a bus service to the leisure park. All we have to do is work out how we can afford it."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.