Thurrock campaign group urges council to save Thameside Complex
The council has said no decision has been made on the future of the Thameside Complex yet
A campaign group in Thurrock is calling on the council not to close and sell off the Thameside Complex in Grays which contains the theatre, library, and museum.
The campaign group have argued the Complex is the heart of the community and selling it off would be a "short-term fix" and "cause long-term problems".
The campaign has also received backing from some famous faces, including Grays-born Russell Brand.
What do they want to happen?
Thurrock International Celebration of Culture and Thurrock Lifestyle Solutions have joined together and created a business plan for a community asset transfer.
They're asking the council to enter into a partnership which, they claim, would save the council £1.5m over the next five years.
A protest
On Wednesday, the group are planning to protest outside the Council Offices during a full council meeting.
They're asking people to bring along torches, and the like, to "shine a light" on the issue.
What has the council said?
But the council has said no decision has been made on the future of the Thameside Complex yet.
Though they argue that arts, culture, and heritage should not be tied to a single building that needs around £16m for refurbishments and repairs.
Councillor Mark Coxshall, cabinet member for regeneration, said: "The minimum we would have to spend to bring the Thameside Complex up to standard is £16million, then on top of that, the building costs over £500,000 a year to run and maintain.
"Not only could this money be better spent elsewhere, we can improve the service we offer by looking at letting go of a building, which more often than not works against us in delivering arts, culture and heritage.
"By looking to what lays ahead instead of anchoring ourselves to an unsuitable, although much-loved, building we can create an offering that is truly fit for the 21st century and not tied to an expensive, inefficient and now outdated 1970s vision of the future."
What happens next?
The matter will go before the Council's Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee next month before going to cabinet for a decision.