Residents, businesses and community groups are invited to shape the development of Southend over the next 20 years.
 
Southend Council is hosting three local events to seek people’s views on a new Local Plan which sets out the council’s proposals to manage development of the borough and how it will assess planning applications for the area over the next 20 years.
 
Local Plans address needs and opportunities in relation to housing, the local economy, community facilities and infrastructure, such as roads and transport. They should safeguard the environment, enable adaptation to climate change and help secure high quality and accessible design.
 
Cllr John Lamb, Leader of Southend Council, said: “Having a good Local Plan in place is vital for the future of the town. It will determine where major developments take place across the borough over the next 20 years and will impact on where people will live, work and spend our leisure time.
 
“In Southend, we have a real challenge in providing the level of housing growth we need to meet future demand, so where and how we let residential development take place will be an important – but by no means the only – part of this consultation.
 
“Importantly, it will allow the town to grow in a sustainable way, so that we have sufficient roads, medical facilities and schools while protecting valuable green spaces.
 
“I feel passionate about Southend and I want the best possible future for its residents. I know this passion is shared by people I speak to across the town.
 
“Please share your views now to shape the sort of town you would wish future generations to grow up in.”
 
The draft Local Plan can be viewed and commented upon by visiting https://localplan.southend.gov.uk until 2 April 2019.
 
The three public events will be held at the following times and locations:
 

• Saturday 23rd February – The Forum, Southend Town Centre 09:30 – 17:00
• Wednesday 27th February – Thorpe Bay Yacht Club 13:00 – 18:00
• Wednesday 13th March – Leigh Community Centre 15:00 – 20:00

You can also buy hard copies of the document. Hard copies can also be viewed at the Civic Centre and all the local libraries within the borough.
Email: planningpolicy@southend.gov.uk

Post: Business Intelligence Officer, Performance & Business Support, Department of Place, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, PO Box 6, Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 6ER.

If you would like to be notified of future planning policy consultations, you can sign up to the council’s planning policy consultation database. Please contact planningpolicy@southend.gov.uk or telephone 01702 215408.

Southend Council is set to approve the selection of Swan Housing Association as its preferred bidder for the major transformation of the Queensway area in central Southend.
 
Councillors will discuss the recommendation next week (Tuesday 12th February) and approve the setting up of a joint venture LLP between the Council and Swan that would enable collective delivery of the Better Queensway scheme.
 
The council started the procurement process back in March 2018. Several companies went through various stages of the detailed process, with Swan coming through the robust procurement process as preferred bidder.
 
The report details how their tender has met the requirements laid down by the council, including building more than 441 affordable homes on the site and how Swan will help to deliver not only the regeneration but also manage it for the long term.
 
Swan’s example scheme developed for the purposes of the procurement process includes approximately 1,600 new homes, of which over 500 will be affordable. The example scheme also maintains four lanes of traffic on Queensway, new green spaces and improved walking and cycling space, and space to play. It also incorporates a community fund and improvements to energy and sustainability.
 
If approved by Swan’s Board, the council’s cabinet and Full Council on 21 February, the next steps would be to work towards awarding the contract in the spring. Following the award of the contract, the joint venture would be formally created and a full masterplan prepared for the site. This will involve further consultation with residents, business and other key stakeholders, and submission for planning approval in 2020.
 
Councillor James Courtenay, cabinet member for growth, says: “Better Queensway is the biggest regeneration project we are undertaking in a generation and will seek to transform this vital area right in the centre of our town, delivering better housing, better living and a better place for both the current residents and those that will make central Southend their home in the future. This regeneration will help make this area a key entrance into our town centre and connect what will be a thriving new community with it and also help us to deliver a key part of our resident led ambition for 2050.

“We are delighted to recommend Swan Housing, an excellent organisation with great values, commitment to the community and vast knowledge and experience of the local area, as our preferred bidder.
 
“Alongside meeting all the key requirements for the project, they also offer far much more than that, including access to their other properties from across Essex and London.
 
“This is really just the beginning and there is much more work to be done. We are now collectively focused on the next stages, including contract award and then working with all range of stakeholders, including residents and businesses to prepare a masterplan for submission for planning approval.”
 
