THE leader of Basildon Council has insisted plans for a £35million sports village will continue, even though only one developer is still interested in the scheme.

Council leader Malcolm Buckley held private talks with other senior councillors in the cabinet, to address concerns over the scheme.

This followed reports only one developer, Community Solutions for Leisure, is still bidding for the contract to build a new sports complex, in Gloucester Park, Basildon, before the 2012 Olympics.

It is thought the other two building firms which originally lodged bids pulled out because of the credit crunch. Mr Buckley told the Echo yesterday the cabinet had agreed to carry on as planned.

He said: “What was resolved was we will carry on negotiating for the sports village.

“There don’t need to be any contingency plans, because the developer won’t be pulling out.

“We have got far enough down the line to agree over the principals of the development and it is just the fine details that now need to be agreed.

“We would have liked there to have been more companies involved in the bidding process, so there would have been more competition.

“However, all the initial bids posted by the firms originally interested were similarly priced, so we are confident we will get value for money.”

Opposition councillors have expressed serious concerns the sports village and £1billion plans to regenerate the whole of Basildon Town Centre are in trouble.

Nigel Smith, former leader of the Basildon Labour group, warned the only firm left in the sports village bidding process could now hold the council to ransom.

He said: “Even if they are the best developer, the company should be tested against other competitors.

“What guarantee is there they will see the project through?”