Bellway Homes and Havens Hospices are holding a public consultation event for local residents on emerging proposals for redevelopment of the former Prittlebrook Industrial Estate in Southend.

The consultation is taking place on Wednesday 2nd April between 4pm and 8pm at Prittlewell Priory Visitor Centre.

Bellway Homes and Havens Hospice have been working together to develop the former Ekco site, alongside Southend Council. The emerging proposals include new homes, a new adult hospice set in landscaped gardens and employment space. The Ekco Social and Sports Club and sports fields will remain.

There will be the opportunity for residents to find out more about the plans and share their views. Representatives from Bellway Homes and Havens Hospices and will be on hand to answer questions and give further information.

For more information about the consultation event please contact David Button at Connect Communications on 0207 592 9592 or email prittlebrook@connectpa.co.uk

From the Echo

Work on a new supported living scheme in Southend is now starting.

Leading housing and care provider Sanctuary Group is developing 33 apartments at the Sutton Road site in a £4.8 million scheme supported by investment from the Homes and Communities Agency.

The development is being built by Sanctuary’s contractors UK Construction Ltd and on completion, will replace Chalkwell Lodge, an existing supported living scheme in Westcliff-on-Sea.

National mental health charity Richmond Fellowship currently runs Chalkwell Lodge and will also manage the new scheme in Sutton Road, which will have more specialised facilities, as well as one wheelchair standard apartment, communal areas for residents, office space and staff accommodation.

Sanctuary hosted a special event on Wednesday 26 March to formally mark the start of construction at Sutton Road, with those involved in the project invited along to view the plans for the development and have a first-hand look at the site itself. This included representatives from Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and Richmond Fellowship as well as service user Paul Mills, a current resident at Chalkwell Lodge.

Councillor Margaret Borton dug the first spade into the ground to celebrate the start of work at the site.

Chris Cole, Sanctuary’s head of development – east and south east, said: “This development is set to provide much-needed supported accommodation for Southend and we are pleased to be working closely with Southend-on-Sea Borough Council to deliver this. The bespoke design of the apartments and the communal facilities will ensure that residents can live independently in a safe and secure environment with the care they need on hand.”

Councillor Lesley Salter, Southend Council’s Executive Councillor for Adult Social Care, Health and Housing, said: “This is a very exciting development to give vulnerable residents the vital opportunity to live independently in a safe and supportive environment. We are very pleased to be working in partnership with Sanctuary Group on this development, and are extremely grateful for the Government funding enabling us to do so.”

Richmond Fellowship locality manager Lesley Brady said: “We’re really excited about this new development as it means our residents will be able to live in self-contained flats rather than the more communal accommodation we’re currently using. This will make it much easier for us to support them to develop the independent living skills they need to be able to move on to their own homes.”

Jaz Sahota, Director at UK Construction Ltd, added: “UK Construction Ltd are delighted to partner Sanctuary Group in the construction process to deliver a much needed specialist facility to the local community. The overall design specification and quality of the finished scheme will ensure a very good standard of living for the tenants.”

The Sutton Road scheme is due for completion in Spring 2015.

From Airport World

Southend Airport has had the largest UK airport solar panel installation as part of its terminal extension.

The 496 solar panels, will supply the terminal's expanded range of shops, cafes and restaurants with clean solar electricity for decades to come, via the airport's private electricity network.

Photon Energy installed the system on the terminal's curved tunnel-shaped roofs, with panels supplied by Conergy, on behalf of Integral plc, which delivered the mechanical and electrical aspects of the terminal expansion.

The solar panels are expected to help the terminal achieve a BREEAM very good environmental assessment rating, and save 1,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over the next 20 years.

David Lister, London Southend Airport operations director, says: "We are delighted to add the provision of clean solar electricity to a range of 'green' initiatives we've introduced as the terminal has developed.

“Environmentally-friendly initiatives are very important to us and the whole building has been designed to incorporate a number of them, including sustainable drainage, specialist coating to improve insulation, extensive glazing to enhance natural lighting and slow start escalators."

The project is part of a £10 million terminal expansion, and construction for the development was completed by Kier Construction.

