easyJet has today announced that it is launching a new route from Southend Airport to Lyon in France.

Flights from Southend to Lyon will operate weekly throughout this winter, starting 12th December 2015. Tickets are on sale from today from £21.49 per person one-way.

Responding to the announcement, Southend Airport owner Stobart said that the target is to handle 2.5 million passengers a year from Southend by 2018. Last month Stobart reported that the airport had served 1.09m passengers in the year to February 28.

A statement from Stobart added: “It is typical for an airline to increase and decrease the number of flights it runs from an airport in order to determine what the optimum capacity is for a particular route.

“London Southend Airport is currently working through this process with easyJet, and this has resulted in a short term fall in passenger numbers.

“In the three months to May 31, passenger numbers decreased by 58,000 year-on-year to 231,000, but each flight has more passengers on it, and revenue per passenger increased during the period.

“This is a direct result of the work the airport has been performing with easyJet to ensure they achieve optimum capacity on existing flights and are confident to build new routes.

“This growing relationship means that new routes should be announced over the coming months and has been demonstrated by easyJet’s announcement today that it will launch a new route to Lyon from London Southend..”

Earlier this month Adria Airways also started a new service to Maribor in Slovenia three times a week from London Southend Airport.

Visit the easyJet website here to view the latest holiday offers.

A range of exciting projects are being proposed as part of Southend’s new Parks and Green Spaces Strategy.

The five-year strategy, which will be considered by the Council’s Cabinet tomorrow (Tuesday), aims to safeguard and enhance the borough’s open spaces.

Projects being considered include creating community orchards, boosting tree donations, increasing educational visits and developing wildlife schemes, using recycled materials such as granite kerb edgings in parks, restoring Southchurch Hall, re-landscaping Southchurch Park, encouraging more volunteering, and more.

There will also be management plans to maintain and improve parks, as well as increasing the numbers of events and activities there.

If agreed, there will be a 12- week public consultation about the proposals so residents, stakeholders and partners can have their say about it too.

Graham Longley, Executive Councillor for Enterprise, Tourism and Economic Development, said: “Parks and open spaces are vital for the health and well-being of residents of all ages as well as adding immeasurably to Southend’s attractions as a visitor destination – and providing a haven for wildlife.

“In this difficult financial climate it is essential that we find innovative ways to make sure we protect and develop these green lungs of our town which are becoming increasingly important.”

The strategy’s five key points are:

·         To provide and maintain good quality parks and open spaces

·         To connect these spaces with a well-maintained and attractive street scene

·         To provide recreation and sports facilities to encourage active, healthy lifestyles

·         To protect and promote our natural green heritage and biodiversity, preserving it for future generations

·         To encourage community involvement in the development and management of green spaces

It also sets out the following important standards:

·         To ensure that all residents have easy access to a public open space of at least 0.2 hectares

·         To provide one hectare of public open space per 1,000 people

·         To adopt the Green Flag quality criteria for its major destination parks and open spaces

You can download a PDF of the proposed strategy here.

 Information about how to take part in the subsequent consultation will be publicised when this is launched later in the year.

Heath House and Carby House, two derelict buildings on Victoria Avenue in central Southend, have finally been sold to a private developer.

Southend Council has been demanding action for a number of years and in November 2014 agreed to prepare the case for using compulsory purchase powers as a last resort if development of the site was not forthcoming. Following this, the owner marketed the properties on the basis of the existing planning permission which has now led to the sale.

To allow the sale to go ahead, the council has confirmed to the new buyer that it has taken away the threat of compulsory purchase provided that works start on site within six months of the sale.

 Cllr Ron Woodley, leader of the council, said: “The joint administration made a clear promise to local people to tackle the blight of Victoria Avenue and these two eyesore buildings.  We have been putting considerable pressure on the owners to either make progress on a scheme or face a potential compulsory purchase order and this approach has proven successful.

“A CPO was always a last resort as they are lengthy, time consuming and costly.  I am therefore delighted that we do not now have to intervene and that a local development company will take forward plans to regenerate what is a gateway to the town, without the need for direct council intervention or public money.

“This is very good news indeed and we are confident that the new buyer, which is well known to the local area, will bring forward a redevelopment based on the existing planning permission that will provide much needed new housing and regenerate a derelict site.”

A further update on the developer and their plans for the site will be provided in the coming weeks.

Stand by to honour past, present and future members of the Armed Forces in Southend on Saturday and Sunday 27th and 28th June.