John Synnuck, CEO of Swan Housing Association commented: “We are delighted to have been selected by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council as “Preferred Bidder” for the regeneration of Queensway.  We’ve been taking on complex regenerations just like this for the last 25 years and our award-winning schemes show that we can not only build high quality homes of all tenures but also fantastic public realm including green spaces; we can tackle complex road and infrastructure challenges; and put in the commercial space and facilities needed to create successful mixed-use regenerations.
 
“I’d like to say to all the residents and local stakeholders at Queensway, that we are looking forward to working with you to develop a masterplan for Queensway which will make it a great place to live and work and a place where everyone in Southend wants to go. 
 
“Together with our joint venture partner, Southend-on Sea Borough Council, we will work with you to transform Queensway from an isolated, and aging estate into a thriving community right in the centre of Southend.  We’re experts at supporting residents and local stakeholders through regenerations and we will be there every step of the way, with Southend and South Essex Homes, to support you."

​More than £35m of new projects are being put forward by Southend Council as part of its draft capital budget proposals for 2019/20.

In addition to existing schemes already ongoing or planned, this would give the council a capital investment programme of £177m for the next four year period, including over £18m of investment into the Pier, £26.3m investment into improving roads and pavements, £3m for community safety improvements and £1.2m on parks and open spaces.

An additional £36.5m worth of new projects are also included in the draft programme, but will be subject to external funding and detailed and viable business cases being prepared and approved, including up to £20m for commercial property purchases over the next three years, £10.5m for a new pavilion deck on the end of the pier and £1m for the refurbishment of the Cliffs Pavilion in summer 2020.

The capital budget, which is separate to the council’s day to day revenue budget, is used to make one-off investments in things like regeneration and housing projects, and to carry out essential improvements to leisure and cultural facilities and ICT systems. Funding is raised from a mixture of external funding, reserves and borrowing.

The proposals for new projects include £3.25m over the next two years to replace ageing Pier trains which were introduced in 1986 with a predicted 20 year lifespan and an additional £3m over three years to fix more pavements and roads.

Safety measures are also a big new investment, with a further £2m proposed to continue to upgrade the borough’s CCTV system and install new cameras in key locations following a recent consultation.

A new children’s residential care home, new public toilet provision, better traffic management and car park improvements are some of the other projects highlighted for new investment in the draft budget.

Over £20m is also being added to the capital programme from 2021 to 2024 for investment in the council housing stock, which will be funded through the housing revenue account (HRA).

Cllr James Courtenay, Deputy Leader of the Council, says: “Capital and revenue budgets are two entirely different things and we have a duty to fund essential things like ensuring we can look after our most vulnerable residents, and also ensure that facilities like the Pier and Cliffs Pavilion, which are a source of pride and joy for so many, are invested in and safeguarded for the future. Financially we have tightened our belts, but this must not be to the detriment of our future vision for Southend-on-Sea and our plans must remain bold and ambitious.

“The resident and stakeholder led ambition document Southend 2050, has helped us identify the type of town our residents and stakeholders want to see. With feedback from more than 35,000 people, it helps us to focus both on the work that is needed now, but also over the next few years, to help make those ambitions a reality.

“This can be seen with more investment in things that are important to people in the here and now, including fixing more roads and pavements, investing in more public toilet provision in the seafront area, and ensuring our housing stock is up to decent homes standard, but also looking to the future with investment in the Pier and the Bell junction for example.

“The proposals in this draft capital budget will make a real difference to important local facilities and infrastructure and shows that we are open for business and here to do the very best for local people and businesses.”

If all external funding and viable business cases are approved, then the capital investment programme could be £229m for the period of 2019/20 to 2023/24.

Other investment within the capital programme and already allocated includes £12.7m for the ongoing secondary schools expansion programme, £24.8m for the continued development of Airport Business Park Southend, £11.5m for the delivery of a new 60 bedroom care facility and day centre and £1.3m for the continued construction of  affordable housing on housing land.