Jonathan Bates, managing director, Photon Energy, explains passengers will get a bird’s eye view of the solar panel as they take-off and land.

“Airport terminals are great places for solar as they have a lot of roof space and large daytime electricity consumption,” Bates adds.

From the Irish Times

The former Aer Arran has agreed a new partnership with Europe’s largest regional airline Flybe which will see it operate six new routes from London Southend Airport from June.

Stobart Air, which rebranded from Aer Arran last week, is expected to carry 100,000 passengers on the new routes in 2014 under the five-year deal, rising to 200,000 next year.

As part of the deal, Stobart Air will base two 72 seat aircraft at London Southend Airport, where it is to create 50 new jobs. London Southend is owned by the airline’s majority shareholder, the UK transport group Stobart.

Aer Arran formally changed its name to Stobart Air on Thursday last. This came three years after the transport group, which is the airline’s majority shareholder agreed to invest €2.5 million to rescue the business from collapse. The rebranding only applies to the company behind Aer Lingus Regional, with the airline recently extending its link with Irish carrier to 2022.

The airline currently operates 550 flights a week across 27 routes connecting Ireland, Britain and France.

Total passenger numbers at the airline are expected to reach 1.4 million this year, a 55 per cent rise in the four years since the airline commenced franchised operations with a partnership with Aer Lingus to operate services .

“We are pleased to have concluded an agreement with Flybe, the leading regional airline in Europe. Each of the six new routes are strong locations, keen to secure a London connection. London Southend Airport, with its convenience and quick access to London, will resonate with business and leisure passengers, as will our competitive fares,” said interim chief executive Sean Brogan.

From the Echo

TWO new developments are about to go up in Southend. The sites will provide affordable homes for families, and accommodation to help vulnerable people respectively.

Southend Council has joined up with the Guinness Trust to build 48 affordable homes on land at Southchurch Road on the former Maybrook Training Centre and Burland House site.

They were built in the 1960s and closed by January 2006. The Guinness Trust acquired the land and in 2013 was granted planning permission for 22 two and three bedroom flats, and 26 three bedroom houses for Southend families.

Following the demolition of an old sub-station, the cleared Southchurch site is now all ready for construction.

Elsewhere the former Shelford residential care site in West Street, Westcliff, is being turned into a supported living development for adults with learning disabilities. This includes building new modern facilities to replace Saxon Lodge, a ten bed Council residential care home in Shoebury.

The council teamed up with Genesis Housing Association to mastermind the scheme and planning permission was granted in January 2012.

This ambitious new development, now nearing completion, has also incorporated a set of almshouses next door - St Mary’s Cottages - originally built in 1870.

These have been thoroughly refurbished and re-modelled inside to make them fit for purpose while preserving their historic importance.

The £2million West Street project will offer three four-bed supported houses, 13 independent living flats and three one-bed bungalows and the first tenants are expected to start moving in by early summer.

Affinity Trust has been appointed to provide on-site care and support.

Southend Council’s executive councillor for adult social care, health and housing, councillor Lesley Salter said: “We are delighted that these two key sites are generating a variety of much-needed homes for Southend residents.

“Both schemes will help people flourish as well as reviving the sites themselves, these projects have been developed thanks to highly successful partnership working with the agencies involved and across the council too.”

From the Echo
PEOPLE living in Southend’s Quantock tower block could be moved out while it undergoes a £4million refurbishment under council plans.

Southend Council details the proposal for the 13-storey block off Chichester Road, Southend, as part of its local investment plan.

The plan explains how the 100 residents in the block would be moved into new homes being built on the site of the Maybrook Training centre, off Southchurch Road, or other planned social housing schemes in the borough while revamp work was carried out.

The plan also revealed proposals which could see all the boroughs blocks either redeveloped as sheltered housing or care homes or sold off to developers.

A council spokesman said: “We are currently considering a range of options regarding the town centre tower blocks, as well as their associated financial implications. Given their collective size with some 420 individual households, it’s not a simple procedure in terms of the logistics involved and will take some time, because we want to make sure anything we might do in the future is right for the town and best for the tenants.”

