Southend Council’s award winning sustainable transport team has been given a boost thanks to £750,000 of funding from the Department for Transport.

The announcement will allow the Council to build on its successful work which includes the ‘Ideas in Motion’ campaign and has already seen an 11% reduction in the number of people travelling to work by car or van and a 14% increase in the number of people walking to work.

The new funding will allow work on sustainable transport projects to continue, including more work on personal travel planning with partners at the local university, college and local businesses.

Other projects that the money will help to fund will include:

• Continuation of the Ideas in Motion campaign through the development of personal travel planning (PTP) smartphone app and targeted marketing to promote walking, cycling and public transport
• Providing on-site PTP advice, education and support to local companies, including developing workplace travel plans with them, higher education providers and job centres
• Joint project between the Council and Sustrans to embed cycling in the primary and secondary school curriculum
• Improving sustainable transport links through wayfinding and signage and encouraging the use of new walking and cycling routes
• Supporting a further social enterprise hub to complement the Comfy Saddle which is focused on rail passengers

Cllr Martin Terry, Executive Councillor for Public Protection, Waste and Transport, says: “It is great that this funding will allow us to continue the excellent work being done through campaigns like Ideas in Motion. This work is vital to help reduce the amount of cars on the road, save people money and encourage them to be healthier. It is also a boost to the local economy and will help to improve business efficiency by reducing congestion.

“The team have some exciting new ideas including working on a project to really embed cycling and its benefits into the schools’ curriculum locally. The money will also be used to build a new PTP smartphone app and promote walking, cycling and public transport.

“To work, these project need the backing of the local community, and I hope we can build on the success already achieved so people in Southend-on-Sea can enjoy better travel.”

Ideas in Motion was set up to help those people making changes in their travel habits share their ideas and they may find out a few hints and tips for themselves that will make life easier.

Ideas in Motion is underpinned by practical improvements to public transport in Southend including electronic timetables at bus stops and real time bus information being installed.

For more information, visit: http://www.ideasinmotionsouthend.co.uk/

Southend-on-Sea is to be benefit from over £50m of Local Growth funding (LGF) over the next six years.

The announcement from Government today follows the submission of the Growth Deal and Strategic Economic Plan by the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) in March 2014.

During the development of the Strategic Economic Plan, the Council prioritised a number of transport and non-transport projects which will enable economic growth.

Cllr Ron Woodley, Leader of the Council says: “I am delighted that the funding announced today will see over £50m of Growth funding coming into Southend over the next six years. This is thanks to all of the hard work put in by our council officers who have made this happen.

“It will enable further investments into the A127 across South Essex which will greatly benefit Southend-on-Sea and our future economic prosperity. This work will complement previous work already completed at Progress Road and Cuckoo Corner, and the upcoming work that will take place at the Nestuda Way junction this Summer.

“This funding will also help to deliver much needed interventions in Victoria Avenue which will help us to deliver on the long standing ambition to regenerate this important gateway to the town.”

Cllr Martin Terry, Executive Councillor for Public Protection, Waste and Transport, says: “This significant investment will help to improve infrastructure, support local businesses, keep our economy growing and our transport and roads moving. We look forward to receiving more of the detail of the announcement this week.”

Cllr Graham Longley, Executive Councillor for Enterprise, Tourism and Economic Development, says: “This is a tremendous boost to the local economy and will secure our economic prosperity into the future and help us build on the work that we are already doing through the City Deal, of which we are the only one with the SELEP area, and Regional Growth funding to support local businesses.”

Rob Tinlin, Chief Executive of the Council, says: “This is further demonstration from Government that Southend is a town and a council that delivers. This funding will help to improve infrastructure, the public realm and support the work that we are doing to create and safeguard jobs and skills in the Borough.

“It is also pleasing to see that Southend is receiving funding for Victoria Avenue and the growth hub, one of only two non-transport projects announced today.”

Of the projects prioritised in Southend the following have been named as recipients of funding:

• A127 Growth Corridor - capacity enhancements £35.6m (of the 33 transport schemes 5 are A127 ECC/Southend) 
• A local sustainable transport programme share of £5m
• Southend Central Area Action Plan (SCAAP) Growth Point - Growth Hub and Victoria Avenue development £6.7m
• SCAAP Growth Point - Transport improvements £7m (allocated in 16/17 and beyond)

For more details and information, visit: http://www.southeastlep.com/

AN AIRLINE has announced plans to move its flights from London City to Southend Airport.

