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London's best airport is...Southend Airport

30/8/2017

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Southend Airport has been rated by far the best London terminal, leaving all  other airports in the region trailing, according to the latest Which? airport passenger survey.

It’s the fourth time the capital’s newest airport has topped the poll in the London region. This year it has boasted a customer score of 84% - 16% points more than the next closest airport, London City (68%). London Southend has also held the title for “Best Airport in the UK” for three years in a row (2013, 2014 and 2015 – Which? did not carry out the survey in 2016).

London Southend scored a maximum five-star rating for staff friendliness and helpfulness and also received four stars in another five out of eight categories assessed (baggage reclaim, seating, toilets, and queues at security and passport control).

By stark contrast, other London airports such as Heathrow and Gatwick struggled to satisfy just over half their passengers, with Stansted getting a miserable 38% and London Luton was named “Britain’s Worst Airport” out of 31 UK terminals surveyed. It scored just 29% - the lowest rating ever seen with passengers marking them down for queues, overcrowding and lack of seating.

London Southend has grown its network rapidly in 2017 and now boasts around 30 short-haul domestic and European routes served by easyJet, Flybe and Thomson, Recently additions  include Dublin, Manchester, Glasgow, Malta, Sion, Lyon, Milan, Budapest, Venice, Prague, Vienna, Reus, Perpignan, Dubrovnik, Zadar.

Which? members were asked to complete an online survey about their experiences of flying from a UK airport in the past year. Customer scores were based on a combination of overall satisfaction and how likely people are to recommend the airport to a friend.

Glyn Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Stobart Aviation, owners of London Southend Airport, said: “Of course we’re delighted our guests voted us by far the best in the capital. But it shows just how badly customers are being let down by aviation policy, which has led to appalling congestion both in the air and on the ground. This failure affects London passengers in particular and this survey reflects the frustration they’re suffering on a daily basis.

“By contrast, Which? members have recognized that London Southend offers a substantially better way to travel with up to seven trains an hour from London, a raft of new routes and exceptional service. They’re all key factors in our success and why more and more passengers are repeatedly choosing London Southend Airport over all the others.”

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Weekend Park & Ride pilot and new signage to relieve pressure on seafront

25/8/2017

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A new weekend Park & Ride pilot scheme is being trialled in Southend to help improve traffic flows at peak times.
 
Southend Council is trialling the new service, which will see visitors to the town being able to park at Southend Civic Centre car park on Victoria Avenue and then take the number 9 bus to the Kursaal on the seafront.
 
The new scheme will result in cheaper parking prices for families visiting the town and it is hoped that it will help reduce traffic generated by visitors to the seafront at busy times.
 
It will cost visitors only £3 to park all day at the Civic Centre, with the option of paying another £4 for return travel to the seafront for up to four people. Alternatively visitors also have the option of walking through the High Street and down to the seafront.  This compares to the £12 all day parking at the Seaways car park during peak season.
 
During the trial, payment must be made via the pay by phone Mobon app, which is a new online payment system being rolled out to car parks across the Borough. Motorists simply need to download the app, which is available on the App Store and Google Play, and purchase the time and location of the ticket you require. Alternatively, you can visit www.gomobon.com create an account and log in each time you park.
 
Once payment has been made, visitors will be sent confirmation either by text or email, which needs to be presented to the bus driver on the Number 9 service in return for their park and ride ticket. The service will take visitors from the bus stop on Victoria Avenue outside the Civic Centre to the Kursaal and back, running on the normal weekend timetable. The trial will start this Bank Holiday weekend and included Bank Holiday Monday.
 
New signs help visitors find free spaces

Alongside the new Park & Ride trial, the Council has now finished installing 19 new tourism signs, aimed at directing visitors to all the borough’s beaches. The signs are located between Cuckoo Corner and the Blue Flag beaches in Thorpe Bay and Shoeburyness.
 
Mobile digital signs have also been placed along the A127 on the approach to the Seaways Car Park. When seafront parking fills up, these signs will re-route drivers and direct them to town centre car parking at York Road and Tylers Avenue, which are just a ten-minute walk to the seafront.
 
Cllr Tony Cox, Executive Councillor for Transport, Waste and Regulatory Services, said: “Anyone who has been to Southend-on-Sea on a busy summer weekend will know that the seafront car parks can fill up quickly. This sometimes results in cars queuing out of the car parks and onto the highway.
 
“Through this Park and Ride pilot and new signage, we are exploring ways of encouraging and incentivising visitors to park up at underused car parks at the same time as making it quicker and cheaper for them to get onto one of our award-winning beaches.
 
“We will closely monitor the uptake of the Park & Ride pilot scheme over the coming weeks to help determine whether it is rolled out more comprehensively in future years.”
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Free public WiFi and "the Internet of Things" are coming to Southend

16/8/2017

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Free public WiFi is coming to Southend town centre from September, with users able to enjoy unlimited free browsing without running up large bills for data usage.

The next-generation wireless service from IntechnologyWiFi offers blanket, seamless connectivity for users. This is unlike the sporadic, patchy and expensive experience of hotspots. 

The wireless network will deliver a new digital dimension to the town’s economic and social wellbeing.  

It will also provide a new connectivity platform for high-tech applications to improve the quality of life for local residents as part of the emerging Smart City and Internet of Things industries.  

These could include schemes to improve parking intelligence and waste collection by using connected devices to gather and analyse data. 

