Cineworld today announced that it has reached agreement to open a new state-of-the-art 12 screen cinema in Southend, which will become the centrepiece of the proposed retail and leisure scheme at Fossetts Farm.

The development forms part of wider plans by Martin Dawn Plc to construct a new football stadium for Southend United and comprises 35 retail units, 10 restaurants and over 1000 free car parking spaces. 

The multiplex will be home to a minimum of 2,000 seats arranged across 12 full height auditoria. Cineworld will provide its unique Super Screen theatre, which includes a wall to wall screen, dual projectors for a brighter 3D experience and Dolby surround-sound.

Martin Dawn Plc is in advanced discussions with British Land plc to forward fund the first phase of development, including the new stadium. British Land Plc is the UK’s largest listed owner and manager of retail space and a market leader in the design and development of Shopping Parks.

Cineworld’s Property Director, Kevin Frost, commented: “We are delighted to have found the perfect home for our Southend cinema. British Land is an ongoing partner of ours and we are looking forward to working with them again, whilst also providing synergy with the club's plans. The A127 location will allow us to serve customers in both Southend and Basildon, and the proposed scheme will give us the room to offer our new customers the full choice of movies and formats available.”

Southend United’s Chairman, Ron Martin, commented: “The club's relocation plans have been a long time in gestation. In view of the uncertainty that has surrounded the regeneration of Roots Hall, the club's current ground, for a mixed Retail/Residential development, the proposal with British Land will breath fresh air into the project. 

"In addition to placing Southend United on the football map, this development will also make a significant contribution to the town's attraction and economy."

For more information on Cineworld Cinemas, please visit: www.cineworld.com

London Southend Airport has beaten all other UK airports for the third year running to once again be named ‘Best in Britain’ in the latest Which? airport passenger survey. 

Southend topped the poll with a customer score of 86% – a 1% increase on last year – and a maximum five star rating in four of the seven categories assessed (queues at bag drop, queues at security, passport control and baggage reclaim).

Other London airports were left lagging further down the table – with 40% Stansted and Luton tied at the bottom to share the title of ‘Britain’s Worst Airports’, with passengers marking them down for queues, overcrowding and a lack of seating.

In summer 2015, 11,226 Which? members were asked to complete an online survey about their experiences of flying from a UK airport in the past year. Categories surveyed included queues at Check-In, Bag Drop and Airport Security, Baggage Reclaim, Seating, Food Outlets and Passport Control. Customer scores are 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 that owns London Southend Airport said: “To be named ‘Best Airport in Britain’ for the third year running is wonderful news and once again testament to all the hard work that the team here at London Southend has put in.”

“Our unique ‘Simply Easier’ promises to passengers that include short walking distances, superb customer service, a lack of queues compared to other London Airports, our own station and car parks right next to the terminal, with fast and frequent train services to the heart of London every 20-minutes are all key factors in our success over the last three years and why more and more passengers are repeatedly choosing London Southend Airport over all the others.”

For more information visit the Which? website.

Extra services, state-of-the-art trains, free wi-fi and reduced overcrowded are all being demanded by the Government as it launches a tender for the East Anglia rail franchise today.

Bidders for the next franchise – which includes the notorious Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street route – will be required to:

• Introduce 180 additional weekly services, running on Mondays to Sundays, to stations including Southend, Cambridge, Norwich, Stansted Airport and London Liverpool Street;
• Dramatically improve the quality of trains running on East Anglia’s network, providing a modern service with state-of-the-art trains - extra points will be awarded to bidders who include plans to trial new technologies in rolling stock;
• Bring in free Wi-Fi for all passengers across the network;
• Meet challenging targets to reduce crowding on the busiest services;
• End the practice of flushing toilets on the tracks.
  

In addition, for the first time in a franchise, the government will directly set challenging customer service targets for the operator and will monitor progress through independent ‘mystery shopper’ exercises and passenger surveys, with the operator expected to show clear year-on-year improvements. A financial penalty will be imposed if targets are not met. Until now, it had been up to the East Anglia operator to set its own targets for customer service and to report back to government.