This annual celebration features a military parade and open air service, as well as the chance to support military organisations at stalls in the Victoria Shopping Centre

To introduce this special event, the Mayor of Southend, Councillor Andrew Moring will raise the Armed Forces Flag at 10am at Southend Civic Centre on Monday 22nd June.

Armed Forces Veterans will join him at this ceremony where the Royal Artillery gun will also be in evidence.

This will play an additional role during the open air service on Saturday 27th June when it will be fired at 11am and 11:02am to mark the beginning and end of the two minutes silence being observed to remember those lost in armed conflicts.

The open air service will follow a military parade which starts at 10:30am near the railway bridge across Southend High Street, and will march towards Victoria Circus. 

Among those in the parade will be Armed Forces Veterans and members of Southend Sea Cadet Unit.

At 10:45am, the parade will arrive at Victoria Circus to be welcomed by the Worshipful the Mayor of Southend, Councillor Andrew Moring.

The service which follows will be led by the Rev Frank Smith, Chaplain to the Royal Artillery Association and the British Korean Veterans Association, and will include traditional hymns, the two minutes silence at 11am, the playing of the Last Post and Reveille.

It will be accompanied by Southend Boys and Girls Choirs, along with local singers and also Southend Band who will give a 40 minute performance when the service ends at 11:30am.

Executive Councillor for Enterprise, Tourism and Economic Development, Councillor Graham Longley said: “This Armed Forces weekend offers everyone a special opportunity to celebrate members of the Armed Forces past, present and future, and to say thank you to them. 

“We hope as many people as possible will come along to take part in the events, by watching the parade, taking part in the service, visiting the military organisation stalls in the Victoria Shopping Centre, or taking a look at the military vehicle display between 9am and 6pm on City Beach Southend Seafront on Sunday 28th June.

“These activities enable residents and visitors to meet members of the Armed Forces face to face, to show their gratitude and find out more about the service they have given.”

Council-owned leisure centres across Southend will be enhancing their range of services and become self-sufficient following the award of a new leisure management contract that will save the council £4 million over ten years.

Following a thorough procurement process, the council has awarded its Leisure Management Contract to Fusion Lifestyle, a charity that operates 85 facilities nationally.

The new contractor has committed to offering varied activities, including more outdoor activities in the summer, the promotion of healthier lifestyles, discounts on certain activities through the Council’s planned Advantage Card, a new ‘Tennis in the Parks’ scheme at Priory and Chalkwell Parks and an extension of a successful diving programme in partnership with the Amateur Swimmer Association.

Under the contract, Fusion Lifestyle will pay the Council for the use of its facilities, generating a new revenue stream that will put an end to the service needing a council-tax funded subsidy. This will result in a budget saving of over £4m in ten years.

The Contract includes the management and operation of the following leisure centres:

· Belfairs Swim Centre (BSC) – Dual Use Site with School

· Chase Sports & Fitness Centre (CSFC) – Dual Use Site with School

· Shoeburyness Leisure Centre (SLC) - Dual Use Site with School

· Southend Swimming & Diving Centre (SSDC) @ Southend Leisure & Tennis Centre (SLTC)

Cllr Graham Longley, Executive Councillor for Enterprise, Tourism and Economic Development, said: “The new contract is great news for the residents of Southend-on-Sea as we will be able to deliver a much enhanced service and take away the requirement for a tax payer funded subsidy.

“The existing pricing structure will remain in place and all leisure staff will keep their jobs with the new contractor.

“By making leisure services self-sufficient, we can ensure the future of this important and popular service but also better protect other much-valued front-line council services at a time of austerity. Officers have done a marvellous job to take this contract to the market and achieve such a great result.

“We would also like to thank Parkwood Leisure and its subcontractor Legacy Leisure for their professional service over the past 15 years and recognise their many achievements, including opening our state-of-the art swimming facility in November 2010 and hosting Team GB for pre-Olympic training in 2012. We now look forward to welcoming Fusion on board in July.”

Peter Kay, Chief Executive of Fusion Lifestyle, said “We are absolutely delighted to be entering into this long-term partnership with the Council and we look forward to working with the existing staff at the leisure facilities to deliver facility and service improvements.

“Fusion, as a charity, is dedicated to delivering high-quality community facilities and services, which are sustainable whilst also being inclusive and accessible. This means that we will be keen to encourage participation in sport and physical activity by all members of the local communities in the Borough.”

The new arrangements with Fusion Lifestyle will be in place from 1 July 2015. All existing staff will transfer over to Fusion Lifestyle. Centre users will be kept informed during the transition period.