PITSEA swimming pool was demolished unnecessarily and under false pretences, angry councillors claim.

Supermarket giant Morrisons, which was expected to be the lead tenant for the £30million regeneration, finally confirmed it was withdrawing from the scheme on Thursday after months of speculation.

Home and garden retailer The Range has been lined up by Morrisons to take on the store, which has nearly been built.

As a deal to sub-let the site must be approved by developer London and Cambridge Properties, which has a binding contract with Morrisons, the future of the huge building is still in some doubt.

More than 5,000 residents signed a petition in 2012, urging Basildon Council not to knock down Pitsea swimming pool to make way for the 75,000 sq ft superstore.

At the time, senior councillors claimed Morrisons was a dealmaker in the regeneration.

The supermarket was used to justify the decision, which included demolishing the Railway pub and downsizing the market.

Gavin Callaghan, Labour group leader and councillor for Pitsea North West, believes residents deserve an apology from the Tory administration.

He said: “If The Range was the original tenant, would they have required something that size?

“We could have built a store three-quarters of the size and kept Pitsea swimming pool.

“People in Pitsea have made enormous sacrifices for Morrisons and now we don’t have Morrisons.

“The council should have apologised for misleading the public and not delivering what they promised.

“We have now only got one option. I’m not saying it is not a good one and I want it to work, but the people of Pitsea have made lots of sacrifices.”

Aidan McGurran, Labour councillor for Pitsea South East, added: “About three or four years ago, when regeneration was originally being discussed, great play was made about the fact Morrisons were the anchor tenant.

“The project revolved around Morrisons and the amount of jobs and apprenticeships they would provide.

“Hopefully The Range will move in, but we don’t know what guarantees there are.”

But Richard Moore, Tory councillor responsible for regeneration, believes The Range will attract shoppers from a wider area into Pitsea.

He said: “This is terrific news, not only for residents in Pitsea. This does remain an application at this stage and it is not a done deal, but it is certainly a positive step.”