Rail Minister Claire Perry said: “For too long, passengers in East Anglia have not had the high-quality rail services that they deserve. Our ambitious requirements will change that by making journeys significantly better than they are now. These plans will also ensure that East Anglia finally has a rail network that supports its growing economy.

“We have set out what we want to see bidders deliver as a minimum, but we are looking for bids that exceed our expectations wherever possible. It is now for the industry to step up to the challenge and tell us how they will make this happen.

“Bidders will also be required to provide plans to end the practice of flushing waste onto the tracks by fitting controlled emission toilets to all trains. They will also be expected to invest heavily in improving stations, as well as creating a £9.5 million ‘Customer and Communities Improvement Fund’ to benefit passengers and the local community.”

Three train operators have been shortlisted to compete to take over the franchise:

• A joint venture between Abellio and Stagecoach
  
• First Group
  
• National Express
  

The government expects to announce the successful bidder in summer next year, with the new nine-year franchise due to start from October 2016.

An 84-year-old bowls club could get a new Southend headquarters if plans are agreed by the council’s cabinet next week (Tuesday 22nd September).

Councillors are considering a plea to help Southchurch Park Bowls Club build a brand new pavilion on the existing site.

Club members are seeking grant funding from Sport England to buy an off-the-shelf timber building to replace their existing pavilion which is as old as the club itself.

The council-owned pavilion is now in need of some repairs, estimated to cost around £20,000.

Instead of repairing it, the club has asked the council to consider demolishing the old building.

The costs are comparable for both but a new building would be operated under a lease agreement by the club and offer a more secure and sustainable future.

Councillors will consider allocating £20,000 to help get the new pavilion off the ground.

Executive Councillor for Enterprise, Tourism and Economic Development, Councillor Graham Longley said: “Southchurch Park is a major attraction in the town and has been awarded a prestigious Green Flag, so we need to make sure the facilities offered there are kept up to a high standard.

“We are very happy to work with Southchurch Bowls Club over its efforts to obtain a new pavilion.

“This new structure would improve the existing facilities and enable them to be used all year round by the club as well as the wider community.

“The Club has undertaken detailed research and taken advice about funding opportunities to help in this quest. We are obliged to repair the old building, but we feel it would be more beneficial to spend this sum on helping facilitate the new pavilion instead.

“The design of the building, the terms of the lease and other details will need to be discussed and agreed through the usual processes such as planning in due course.”

easyJet has today announced it is launching a new route to the French capital from London Southend Airport.

Flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle are on sale from today and will operate four times per week throughout the year.

Flights start on 26 February 2016.

The route is expected to be popular amongst leisure and business passengers travelling from London Southend and easyJet is expected to fly 50,000 passengers between the destinations annually.

easyJet now has 17 destinations on sale from London Southend.

Neil Slaven, Commercial Manager at easyJet, said “We’re delighted to be adding a new route to Paris. Our Paris routes have proved extremely popular in both the summer and winter owing to its world famous attractions and its global status for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture. There is a growing demand for short and long breaks in Paris and we are able to make it convenient to reach both sides of the route and to provide value for British and French consumers. Expanding our operations between London Southend and Charles De Gaulle shows our commitment to make travel easy and affordable for leisure and business travellers from the airport.”

Glyn Jones, CEO Stobart Aviation, said “It is great news that easyJet is introducing a new service to and from London Southend. After introducing Lyon and Lanzarote earlier this year, this is an exciting development. This will provide even greater choice for passengers flying from the airport and we wish them every success.“

Flights can be booked now at www.easyjet.com

Councils across Greater Essex have submitted a joint bid to Government setting out their ambition for devolved powers.
 