The investment plan is part of the council’s long-term vision to bring its 13 tower blocks up to a Government decent homes standard or demolish and rebuild them. It would initially focus on Quantock and lead to a major revamp of the flats, to improve living conditions, and hopefully stamp out the antisocial behaviour issues that have plagued it for years.

The block could even be expanded from 100 to 140 flats, according to a local investment plan over the next four years.

Redeveloping Quantock is a medium-term aim of the plan, that identifies priorities up to 2017, before any proposals for the 12 other blocks and two nine-storey blocks were drawn up.

These tower blocks, run for the council by South Essex Homes, make up 17 per cent of the council’s housing stock. A quarter of all its homes failed to meet the decent homes standard in 2011.

The plan said: “In the current financial climate, this is an area that may well require radical solutions, including refurbishment, or redevelopment either council-led or in association with partner developers.

“There are a number of possibilities, from using them for residential care or sheltered accommodation to selling them to a developer. The town centre blocks are in an excellent location with good transports links and views. However, there may be issues surrounding the decanting of these properties.

“The development of at least 100 affordable housing units at this site (Maybrook and Burland) will deliver much needed housing, while also supporting the subsequent phased regeneration of the town centre’s residential tower blocks.”

Development of social housing between London Road and Queensway could also provide temporary accommodation for those in the tower blocks, it said.

Senior councillors claim the plans have yet to move forward significantly due to financial constraints.

Lesley Salter, Tory councillor responsible for housing, said: “We have been talking about it for years and nothing has changed recently. There is the space issue. Where do you get the space to move that many people, so it has not really progressed, but I will be meeting about this with South Essex Homes for an update.”

Labour councillor David Norman led a scrutiny review of the blocks last summer, and is keen for plans to move forward, but said security of the existing blocks, including the provision of security patrols as revealed by the Echo last week, was the current priority.

He said: “Our long-term aim remains to regenerate these areas.”

From the Echo:

FACILITIES at two train stations are being transformed with a £235,000 investment.

Leigh and Thorpe Bay will both soon have more facilities for both drivers and pedestrians.

Work is already underway at Thorpe Bay station to install two electric charging points for cars and two dedicated disabled parking spaces. The footpath at the front of the station is also being made accessible for disabled passengers, as part of a £120,000 investment.

At Leigh, three new modern bus shelters will be put up with real-time service information displayed on a screen.

The station will also get two extra taxi rank spaces, disabled parking spaces, an improved road layout and a safer walking route for pedestrians, as part of £115,000 work.

The works are being funded both by rail company c2c and Southend Council.

Tony Cox, Southend Council’s cabinet member for public protection, waste and transport said: “The improvements at Thorpe Bay and Leigh stations will not only bring some real benefits for residents but also serve to enrich the experience for people visiting Southend.”

c2c Managing Director Julian Drury said: “Working in partnership with Southend Council means we can ensure our passengers have the best facilities possible at c2c stations.”

The work at Leigh will begin this week with both stations’ work expected to be finished within the next month.

Peter Slattery, chairman of the Southend Rail Travellers Association, said: “It’s definitely good news, station improvements are always welcome.

“With the decision over the franchise still to come, we’re happy to see c2c are doing something positive instead of sitting on their hands.”

AN MP says Southend’s new £6million City Deal could help end the “blight” of the Victoria Avenue office blocks.

James Duddridge, the Conservative MP for Rochford and Southend East, spoke as Cities Minister Greg Clark visited the town yesterday to finalise the deal to boost businesses and regenerate the area.

The deal will see Southend benefit from £2.5million of Government investment, which will be spent on small business grants and developing a business incubation centre in the vacant Central Library.

A further £3million in private investment and £670,000 from local government will go towards developing commercial, residential and mixed-use sites.

It is eventually hoped businesses will move out of the incubation space and into newlydeveloped premises on the opposite side of Victoria Avenue, encouraging further development along the road.

Mr Duddridge said: “Victoria Avenue has been a blight on the town. I was looking for office space for a few of my workers recently and it is like going into a time warp with cubicle offices. Blowing the whole thing up and starting again is a good idea.”

The council had hoped for greater powers over planning regulations as part of the deal, but they have not materialised.

