Abellio Greater Anglia is to invest over £10 million in a new programme of customer-focused service improvements across its network. The initiatives will cover a range of projects from refreshing carriages to leasing additional vehicles, recruiting extra cleaning staff, additional investment in performance improvement schemes and upgrading ticket gates. The upgrades are in addition to the £20 million programme of enhancements announced earlier this year as part of the company's new short franchise to October 2016.

The investment will include:

•    A refresh for the 24 Class 317/6 trains used on the West Anglia routes between London and Hertford, Harlow, Bishops Stortford and Cambridge, with new seat covers and re-painting of the carriage interiors (including grab handles and luggage racks);

•    New seat covers for the 21 Class 360 trains used on the Great Eastern Main Line between London and Chelmsford, Colchester, Clacton and Ipswich (provided through a partnership scheme with Siemens and Angel Trains);

•    Hire of an additional set of intercity MkIII carriages to improve vehicle availability and maintain planned seating capacity during the MkIII refurbishment programme which begins in January;

•    Replacement of the automatic ticket gates at London Liverpool Street, Shenfield, Southend Victoria, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and Harlow stations to provide new, better, more efficient gates - which will also enable the introduction of more mobile ticketing, print-at-home ticketing and future smart-ticketing schemes;

•    Recruitment of an additional 40 cleaning staff (including 8 roving on-train cleaners to work mainly on Southend and Clacton trains);

•    Recruitment of 10 extra customer service staff at stations including London Liverpool Street, Billericay, Wickford, Chelmsford, Clacton, Norwich and Cambridge to provide additional customer assistance and information;

•    Introduction of 6 additional staff at Ilford and Norwich to repair train interior faults (such as damage to or problems with seats, tables, toilets, lighting or wall panels);

•    Recruitment of 6 additional catering staff for the trial of an at-seat catering service in First Class carriages on three morning and evening peak trains in each direction on the Norwich to London intercity services;

•    Wireless mobile public address systems at 8 stations (Bishops Stortford, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich, Shenfield and Witham) to enable customer service staff to make announcements whilst out on the platforms;

•    Additional investment in standby buses to provide support for missed connections at Ipswich, Norwich  and Witham in the event of service disruption;

•    A refresh for the waiting rooms at the stations between Southend and Billericay and at Witham and Ipswich.

Jamie Burles, Managing Director of Abellio Greater Anglia, said: "We are totally committed to delivering a better service for our customers, focusing on those areas they prioritise as important. This extensive package of service improvements represents a major investment in key areas of service delivery including the on-train travelling environment, cleaning, seating capacity and performance. In a short term franchise we will now be investing over £30 million in customer-focused enhancements aimed at continuously improving the quality of the train service our passengers experience."

Work has started on a project to transform the second and third floors of Southend’s former library into a “business incubation hub”.

Southend Council has appointed local contractor A.W Hardy & Co. Ltd to carry out the work, which includes building an initial nine flexible incubation units of 46-115m2, at least 34 hot-desks desks and shared meeting and conference space. 

Contractors aim to complete construction at the building in Victoria Avenue before the spring.

The £651,325 for the project is coming entirely from the grant that Southend Council successfully secured from central Government’s City Deal Fund last year.

Cllr Graham Longley, Executive Councillor for Enterprise Tourism and Economic Regeneration, said: “Southend has an encouragingly high business start-up rate. The new incubation hub will provide flexible space at reasonable rates for these fledgling businesses, and will nurture them with the right environment and support to give them every chance of becoming the major employers of tomorrow. Furthermore, as they grow, these businesses may wish to move into the new commercial space we have planned at the Airport Business Park as part of our Joint Area Action Plan with Rochford District Council.

“Southend has an amazing entrepreneurial spirit, enviable connections to our capital and a growing number of European destinations via our international airport, and a high quality of life for its residents.

“It’s a great place to work, live and play and we will not be shy on selling this unique proposition to attract entrepreneurs – both home-grown and from further afield - with the courage and vision to become part of our town’s unfolding renaissance.”

This is the second phase of work to redevelop the former library. The first phase involved converting the basement, ground and first floors into gallery spaces to house the Beecroft Art Collection. Building work was completed in June last year, with the gallery opening to the public this August this year.

Space at the Incubation Hub will be very flexible, offering opportunities for hot-desking up to renting more formal office space. As the Council’s “Business Southend” team will also be relocating to the Incubation Hub, it will offer unrivalled access to business support services.

The Beecroft Gallery will remain open during the entirety of the construction work though some noise is to be expected.

Anyone interested in finding out more about space at the Incubation Hub should contact Southend Council’s Economic Development team on economicd@southend.gov.uk or call 01702 215022.

Southend Council’s Place Scrutiny Committee is calling a special meeting to review the performance of train operator Abellio Greater Anglia and its proposals for improving services.

At the meeting on 4 December, Abellio Greater Anglia’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Jonathan Denby and Stakeholder Manager, Paul Oxley, will present an update on their franchise and outline their future plans. This will be followed by a period for members of the council to ask questions.