Signed by all 15 authorities, including Essex County Council and unitary authorities Southend and Thurrock, the bid sets out how by working together, with increased freedoms and flexibilities from government, Greater Essex can:
 

• Create the fastest growing economy outside London, increasing  economic output from £32.5bn to £60bn and increasing exports by 100%
• Meet the housing needs set out within local plans, with greater quality and reliability of delivery
• Develop key transport hubs such as London Stansted, Southend Airport and port clusters in the north and south of Essex.
• Create a new infrastructure fund working alongside housing and economic growth strategies, so that wherever possible infrastructure is in place before new development.
• Increase by 20% the number of higher apprenticeships completed, focussing on growth sectors such as aviation, logistics, and medical technologies.
• Enter into a gainshare agreement with government in which additional revenues generated through local growth would be shared between local and national partners, helping pay for infrastructure and services.

 
 Cllr David Finch, Leader of Essex County Council said: “For too long the decisions which impact on the needs and aspirations of the people and businesses in Essex have been taken in Whitehall.  With our local knowledge and democratic accountability we can do better.
 
“Our ambition is for Greater Essex to become the fastest growing UK economy outside London, that delivers the opportunity of a high quality standard of living for our residents, with increased and accelerated local and national dividends which are re-invested into world-class public services and infrastructure.
  
“This is an opportunity to become a true economic powerhouse, whilst collectively having a greater say on the issues that matter to all Essex residents. The aims we have set out are ambitious, but achievable and are underpinned by a new approach to investment which will enable us to become increasingly self-sufficient of government grant.”
 
The bid also outlines how the powers would be governed, with a ‘Combined Authority’ running alongside economic growth boards.
 
Nicola Beach, Chief Executive of Braintree District Council speaking on behalf of the Greater Essex Partnership, added: “A combined authority is a strategic body running alongside existing councils and is made up of representatives from each Council.

“Given the diverse nature of the Greater Essex economies, it is important we have an approach that supports our natural economic markets, whether they are rural, coastal, the Thames Gateway, commuter belt or part of the London-Cambridge corridor.
 
“Creating a bespoke Combined Authority alongside our strategic growth areas will allow for greater collaboration across Essex on the big issues. We will be submitting further detail on implementation in the coming weeks, and if successful this would see the formation of a legally binding deal in the New Year.”

Stobart Aviation – which operates London Southend Airport and also Carlisle Lake District Airport – has appointed two aviation industry specialists to spearhead its operations.

Glyn Jones has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Stobart Aviation and Jon Horne as Chief Operating Officer, with effect from 1 September 2015. Both bring a wealth of experience of the aviation and logistics industries to their new roles.

Glyn Jones has worked in a number of senior roles, including Managing Director at both Luton and Bournemouth Airports, as well as Palletline, and Commercial Director at DHL International. 

Glyn said “The opportunity to lead Stobart Aviation to the next stage of its development is really exciting. I’m looking forward to working with Jon and the team, who have already done a great job, to drive our business forward and, especially, to see London Southend Airport continue growing into something very special.”

Jon Horne first started working in the aviation industry in 1973 as an Air Traffic Control Assistant and has remained within the industry ever since. Rising through the ranks, he was the Chief Executive of Cardiff International Airport prior to joining the Stobart Group’s London Southend operation in March 2015 as Interim Managing Director. 

Jon said “In the short time I have been at London Southend Airport it is clear to me that the potential is tremendous and I am excited at the opportunity it represents. With Glyn joining the team I am looking forward to working together to realise that potential.”

Over £120 million has been invested in London Southend Airport by owner Stobart Group since it was acquired in 2008. New facilities include a station adjacent to the terminal on the London Liverpool Street line, an Air Traffic Control Tower, radar, terminal building, runway extension and a 4-star Holiday Inn. ‘Simply Easier’ London Southend Airport was voted Which? Magazine ‘Best Airport in Britain’ in both 2013 and 2014.

Stobart Group CEO Andrew Tinkler said “I’m confident Glyn has the talent, energy and experience to secure our progress for years to come. Jon brings his already proven technical knowledge, expertise and approachability to work in partnership with Glyn.”

He added “I see the success of London Southend Airport as a key part of our growth strategy and I firmly believe the combined skills of Glyn and Jon, alongside the existing team, will provide the platform to achieve our ambition. The airport has gone from strength to strength over the past three years since we commenced passenger operations and we are now well set to build on our current 1 million passengers per annum.”