PLANS to spend £233,000 on improving Billericay High Street look set to be ditched.

The council’s inaugural town centre revival committee meeting will take place tomorrow, with the agenda revealing cash will be “redirected to other priorities or returned to reserves”.

The work would have seen high street lights replaced with LED lights, to a tune of £105,000.

While £128,000 was set to be spent on improvements to a bus lay-by, improvements to railings at Sun Corner, replacement of bus shelters and enhancement to library railings.

Despite this, £117,000 will be spend on bins, benches, noticeboards, signage, bollards, cycle stands, planters and pedestrian guard rails.

Conservative councillor Phil Turner said: “For Billericay the investment was deemed to be relatively small but essential to keep the town current, vibrant and attractive. This is the second time these works have been cancelled by the Labour-led coalition.

“There is therefore no legitimate financial justification for cancelling these works and this is simply an act of pure socialist political spite. It is aimed squarely at dividing communities and alienating the wider community of Billericay.

“Many residents and others who come to Billericay from wider afield to enjoy the experience of our high street are quite naturally angered by this underhanded political stun.”

Independent David Harrison, vice chairman of the new committee,said: “What we are doing already is spending £117,000 on a host of improvements, which will be completed by August. What we won’t be doing, is high street lighting, this is the responsibility of the county council.

“And again, the work costing £128,000 is the responsibility of the county council, that money can now be redistributed.

“We could spend the money on projects that should be county council responsibility, but they are not priorities.

“It will enable us to spend the money across the borough.

“It is a question of rebalancing funds, it is not just taking things away from Basildon.”