Historic levels of investment are coming into Southend as people wake up to our borough's phenomenal potential.

Southend Rising strongly supports this investment, although we must be careful not to pursue growth at any cost. It is essential that growth is sustainable and so we are asking where future investment should be targeted to ensure that Southend's infrastructure can cope.

Please take a moment to vote in our poll below, and we will share the results with the council and other decision-makers.

Southend Hospital is reaffirming its commitment to cancer care by investing £848,000 in a new unit for urology and pelvic floor patients.

This new unit, which is set to be completed and open to patients within the next six months, has already started construction and will be known as 'The urology and pelvic physiology unit '.

The service has outgrown its current accommodation, which has been housed in a Portacabin, and will now have a state-of-the-art facility in the middle of the main hospital building that is easily accessible to patients. 

Southend Hospital is a cancer centre for urology services, a surgical centre for complex renal cancers and provides a pelvic floor dysfunction unit for patients from across Essex.

The new, purpose-designed unit will provide additional outpatient space, treatment rooms and test facilities to increase the number of patients that can be treated and reduce waiting times and the hospital to increase the number of patients it sees as outpatients and provide extra space in theatres, meaning that more patients can be seen and treated more quickly.

At the moment, patients who need assessment of pelvic floor disorders have to travel to London to access specialist equipment used for diagnosis. Once the new unit is built, the hospital will have the capability to provide these tests locally. The pelvic floor service provides a wide range of outpatient services, and brings experts together to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with pelvic floor problems.

Sampi Mehta, consultant urological surgeon and clinical lead, said: "This isn't just a step in the right direction for our patients and cancer services, it is a huge leap forward. Developing a urology and pelvic floor unit provides a fantastic opportunity to increase efficiency, improve patient flow and reduce waiting list pressures. Much of this can be achieved by delivering services through the 'one-stop clinic' environment; and this vision can now become reality as the department is being designed to provide clinical treatment rooms as well as consulting rooms in one collocated area.

"In turn, this will provide the vital additional capacity required to meet the increasing demand for outpatient and day case procedures thereby enabling the service to achieve its referral to treatment targets. Most importantly this will enhance the quality of the patient environment and experience."

It is an area that is expected to continue growing given Southend urology's Cancer Centre status and the increase in other work, such as stones and complex kidney cancer cases, now referred to Southend.

The regeneration of Victoria Avenue has taken another step forward after plans to convert empty offices at Baryta House into flats were given the green light by Southend Council.

Edan Investments, based in Canewdon, will build 72 flats with 74 parking spaces at the derelict Baryta House after taking advantage of new planning laws aimed at fast-tracking development of brownfield sites.

The new rules encourage developers to convert empty office space to housing by removing the obligation to provide any social housing or “section 106” contributions to local infrastructure/amenities.

Developers Pinnacle Southend Ltd are also using the revised planning laws to build 60 two-bedroom flats at the Pinnacle building on Victoria Avenue. The project is due to complete in late 2016, although homes are already on sale.

Finally, investment company Aldwych hopes to transform Victoria House into 47 flats and eight penthouses. The penthouses would be built on two new floors added to the building.

The eyesore Heath and Carby towerblocks are also under offer. If a sale goes through it will save Southend Council from having to use Compulsory Purchase Orders.

Details have been announced about the seventh annual Southend-on-Sea Film Festival next month.

The increasingly popular festival, which has actor Ray Winstone as its patron, will run from Thursday, 21 May to Monday 25 May. There will also be a fringe festival running from 10 – 29 May.

As in previous years, there promises to be plenty of glitz, glamour and celebrity appearances at various locations across Southend.

Festival Director Paul Cotgrove, who is also Managing Director of organisers The White Bus Ltd, said: “One of the key features of our festivals is that they showcase new British films, as a reminder that our indigenous film industry can produce some outstanding works. This year, two cases in point are our Gala night presentations.

“For our Opening Gala I have been delighted to select Age of Kill, a riveting, fast-paced thriller starring Martin Kemp. This will be the centrepiece of this prestigious black tie event, at which you will have the chance to walk up the red carpet alongside our many guests. And our Closing Gala will showcase Still, a powerful drama about a man whose life is spiralling out of control.

“In between these very special evenings, the main festival includes the usual mix of World Cinema, classics, documentaries, children’s films, audience favourites and more new British features. Many of the films will be introduced by the filmmakers, and there are also a number of special presentations, with speakers introducing topics as diverse as Houdini, Southend on Film, Cinemas in films and 1980s British horror films.”

For more details about the events and venues, and to book tickets, visit http://www.southendfilmfestival.com

3 April 2015 is certainly going to be a Good Friday for passengers using London Southend Airport, as that is the day the brand new 180-cover Lakers Restaurant & Bar opens in the Departure Lounge.

Lakers will be open daily from 4.30am until the departure of the final flight of the day, serving an extensive breakfast menu and wide selection of other hot meals and drinks.

Before flying, passengers will now be able to relax in comfy booths or at a variety of tables to enjoy dishes such as a Full English Breakfast (or a healthy option Fresh Fruit Platter) plus British Pub Classics such as Fish’n’Chips, Steak Pie, Sausage and Mash or Burger along with a pint of draught Budweiser, Stella, Boddingtons, Guinness or Strongbow, or something from the Wine and Champagne list.

The eagerly awaited  restaurant is named after the legendary Sir Freddie Laker who based his famous Skytrain service at the airport in the 1960’s (alongside British United Air Ferries) creating what became the world’s busiest air route, Southend to Ostend.  This airport heritage is reflected in the décor, which features framed vintage pictures of Sir Freddie and London Southend Airport in the 1960’s.

The 460 square metre air-conditioned restaurant - which has taken just under 4 months and £1 million to develop - has free Wi-Fi throughout, plus a phone / laptop charging bar. It has also created 25 new, local jobs.

Head of Catering Darren Cook says “We have worked really hard designing the layout and the menu of Lakers to ensure there really is something for all of our passengers – from those who want to sit and relax with a good-quality meal before jetting off on holiday to business people who just want to stand at the bar and enjoy a quick drink.”

London Southend Airport MD Jon Horne says “This major development of these facilities now offers our customers at ‘Simply easier’ London Southend Airport something they have been asking us for. We’ve been named ‘Which? ‘’Best Airport in Britain’ over the past 2 years, and in both surveys customers identified our catering offer as something that we needed to develop and expand. Having listened we have made a significant investment in creating the new Lakers Restaurant & Bar, which will bring a whole new enjoyable experience to our passengers.”