Laindon Shopping Centre: Laindon Lanes & Decline

Part 3 of the history of Laindon Shopping Centre, covering Laindon Lanes, community organisations, the centre's decline and the first failed redevelopment.

Laindon Lanes Indoor Market

One of the more unusual developments in the centre's history was the creation of Laindon Lanes Indoor Market. Units 39-40 were originally occupied by the Co-op supermarket, but from 1985 they were converted into an indoor shopping area and café known as Laindon Lanes. The market remained for several years and provided a different type of shopping experience, with smaller traders operating inside the larger centre. Later businesses included ShoeSave, Baby Bits and the Sue Ryder charity shop.

Charities and Community Organisations

During the final years of the shopping centre, several empty units were temporarily used by community and charitable organisations. In 2017, three vacant units were made available to charities and a non-profit Community Interest Company. These included the former TSB unit, another vacant shop and unit 36. Organisations using the centre included the Community Advice and Support Scheme, Solidarity Care International and other community groups.

This was a sign of how dramatically the centre had changed. A development that had once been filled with banks, supermarkets, clothing shops, cafés and specialist retailers was increasingly being used for community purposes because commercial demand for the vacant units had fallen.

The Decline of the Centre

Although the Laindon Shopping Centre had been designed as a modern shopping destination, problems began to appear surprisingly early. A local newspaper report from October 1971 described the new centre as an “absolute mess”, with criticism of its condition and appearance. Local historical accounts also describe the centre as having struggled to live up to the expectations that had surrounded its construction.

Over the decades the centre experienced increasing competition from Basildon Town Centre, supermarkets, retail parks and changing shopping habits. Individual businesses closed or moved away, while some units remained empty. The centre nevertheless continued to serve the local population for many years, and several businesses remained there for decades.

Clock House and the First Failed Redevelopment

One of the first major changes to the centre came in 2008, when Clock House and the former library building were demolished. The clock itself had been removed in April 2008 and placed into storage. The owners at the time planned to redevelop the site, with proposals for new housing and approximately 40 new shop units around the former Clock House area. However, the proposed scheme stalled and the site remained largely boarded up for many years.

The failure of this first redevelopment attempt was significant because it left a major part of the centre looking unfinished. Instead of being replaced quickly with new shops and homes, the cleared area remained in an uncertain state. The centre therefore entered a long period of decline before a much larger regeneration scheme eventually emerged.