Plans for former Debenhams in Basildon's Eastgate - everything you need to know

Here's everything you need to know about the former Debenhams in Basildon's Eastgate shopping centre, and what the unit will soon become after years of standing empty since the department store closed in 2021.

Hospital - Lower and middle levels

As part of a new initiative to ensure easier public access to healthcare, the lower level of the former Debenhams is being transformed into a 'mini hospital'.

Described as a 'pioneering, all-inclusive healthcare facility', the new Basildon Health Centre will boast a range of  advanced equipment, from X-ray machines to CT scanners.

The centre will provide both private and NHS services, with the possibility of a pharmacy being included at a later date.

There will also be treatment rooms, operating theatres, overnight hospital bedrooms and an array of outpatient services.

Soft play activity centre - Upper level

To bring more activities to Basildon's town centre, the upper floor of the former Debenhams will be reinvented as a family friendly activity centre.

Fun Parx are opening a new branch to Basildon, ensuring 'something for everyone of all ages', promising activities such as an inflatable park and football pitch, arcades, soft play, games and more in what has been dubbed a 'mini Disneyland'.

This is part of a large scale project by Fun Parx to deliver seven new sites across the UK by next year.

Admission tickets are expected to be priced between £9.50 and £10.

When is it all happening?

Work has already begun on the mini hospital, with the hope it could open towards the end of this year.

While the Fun Parx activity centre could be open as soon as July according to owners, which is just around the corner.