There will also be a business and voluntary sector budget consultation event on Thursday 17 January at Holiday Inn, Eastwoodbury Crescent starting at 8.30am (registration from 7.30am). This will give local businesses and stakeholders the opportunity to hear an insight of the 2019/20 budget.

Southend councillors are to consider adopting a borough-wide “low-emissions strategy” as part of its work to improve the town’s air quality.
 
The council's cabinet will consider an officer report laying out measures the council could take to “improve health outcomes through reducing emissions from transport” and “supports sustainable development” across the borough. The strategy is closely linked to - and is a key component of - the Council’s Air Quality Action Plan”.
 
Central to the strategy are reducing transport emissions, using technology to measure and report on traffic, air quality and its causes more effectively and supporting the shift to electric and low-emission vehicles.
 
The strategy also outlines how the council can support lower emissions by ensuring that air quality is considered in its development control and procurement processes.
 
Cllr Mark Flewitt, cabinet member for public protection, said: "In June this year, the Council adopted its first Air Quality Action Plan, the top priority of which was reducing transport emissions. I am pleased to see a plan come forward so quickly.
 
“Taking action to improve air quality is crucial to improving the health of our town’s population. There is growing evidence that air pollution is a significant contributor to preventable ill health and early death.
 
“As a council, we need to take action. I look forward to discussing this plan with my council colleagues.”
 
A decision on whether to adopt the low emissions strategy is scheduled to be made on 6 November.
 
The full report can be viewed here

Southend Council is set to campaign for an outer relief road to the east of the borough, another river crossing to the east of the Lower Thames Crossing, and for the Crossrail line to be extended to Southend.
 
The ambitious demands form part of a draft five-year plan (2019-2023) which will be discussed by the council’s cabinet on November 6th.
 
The draft plan has been drawn up on the back of a major public engagement programme called ‘Southend 2050 – be part of the conversation’ that started in spring 2018.
 
Over 35,000 people were reached through the work, with 4,000 people actively taking part and 55 events taking place.
 
This work has identified the sort of place residents and stakeholders want Southend-on-Sea to be, and the work needed now and over the next five years (to 2023) to help make that happen. The roadmap also identifies key milestones and projects that will be delivered up to 2023.

Other milestones in the draft plan include the first tenant moving into Airport Business Park Southend by 2020, the start of the Better Queensway regeneration scheme in the same year, the opening of the new Pier pavilion in 2021, and the completion of the Airport Business Park by 2023.
 
The milestones also highlight that a renewed partnership with the voluntary and community sector is a key aspiration for 2019, as is working with schools and academy trusts to secure improvements in underperforming schools.
 
Cllr James Courtenay, Deputy Leader of the Council, says: “Our draft five-year plan for the borough demonstrates a clear ambition and clear direction of what we want to do and what we want to achieve as a council and also as a place.
 
“We know that Southend-on-Sea, and south Essex as a whole, are going to grow in the future, and we are working with councils across south Essex on that.  It will bring numerous economic and social benefits to the area. 
 
“However, we are also adamant that this must be infrastructure led and that is why we are planning to campaign for a road to the east and aim to secure funding for it by 2023, call for Crossrail to be extended to Southend-on-Sea and also help make the case for a further river crossing to the east of the proposed Lower Thames Crossing.”
 
Cllr John Lamb, Leader of the Council, added: “I am delighted to present this plan for the future of our Borough. This is truly a resident and stakeholder led piece of work, and I want to thank each and every person who has got involved.
 
“Our ambition for the Borough and our draft five-year plan has come directly from what local people, businesses and stakeholders have told us they want.
 
“I want to be clear that this isn’t about the year 2050, but it is about planning for the future whilst also dealing with the challenges and issues we face today, tomorrow and over the next five years.
 
“Planning ahead and having an ambition is an essential part of any successful business or place.
 
“Our draft ambition and five-year roadmap has emerged from detailed engagement with a cross section of the community and helped us to identify what we want to achieve as a place, and how we deliver that collectively with our public sector partners, local residents and businesses.
 
“It has told us clearly what is important to local people and it is already helping us to deal with the here and now too.
 
“The excellent and extensive engagement work we have done has helped us to clearly focus on what needs to be done now and into the future to ensure that we achieve our outcomes for the community.”
 