In April this year, the Department for Transport confirmed that Abellio Greater Anglia, which took control of the Great Eastern Main Line in February 2012 would keep its franchise - which had been due to expire in July – until at least October 2016. It was reported in the media that the company planned to invest £20m into train services along its line, which runs through Southend, Billericay, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Braintree and Colchester. New carriages, the introduction of online compensation service for season ticket holders and improvements to train performance were among its proposals.

Chair of the committee and season ticket holder, Cllr Mark Flewitt, said: “As someone who uses this line every week day to commute to work, I know first-hand some of the service issues that rail-users on this line experience.

“I welcomed the announcement earlier in the year that Abellio Greater Anglia were investing significantly in improving services and I’m keen to establish continued dialogue between those responsible for services, rail users and other stakeholders, such as councillors and the Public Transport & Buses Working party.

“I am grateful to Abellio Greater Anglia for agreeing to present at this meeting and look forward to forming a positive and constructive working relationship with them in future.”

All members of Southend Council are welcome to attend this meeting and ask questions. Usual scrutiny committee rules apply and, although members of the public are welcome to attend, questions will not be taken from the public gallery. However, members of the public are welcome to email their questions or comment to the Committee Chair, Mark Flewitt on cllrflewitt@southend.gov.uk or ask their ward councillor to put forward their questions on their behalf.

Southend Council planning officers have won the title of “Development Management Team of the Year 2014” at a major industry award ceremony in London.

The team was praised by judges at the Planning Awards 2014 for the way they “juggled a wide range of demands in handling 2,000 planning and related applications in the last year”. They went on to say that they were “impressed with how a development management team can be dynamic, engaging and make a difference”.

The team was also commended in the Strategic Planning Award category, largely for their work on the Council’s joint plans with Rochford District Council to develop business space for over 6,000 new jobs in the area round Southend International Airport.

Peter Geraghty, Head of Planning and Transport, said: “I am delighted and proud that our planning team have been successful and their tremendous contribution has been recognised at a national level.

“Planning is an area of work that retains a high level of interest both locally and nationally and it requires skilled and expert professionals to deliver. It is great that the quality of the Council’s planning service has been recognised in this way.”

Councillor Mike Assenheim, Executive Councillor for Regulatory Control, echoed Mr Geraghty’s sentiments. He said: “This award confirms what those close to the planning team have known for quite some time: that we have a top-notch team of planners who consistently deliver, often in challenging circumstances.

“Councillors rely on sound advice from planners in order to ensure we can make the right decisions for the future prosperity of the town.

“This award gives me a great deal of reassurance that the advice and guidance councillors receive from officers is the best in its class at a time when we make crucial decisions about the town’s regeneration. I would like to personally congratulate the team for this well-deserved recognition.”

National Express train operator c2c has again been named the UK’s most punctual rail company, according to the latest figures released by Network Rail.

In the four weeks to Saturday 8 November – the last day of c2c’s old franchise – 96.9% of c2c trains arrived on time. This was more than any other UK train operator, and compares to the UK average of 84.5% punctuality. Over the past year, c2c’s overall punctuality stands at 96.3% – again the best performance in the country.

Last week c2c started its new 15-year franchise under National Express. In addition to new passenger improvements like WiFi and smart ticketing, c2c has included tough new punctuality targets and increased compensation when passengers are delayed. From 2016, c2c will become the UK’s first rail company to offer automatic compensation to registered passengers who are delayed for as little as two minutes.

c2c Managing Director Julian Drury said: “We finished the old c2c franchise exactly where we wanted to be: as the UK’s number one rail company for punctuality. We’re now aiming to retain that reputation for punctuality, while adding other improvements like extra capacity, new ways to pay for travel, and more compensation when passengers are delayed.”

Today’s punctuality figures for the Public Performance Measure, the official rail industry measure of performance, are published by Network Rail.

Southend Airport’s terminal extension has been rated ‘Very Good’ under the world’s foremost environmental assessment and rating system for buildings.

When planning permission was originally granted to the airport’s owners, Stobart Group, both Southend Borough and Rochford District Councils stipulated that the new building must achieve a BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) certificate to the equivalent of ‘Very Good’.

This has now been achieved with an overall score of 57.9%.

Launched in 2009, BREEAM is the longest-established and most widely used method of assessing, rating and certifying the sustainability of buildings. It is also used to encourage architects, builders and clients to work together to deliver low carbon and low impact designs that minimise energy demands created by the building itself, whilst maximising energy efficiency and utilising low carbon technologies.

A project’s overall BREEAM score is based on ten criteria; with categories including Land Use & Ecology, Water and Materials.

Commenting on how London Southend Airport earned its Very Good certificate, Operations Director Jason Ivey said: “We looked to introduce a number of features into the terminal extension that reflected both Councils’ wishes and those of the general public. 10% of the building’s energy is sourced by renewables. We achieve this via the (solar)PV panels on the terminal’s roof and air source heat pumps which absorb heat from the outside air and then use it to warm the interior of the building.  Even if the temperature is as low as -15° C outside, these remarkable devices can create heat from natural resources. We have also constructed a cycle shelter and created a wildflower meadow to increase the biodiversity around the site and raise the overall ecological value of the airport’s perimeter.”

