A CHARITY working to support residents in Burnham will be charged rent by the council after deciding to move to new and bigger premises to help more people.

The Citizens Advice Bureau in Burnham is one of three in the district providing free confidential and independent advice to help residents in the area overcome their problems.

They offer free, practical, up-to-date information and advice on a wide range of topics, including; debt, benefits, housing, legal, discrimination, employment, immigration, consumer and other problems.

The service is crucial to those in need who need advice to deal with problems which can otherwise overwhelm them.

A lack of space at their current base has caused the charity to request a move to the Burnham Town Council-owned Station House, in Station Road.

Prior to the proposed move, the CAB used the council offices, in Chapel Road, free of charge as their base in the town.

However, the town council typically charge for use of Station House, and a decision was made by the councillors to charge the charity on this occasion.

The decision could cause difficulties for the charity who rely on every penny of help.

Burnham Town Council currently provides a grant of £1,000 each year to the charity, but will now be claiming some back in rent.

Negotiations are currently taking place as to how much the charity will need to hand over in order to use the space.

As one of the three bases in the district, the Burnham centre is an important facility for residents of the Dengie.

The closest facility to Burnham, other than the town’s centre, is in Southminster, at Southminster Library, in Queensborough Road, with the only other option in the district being based in Maldon at the district council offices.

Explaining the decision, a spokesman for Burnham Town Council said: “The Citizens Advice Bureau was unhappy with the facilities at the council offices because they needed two rooms.

“They asked to move to the Station House for which a charge is normally made.

“The council highly values the work the Citizens Advice Bureau does so we make a donation of £1,000 a year.

“We agreed to make accommodation, much more suited to their needs, available at the Station House. A cost has yet to be agreed for the space.

“The Station House is underwritten by Burnham Town Council to the tune of £10,000 a year which is offset by income from letting the accommodation available in the building.”

A spokesman for the Citizens Advice Bureau in the district added: “Maldon and District Citizens Advice is committed to the outreach services we provide in Burnham and the district, enabling people to get the help they need to solve their problems.

“We are in discussions with the council about these arrangements.”