Cllr Trevor Byford, Executive Councillor for Technology, said: “For our economy to flourish, we need to be at the cutting edge of new technology and we are committed to delivering new infrastructure to support innovation and enterprise. 

“Local businesses will be able to use the network to better engage with customers, adopt new technology and become more productive.

“The network will improve the overall visitor experience in the town and help Southend-on-Sea compete as an attractive destination for retail and leisure.

“It will also increase social inclusion by making the internet free and accessible to anyone in the area of coverage.”

Further information on the WiFi service can be found at www.southendfreewifi.com.

Accompanying the wireless network will be the launch of a clever new mobile application, called Citi-Wise, for residents and visitors to quickly find restaurants, attractions new, exciting and offbeat activities in and around Southend. Citi-Wise will also support future services deployed through the wireless network.

Digital exclusion is becoming a social problem for Britain with an estimated 5.3m adults who have never used the internet. 

The forthcoming service in Southend will provide residents with better access to key services and employment and education opportunities. 

Natalie Duffield, chief executive of IntechnologyWiFi, said: “Our free-to-use network will provide universal connectivity to everyone in Southend-on-Sea, helping them to feel more connected and engaged, whether they are residents or visitors, and allowing them to access the services and benefits available in the digital world.

“Southend-on-Sea Borough Council is a forward-looking organisation and we are excited about working in partnership to realise its vision to support economic development, local businesses, community engagement and social and digital inclusion.”

The free-to-use service is being rolled out in September. There is no charge to the taxpayer. 

IntechnologyWiFi works with local authorities across the UK to offer a ‘digital window to the city’ to engage with users and provide services to support and encourage social and economic activities and the growth of the digital economy. 

The platform is made up of six elements: blanket, seamless connectivity; a lifestyle mobile application called Citi-Wise; a data and analytics engine; small cell access nodes and 5G readiness; research and innovation growth and brand partnerships. 

Southend Council has granted IntechnologyWiFi a concession to deploy, monitor and maintain wireless equipment on street furniture and buildings owned by the local authority and partners in the town centre. 
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Jamie and Jimmy return to Southend Pier

10/8/2017

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Jamie Oliver and Jimmy Doherty are filming a new series of Friday Night Feast on Southend Pier, and here’s your chance to be a part of the action.

The hugely successful show, whose previous celebrity guests have included Usain Bolt, Orlando Bloom and Kate Hudson, will be recording throughout September.
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So if you like delicious food and celebrities get an application form by emailing fnfdiners@jamieoliver.com

All applicants must be 18 years or over and be legally resident in the UK. Terms and conditions apply. You can only apply once, so please only send one completed application form. Not all applicants will be contacted beyond the additional application form.

You will need to make your own travel and accommodation arrangements to get to the location in Southend-on-Sea. No travel or accommodation costs will be covered by the production company.

Due to the location being over a mile out to sea, on the end of Southend Pier, you must be able to make your own way to the end of the pier in the event of the pier train being out of service.

Your application will be received by a member of Fresh One Productions and they will contact you directly. Fresh One Productions will process your personal data in accordance with their privacy policy.

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Family fun at Estuary huts on the pier

9/8/2017

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Residents and visitors are flocking to new Estuary beach huts on the pier, offering a selection of different activities for the whole family.

The ten huts, which are a mix of retail units and micro-art exhibitions, opened their doors earlier this summer offering old seafront classics such as seafood, sweets and various unique flavours of rock such as marmite, fish and chips, gin and tonic, scrumpy, and candy floss.

The micro-art exhibitions, in collaboration with METAL, offer the opportunity to view poignant art from local artists, portraying the beauty of Southend in a small, unique environment.

You can also enjoy a refreshing selection of alcoholic drinks at the bar hut.

The Estuary huts also see the long-awaited return of chips to the pier, following this traditional seaside snack not having been seen there for over ten years. With a cone of chips costing just £2.00 and twenty different free dips to choose from, there is a taste available for every palate.

Cllr Ann Holland, Executive Councillor for Culture, Tourism and the Economy, said: “The pier is such a local treasure, and in this record-breaking year for pier visitor numbers it is essential we continue to offer residents and visitors fresh opportunities to mix things up.

“The Estuary huts are a fun and quirky way of bringing more people to our town, and more specifically our remarkable seafront. Being able to walk around the pier with some fresh chips is a real reminder of our heritage.

“The continued regeneration around the pier and seafront this year is a real statement of intent and we are confident our ambitions can become reality.”
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Follow this link for opening times of the Pier.

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New multi-storey car park given the green light

4/8/2017

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Southend Council’s Development Control Committee has given permission for the council to demolish an ageing car park on Victoria Avenue and build a new multi-storey car park with more spaces in its place.

The new car park, next to the Beecroft Gallery, will be offering 331 spaces in total for council staff, residents and visitors, including 13 dedicated disabled spaces.

Cllr Tony Cox, Executive Councillor for Transport, Waste & Regulatory Services, said: “The current car park behind the Beecroft Gallery is ageing and would require significant amounts of money to repair.

“Instead, we have decided to invest in replacing it with a larger, more attractive one that will better serve this central part of town that is seeing significant regeneration and development.

“Many staff working at the nearby Civic Centre currently use this car park and this is set to increase if plans to develop part of another staff car park behind the Civic Centre go ahead.

“This new car park will re-provide any displaced spaces for Council staff while still increasing the number of public spaces available, especially during weekends and evenings when far fewer Council staff are in the office and when visitor demand is at its highest.”

More details available here - http://democracy.southend.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=135&MId=2555
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