Swiss-owned SkyWork Airlines says it will be switching its twice-daily flights from the Swiss capital, Bern, to the UK from London City Airport to Southend in October.

Announcing its winter schedule, the airline described Southend as “customer-friendly”, citing its peak-time eight train connections an hour to the centre of London as a major reason it is moving.

Graham Longley, councillor responsible for enterprise, tourism and economic regeneration, welcomed the news as a boost for the airport and the local economy.

He said: “It’s good to see the airport is continuing to keep up its level of success. I welcome all new services. People will be able to go even further from Southend.

“The airport continues to have a positive impact on the local economy. The important thing is it is very much a question of people flying out of the airport at the moment, but we want to see people flying back into the town as well.

“We are working with people on that basis.”

SkyWork flies from Bern to nine European destinations in the winter – Cologne/Bonn, London, Munich Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Hamburg and Vienna, In the summer, it also flies to Palma in Majorca.


Announcing its schedule, the airline said: “SkyWork Airlines has taken another important step towards a sustainable future and offers attractive connections to major European cities.”

All flights will be bookable online at flyskywork.com No one was available from Southend Airport to comment on the announcement.

Southend experienced a significant reduction in company closures over the first three months of the year, according to figures in the latest Duport Business Confidence Report for the area.

Between January and March, there were just 65 company closures, representing a 54% decrease compared to the same period in 2014. This also puts Southend well ahead of the UK as a whole, which saw a 6% rise in closures.

In further good news, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council has been successful in the second round of Coastal Communities Funding, gaining £1.25m to significantly enhance and diversify tourism in the area. This grant is excellent news for local traders, as a recent business survey revealed 28% of businesses in Southend said tourism was very important to their survival.

Managing Director of Duport.co.uk, Peter Valaitis said: "A drop in closures suggests that trading conditions in Southend-on-Sea are improving in the wake of the recession. The investment in tourism should help encourage greater footfall in the area, providing a further boost for local economy."

The Duport Business Confidence Report for Southend-on-Sea contains a range of data and statistics, from company formation numbers to new company naming trends. More information can be found at http://www.duport.co.uk/southendonsea.

Southend business owners who want to grow are being urged to attend a free leadership and management session next week at the Tickfield Centre.

Being run by Pro-Actions and the Council between 9am and Midday on Monday 7th July, the course will help business owners develop their leadership and management skills.

Cllr Graham Longley, executive councillor for enterprise, tourism and economic development, says: “As most business owners will know, as their company grows, so do most of the issues.

“Businesses tend to evolve over time and often the people running them end up in leadership and managerial roles, and away from what they are expert at. This free session will help business owners consider how to get the best from staff.

“This will be a down to earth and practical session and is a must for any business owner who is employing staff.  It is also another example of how the council is supporting the local business community, and follows hot on the heels of the recent launch of our Business Southend fund.”

The session will also cover what you need in place to ensure everyone understands and is committed to the job and the company, and how this can be developed.

Businesses can register now here: http://bit.ly/1lzf6Uk. 

Focal Point Gallery has successfully secured future funding from Arts Council England (ACE).

It was confirmed this morning that ACE would continue to support the gallery, as one of the UK’s National Portfolio Organisations.

The contemporary art gallery, which last year moved into The Forum Southend-on-Sea, alongside the public and academic libraries, will receive £550,000 over the next three years to continue to deliver a programme of exhibitions and offsite projects of an international standard in the heart of the town.

Joe Hill, who was recently appointed as the gallery’s new Director, says: “This funding comes at a crucial time for Southend’s cultural landscape and is recognition of all that has been achieved by the team at the gallery. With the opening of our new space last September, the number of high-profile artists with international reputations coming to work in the town is growing. Visitor numbers to our exhibitions have more than doubled and we’re developing closer relationships with other cultural organisations in the region. This funding ensures we can sustain and develop a crucial space for contemporary art in south Essex.”

