Billericay councillors have said they deplore plans to demolish the former Ritz Cinema and replace it with flats, but are powerless to stop it.

An application has been received by Basildon Council to build 14 flats on the site of what is currently the Radion Snooker Club in Chapel Street.

Billericay Town Council's planning committee last night said it could find no planning reasons to object to the proposals but regretted the loss of an important building in the town.

Councillor Trevor Stansfield said: "We deplore the loss of another community facility and would have liked to have been consulted earlier.

"If we had seen this before we may have been able to find someone to take it on and suggest a use."

Waterfall Holdings, which manages the club, has been forced to sell the land to David Wilson Homes, because of poor trading.

The Ritz Cinema opened in 1938 and is considered a classic example of pre-war cinema architecture.

The final decision on the plan will be made by Basildon Council's planning committee.

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