Cabinet are being asked to approve the draft documents and refer them to all three November scrutiny committees for further comments before consideration by a special cabinet on 4th December and then Full Council on 13th December.
 
The draft documents can be read here (agenda item 4).

Visitors to Old Leigh will be able to find out about how they can do their bit to reduce marine pollution this week.
 
Members of Make Southend Sparkle – a campaign that involves volunteers in activities that make Southend a greener, cleaner place – will be at Bell Wharf of Friday 17 August along with representatives of Anglian Water to highlight the impact on our seas of flushing cotton buds and wet wipes down the toilet and pouring fat down the drain.
 
They will also be explaining how even small items like discarded cigarette butts and small plastic items can damage our seas and the wildlife in them. The Council’s stop smoking team will also be on hand to give assistance and advice to anyone who wants to quit.
 
Cllr Mark Flewitt, cabinet member for public protection, said: “This event will be an eye-opener for many and will demonstrate how simple things you do in your home every day can have a knock-on effect for our waterways.
 
“We are inviting people along to have a chat - get some information. There will also be some free giveaways and the opportunity to sign up for volunteering around the Borough.”
 

The council has unveiled its draft capital budget for April 2018 onwards, with around £20m proposed for new and existing projects up to March 2020.

This additional investment means that, if approved, some £185m of capital investments will made into the Borough over the next four years.

It is also proposed that a further £2.7m of council capital funding is set aside towards developing ‘The Forum II’, an educational, cultural and business space for the digital, cultural and creative industries. This extension to The Forum will, subject to relevant approvals, be majority-funded by Local Growth Funding and South Essex College.

The capital budget, which is separate to the council’s reducing revenue budget, is a rolling budget used to make one-off investments in things like regeneration and housing projects, and to carry out essential improvements to leisure and cultural facilities and ICT systems for example. Funding is raised from a mix of external funding, reserves and borrowing.

Proposed new investment includes:

• Adding a further £10m to the current budget for investment in commercial property. As central Government funding reduces, councils must become financially self-sustaining. Continuing to build a commercial investment portfolio will help build long-term income streams to help fund services. The fund will also be used to secure housing for temporary accommodation. The funds will only be spent if and when appropriate opportunities arise.
• £3.7m on highways schemes, including:

£2.25m for flood prevention works, with half of this coming from external sources – this will see new underground tanks, bunding and increased gulley capacity created on the central seafront to deal with surface water flooding that runs from Queensway down to the central seafront in heavy rainfall. A pumping station and tank storage will also be created to pump out trunk sewers around Hartington Road against high tides, reducing flood risk in the area.

£350,000 to improve the condition of pavements around existing trees.

£325,000 to stabilise an area of emerging cliff slip close to Manor Road, to protect the public footway, coastal road and support of private properties.

£300,000 to undertake improvements to Shoebury Common North, including the creation of a new children’s play area, new paths, new seating and outdoor fitness equipment.

£250,000 to create coach parking and drop-off facilities to accommodate visitors to the seafront.

£200,000 to develop and improve car parking signage for the whole Borough and introduce new signage for the seafront car parks and potential park and ride sites.

• £1m for fire improvement works that become necessary due to any national changes to building regulations and compliance, and £500,000 for planned refurbishment to council property.
• £925,000 for essential works at our theatres and leisure centres.
• £875,000 to convert the former Beecroft Art Gallery in Station Road, Westcliff-on-Sea to 20 artist studios for rent. The building is owned by the Beecroft Art Trust and this project will largely be funded through £575,000 from Arts Council England and other external funding.
• £400,000 to create a small number of local residential care places for children.  This will enable children to stay near their communities, improve their life chances and reduce the number of costly out of borough placements saving £80,000 per year.
• £750,000 to get the Better Queensway project to the next stage of development.
• £500,000 to implement security measures required due to current national threat levels, focused on high footfall areas such as the seafront.

Cllr John Lamb, Leader of the Council, says: “Whilst it may seem unusual to see major investments at the same time as we are highlighting our ever reducing central funding and revenue budgets, we must remain bold, ambitious and invest in our Borough to ensure that we advance and prosper into the future.