The Stobart Group also utilised a number of cutting edge, energy-efficient methods to boost the new terminal’s environmental credentials. These included water and energy monitoring meters, thermal modelling in the early design stages to understand how the new terminal building would perform in terms of energy consumption and carbon emissions and timber sourced in accordance with the Government’s stringent procurement policy. The build itself was conducted under the Considerate Construction Scheme

Jason added “There are a number of crucial and key factors one has to consider when embarking on a project of this nature. The building has to be people-focused, fully functional for the needs of the aircraft and aircrews and environmentally responsible. The BREEAM UK certificate says that we got it right and not only that, we did the job very well. That is testimony to our commitment to delivering on all our promises and commitments to London Southend’s customers and partners in the local area.”

The vision to create ‘Airport Business Park, Southend’ moved a step closer today with the announcement of Henry Boot Developments Limited as the preferred development partner.

The decision is subject to a ten day ‘stand-still’ period which is required by the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) procurement procedure.  Following this, the contract will be finalised and awarded.

Cllr Ron Woodley, Leader of the Council, says: “I am delighted that we can announce a preferred development partner for the Airport Business Park.  This marks an important milestone in the life of this project and a major step forward in creating new skilled employment opportunities in Southend and Rochford.

“We look forward to entering into a long-term partnership with Henry Boot Developments and to working with them on the exciting development which will create a vibrant new business community and help secure the long term prosperity of the area.

“We are able to bring forward this development thanks to the positive partnership work that has taken place with Rochford District Council on the Joint Area Action Plan (JAAP).  We will be actively discussing the details of the planning application with them over the coming months.

“Once the standstill period has finished, a development agreement will be refined and completed in early 2015. The Council can then work with Henry Boot Developments Limited to submit a planning application in 2015 with a determined aim to start work on site during 2016.  As always public and stakeholder consultation will be an important part of the planning application process.”

The announcement coincides with the timetable for the adoption of the Southend and Rochford Councils Joint Area Action Plan (JAAP), which sets out the planning polices for the Airport Business Park and surrounding area and is due for adoption in December 2014.

Adrian Schofield, head of the south east region of Henry Boot Developments said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Southend-on-Sea Borough Council to bring forward this development opportunity and to realise the vision for this exciting project. 

“Henry Boot Developments has a long and successful track record in delivering joint venture projects with local authority partners across the UK and will contribute considerable expertise to bring about real transformational change and economic prosperity to this part of south Essex.”

If your business is in the creative or cultural line, then why not join a free new ideas-boosting and info-sharing group called Your Creative Network.

This meets for the first time on Thursday 27th November from 5pm until 7pm at the Beecroft Gallery in the former Southend Central Library building, Victoria Avenue, Southend.

The group, spearheaded by the Council, aims to support Southend’s creative and cultural businesses by bringing them together to learn about funding opportunities, training possibilities, hear inspirational speakers and meet peers across this sector ranging from fashion, advertising or web design firms to film production companies and set design firms.

It will also include other organisations, keen to support and develop the creative and cultural industries.

Executive Councillor for Enterprise, Tourism and Economic Development, Councillor Graham Longley said: “Southend’s creative and cultural industries are a significant and growing part of our local economy.

“There are great benefits to be gained for representatives of these businesses to meet up with each other and also find out the opportunities that are available especially for this sector. For instance, smaller firms can sometimes join forces to form a consortium which can then successfully bid for larger contracts.

“By networking with colleagues in other companies, smaller firms can increase their supply chain and gain the benefits of recommendations and referrals for work.

“We would like all our creative and cultural businesses to attend this event if they can.”

Rich With, from the Grow Creative Company based in Leigh said: “Many creatives lead a semi-hermit lifestyle. You’ll often see them with their heads down and working hard by themselves.

“Your Creative Network is a great opportunity to meet other likeminded souls, put names to faces, and learn from the best local talent. It’s a great big boost to the area’s collective creativity.”

Booking is not required – just turn up.

Southend Council is trialling free evening parking at some of its seafront car parks to see if it boosts evening trade.

The removal of evening parking charges after 6pm came into effect on 1 October and will continue until 31 March. The car parks benefitting from this trial are Seaways, Fairheads Green and Western Esplanade.

During this period, the Council is monitoring the car park usage to assess the impact that this initiative will have on attracting more visitors to the seafront during the winter period.

After the trial, the Council will review the findings, consult seafront traders and decide whether any benefits that would justify making the parking trial permanent.

Councillor Martin Terry, Executive Councillor for Public Protection, Waste and Transport, said: “This trial will enable us to establish what level of benefit free evening parking brings to local trade and weigh that up against the cost to the Council of providing free parking in terms of lost parking charges and other costs. A decision will then be made on whether to introduce it on a permanent basis.

“The administration wants to help local business where it can and if this helps seafront traders boost trade and extend their season, then I will be delighted.”

Signs at the affected car parks have been amended.