Mr Duddridge added: “As a member of the governing party, I need to look at things nationally and locally, and see if we can shift things along with compulsory purchase orders. We are there to change the law if it is wrong, and if the law says a whole swathe of a town cannot be regenerated, then it needs to be changed.”

Southend Council leader Nigel Holdcroft said there was now £8million in the council’s budget for compulsory purchase orders, but he hoped to be able to talk to the owners of the land to encourage development.

He said: “Alternatively, they work with us by selling the space at a reasonable price. Then the final option is a compulsory purchase order, but I would be disappointed if we had to do that.”

The plans were also backed by the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, which hopes to be able to financially back any future developments.

Peter Jones, chairman of the partnership, said: “We are creating an investment fund, which I hope will allow Southend to acquire the land on Victoria Avenue, pull it all down and start again with a serious quality redevelopment. It would be hugely positive for business, tourism and other aspects of Southend.”

HELPING HAND OFFERED TO NEW BUSINESSES

Start-up businesses will be given a helping hand by Southend Council’s plans to turn the old Central Library building into a new business “incubation” space.

The plan to turn the two upper floors of the empty building comes as part of the new City Deal.

Cities Minister Greg Clark signed the deal yesterday and said the town has a reputation of supporting entrepreneurs.

He said: “Southend was identified as one of the places outside London that could really drive growth.

“The intention is to have a domino effect. With the library close to the station, once you attract businesses to that space to grow, what is better than to just move up the road into a new office?”

The incubation space would be used by start-up businesses to give them a premises, before developing into a functioning business and moving away to make space for new enterprises.

It would also, among other things, advise businesses on how to access funding, negotiate on property and develop online business solutions.

David Burch, policy director of Essex Chambers of Commerce, said: “The idea of an incubation space is something we would whole-heartedly support. We very much welcome the City Deal and the benefits it will bring to the town.”

Plans for a £6m investment in Southend-on-Sea will provide a "stronger local economy and fairer society", Nick Clegg has said.

The deputy prime minister said Southend's new "city deal", officially launched later, would provide support for 375 businesses.

The central library will also be developed and the borough council will buy empty sites in the town centre.

Mr Clegg said: "This city deal puts power in the hands of local people."

Southend is among the second batch of towns and cities to sign up to the city deal scheme, which is designed to increase growth.

Certain powers, such as the ability to set and spend budgets, are devolved from central government to local authorities. Mr Clegg said this would provide "a real chance of changing the fortunes of thousands of people across Essex".

The £6m of funding would include £2.5m from government, £3m in private investment and £670,000 from local government, he explained.

He also said the deal would see the redevelopment of Victoria Avenue and deprived wards in the centre of the town.

Greg Clarke, minister for cities, will sign the deal at the Civic Centre.

"Southend has the potential to be a driving force for growth in the South East," he said. "It is a great place for businesses to locate, expand or start up."

Southend Council has been successful in the second round of Coastal Communities Funding, gaining £1.25m to significantly enhance and diversify tourism in the area.

Aiming to attract more tourists by improving and developing the town’s water front, project partner, Stockvale Group, is also contributing a further £100,000 as match funding.

In a recent business survey, 28 percent of businesses in Southend said tourism was important to their business survival. Offering a more diverse range of activities, the investment will be used to strengthen and improve its destination infrastructure in the local area. During the summer months the town sees a booming rise in visitors, however the funding help will extend and enhance Southend’s visitor offer to attract people all year round.

The Southend Economic Development and Tourism strategy identifies attracting more overnight visitors to boost the local economy, as a key objective. Establishing more permanent job opportunities, the grant is anticipated to create eight jobs initially, with a further 126 indirectly, whilst employing four new tourism and events apprentices will help locals gain experience in coastal related activities and management.

The grant will be used to support numerous projects, including building a lagoon which will provide a year-round body of water, regardless of the tide, for water-based sport and leisure activities as well as improving facilities at Bell Wharf in Old Leigh – growing the number of boating visits to this historic fishing village. Developing the Southend Marine Activities Centre by investing in new equipment, these funds will also add to the number of Safe Zone Buoys off the east coast so kitesurfing, jet skiing and other popular sports can be encouraged in a safer environment. It will also deliver a maritime festival celebrating Southend’s heritage, location, industries and spirit.