Since opening in The Forum Southend-on-Sea, the gallery has staged solo exhibitions by 2012 Turner-Prize winner Elizabeth Price, Jemima Stehli and David Mabb. Permanent artworks were also created for the space, including an installation by Mike Nelson, commissioned furniture by Marc Camille Chaimowicz, a public artwork by American artist Allen Ruppersberg and a bespoke reception desk designed by Southend-born artist Tris Vonna-Michell, who is nominated for this year’s Turner Prize.

The gallery also commissions offsite projects around Southend, including the project ‘Hammer House’ by Simon Martin, currently spanning the High Street’s Railway Bridge. Free family events, film screenings, reading salons and art clubs for children and young people are also regularly on offer in the gallery.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s Executive Councillor for Enterprise, Tourism and Economic Development, Councillor Graham Longley said: “Focal Point Gallery is really helping to develop and extend Southend’s reach as a cultural destination. We are very pleased to see how well it is thriving in its new home at The Forum Southend-on-Sea – a major joint library and learning hub created by a unique partnership between the Council, the University of Essex and South Essex College. We wish Focal Point Gallery every success in its forthcoming ventures and hope as many people as possible will see the ground-breaking exhibitions at the gallery.” 

For more information, or high-res images, please contact focalpointgallery@southend.gov.uk or
call us on +44(0)1702 534108.

About Focal Point Gallery

Focal Point Gallery is south Essex’s only publicly funded gallery for contemporary visual art. It currently produces up to seven gallery exhibitions each year with a focus on the experimental and visionary use of lens-based media. Each programme includes a series of educational activities and aims to establish ongoing collaborations with international arts institutions and a wide range of local community groups.

Previously located on the second floor of Southend Central Library, the gallery moved to The Forum building in Elmer Square, just next to the town’s central railway station (trains run regularly from Fenchurch Street). The move was made possible through funding by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and Arts Council England’s capital funding. The gallery also receives regular support from both organisations and additional funding from other trusts and foundations.www.focalpoint.org.uk

Plans to shape the key development area around London Southend Airport for the next 15 years have begun their next phase.

A Government Planning Inspector held an examination in public (EIP) into the proposals for the London Southend Airport & Environs Joint Area Action Plan (JAAP).

He heard evidence from Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and Rochford District Council along with views about it given by residents, businesses and all other interested parties. This EIP was an opportunity for a round table discussion led by the inspector into the policies and proposals.

The Inspector wrote to the Councils after the EIP and suggested matters for further consideration. As a result, both Councils have put forward amendments to be considered by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s Cabinet tomorrow - Tuesday 1st July - and by a full meeting of Rochford District Council on the same day.

If agreed, there will then be a further eight-week consultation on these modifications to the JAAP. The amended document will then again be considered by the Inspector before he produces his Final Report on the ‘soundness’ of JAAP.

The JAAP includes policies for developing the airport, two new business parks and environment enhancements, as well as transport improvements and regeneration proposals.

The Council’s Executive Councillor for Regulatory Control, Mike Assenheim said: “The JAAP is essential to the future of Southend and Rochford and will determine how the area around London Southend Airport develops for the next 15 years.

“At each stage of the JAAP process we have asked people for their opinions and taken these into consideration when drafting the subsequent proposals.

“After members of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s Cabinet and Rochford District Council have considered the Government inspector’s suggested amendments - we again look forward to seeking peoples’ views on these changes at the next consultation.

“We know that earlier JAAP consultations created a great deal of interest, so we very much hope that when this next consultation opens shortly, residents will continue to share their views. These will be taken into account before the Inspector issues his Final Report on the JAAP.”

Rochford District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Planning, Councillor Keith Gordon added: “The regeneration of the airport has created massive employment opportunities and the realisation of the JAAP could create in the region of 6,000 additional jobs, as well as ensuring Rochford District and Southend benefit from infrastructure improvements accompanying development. 
  
“We are grateful for all the consultation responses we received throughout the JAAP process - these have helped develop it into a Plan that will deliver the best outcome for the area. 

“We are now nearing adoption of a final JAAP. Following the Government Inspector’s recommendations, we will be making some amendments to the Plan.  Whilst these do not entail significant changes to the direction of the JAAP, we nevertheless hope people will submit their comments on these when the upcoming consultation starts.”

Copies of the Cabinet report containing the Inspector’s amendments can be found at:www.southend.gov.uk.