Councillor John Lamb, Deputy Leader of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council says: “It’s imperative the number of visitors out of peak season is increased. This is something we’ve been working towards over recent years through the events calendar, whilst investing in infrastructure such as Prittlewell Priory and Garon Park Swimming and Diving Centre. The private sector has mirrored this with investment resulting in two 4* hotels in the town. This is an opportunity for Southend to attract more staying visitors, especially out of season. It is a great achievement and we look forward to seeing increased visitor numbers in the coming year.”

Business is so brisk and flourishing at Southend’s Thursday High Street market that traders are queuing to join the throng.

These positive market forces have prompted eight more stalls to arrive this month and further additions are expected to join later in the year.

National market experts have praised the quality of the Southend Market which has continued to prove popular with shoppers whatever the weather.

The market, led by a cross-party working group of Southend-on-Sea Borough Councillors, was ceremonially opened last October by Deputy Mayor of Southend, Councillor Chris Walker.

It began with 15 stalls covering 20 pitches . The regulars are:

• Fruit & Veg Stall
• Ladies & Men Fashion
• Ladies Young Fashion
• Haberdashery
• Footwear, gloves & hats
• Breads, Pastries & Patisserie
• Household goods
• Handbags & Luggage
• Wrapped food products (cakes, biscuits, etc)
• Giftware
• Bed linen
• Pet Food & Accessories
• Bagged sweets
• Plants

Meanwhile the new stalls arriving this month include:

• Butcher
• Printing/PC accessories
• Jewellery
• Ladies Fashion
• Toys
• Cheeses & Pies
• Dog’s Accessories
• Cut Flowers

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s Deputy Leader, Councillor John Lamb who led the cross-party working group said: “We are very pleased that the new weekly market has proved so successful, and we believe it will continue to add to the attractions of the terrific shopping opportunities we already offer.

“A member of the National Market Trader Federation visited the market last month and was very impressed with her initial findings - in particular the quality and set up of the stalls. We are working very hard to make sure we maintain these high standards

“We have also arranged that from Thursday 17th April, Southend Association of Voluntary Services (SAVS) will manage a stall for a different charity each week and there has been an overwhelming response from charities wishing to participate. The operator of the Farmers & Craft Market very kindly donated a gazebo in support these fund-raising efforts.

“The market has room to expand further and we hope to bring in more traders later in the spring and summer. All the applications for stalls are considered by a market trader panel, which includes Council officers and a representative from Southend Business Improvement District.

“We are very grateful to Trevor Day, a local market specialist and trader who helped the Council’s Town Centre Management team set up and run the market.”

From the Echo

A LEISURE centre could finally be open for business after two local entrepreneurs took on the long-awaited project.

The Thorpe Bay businessmen behind the successful redevelopment of the Gunnery Drill Shed plan to re-open the former barracks in Horseshoe Crescent on the Shoebury Garrison estate as an upmarket swimming pool, gym and spa.

The facility had been mothballed after garrison developer Gladedale finished it eight years ago. But Ian Homan and Peter Thompson, of B2C Holdings, aim to welcome their first guests to the Garrison Spa by Easter.

Since buying the facility last year, the pair, who run water sports clothing business Wet Suit Outlet from the Gunnery Drill Shed in Chapel Road, have pumped money into the project.

Mr Holman, 46, said: “We saw the spa was up for sale. We have got a passion for old buildings, so we have spent the last few months renovating it to get it ready. Come Easter we could be able to open it to garrison residents.”

Gladedale, the predecessor to garrison developer Country and Metropolitan, kitted out the building, but after eight years of lying dormant B2C Holdings have had to strip down and service the plant room to ensure the heating and air condition functions perfectly. Damp meant the building needed new insulation, replastering and repainting.

Mr Holman, who was busy supervising the installation of new fitness equipment yesterday, said: “It needed a massive amount of work. Even though it had never been used, it has cost a considerable amount of cash.”

Gladedale promised garrison residents “village-style” living with facilities on their doorstep when it got the green light to redevelop the former MoD site in 2004.

Sainsbury’s opened a “Local” convenience-storestyle supermarket in New Garrison Road last year – the first on the estate.