“Capital and revenue budgets are two separate things, and we must continue to fund essential things like secondary school places, ensuring that our famous Pier is safeguarded, maintained and improved and investing in plans to look after our elderly and vulnerable through developing new facilities which we are already doing through money already allocated.

“These new projects will allow us to do things like build a commercial property portfolio to give us long-term income streams in the future, carry out important flood prevention works in the central seafront area, carry out fire improvement works where necessary and keep all our buildings up to the standard that local people rightly expect.

“We are also proposing significant new investment in a number of highways projects, and ensuring that we remain a modern business and workforce, by investing in ICT and software improvements.

“Wherever possible these projects will bring income into the council or just must be done.  Despite the austere times this gives us an impressive capital budget to make a difference to important local facilities and infrastructure and shows that we are open for business and here to do the very best for local people and businesses.”
​
The new investment would take the approved capital programme for 2018/19 to 2021/22 to £185m of which the level of external funding to support this investment will be £72m. For 2018/19 alone, the investment in the Borough will be £88m.

A key planning document that will guide development of central Southend and the central seafront over the next five years has been given the go-ahead by a government planning inspector.
 
The Southend Central Area Action Plan sets out proposed planning policies by the Council for managing development and assessing planning applications in Southend Central Area through to 2021.
 
The Council has received the final report from the Inspector, Mr Mike Fox, who has carried out the independent examination of the Southend Central Area Action Plan. He issued the report following the examination hearing sessions that were held in May 2017 and after considering the representations that were made on the proposed modifications to the plan.
 
The Inspector recommends a number of proposed modifications to the draft – mostly proposed by the Council during the examination – and concluded that the SCAAP “provides an appropriate basis for the planning of the Central Area.”
 
This means that, if and when formally adopted by Southend Council, it will become part of the development plan for Southend.

Cllr Mark Flewitt, Executive Councillor for Housing, Planning and Sustainability, welcomed the inspector’s findings. He said: “I am delighted that the Planning Inspector has agreed with the soundness of this key document that will play a critical role in shaping future development in the town centre and central seafront.
 
“It has taken many years to reach this stage and we have listened carefully and responded to the differing views of local people and businesses throughout the process.
 
“We believe that, once adopted, the SCAAP will facilitate the new growth, housing, jobs and infrastructure that the Borough needs in a way that is sustainable and safeguards the local environment.
 
“The next step will be for the Council to formally adopt the SCAAP at our Full Council meeting in February, after which we can start using it.”
 
The full report from the Planning Inspector, along with the agreed modifications, can be found here: www.southend.gov.uk/scaap

An innovative new service allowing access to shared pedal bikes and electric bikes is being piloted in Southend.

Initially three automated bike docking stations will be live at the Civic Centre and City beach, providing pedal and electric bikes for residents and visitors to use 24 hours a day, with rates from £2 per hour. See www.southendbikeshare.com for more information on the bikes.

The service is part of a wider Motionhub project, which is aimed at providing integrated booking of bikes, electric car club vehicles and public transport. Motionhub is led by E-Car Club, with Hourbike Ltd, EValu8 Transport Innovations, Transport Systems Catapult and Southend-on-Sea Borough Council as partners.

MotionHub will be rolled out in several progressive stages between now and the end of the year, the first stage going live in this week with the availability of on-street pedal, e-bike, and electric cars from a number of locations in Southend.

Up to ten electric car club vehicles located in up to five locations will also be available, with four currently live in Victoria Avenue and Short Street. See www.ecarclub.co.uk for more information on the electric car club.

Tim Caswell, Managing Director of Hourbike says “We are delighted to be launching a bike sharing scheme in Southend. We are confident that it will be a valued transport option for local residents and visitors alike.”

Cllr Tony Cox, Executive Councillor for Transport, Waste and Regulatory Services, said: “We pride ourselves on Southend being a cycle-friendly town and this pilot scheme will enable even more people to get around our town on two wheels at little cost.

“The Council already makes use of both pedal and electric bikes for its employees, enabling staff to be greener and reduce mileage. This pilot will effectively extend the benefit of that scheme to the people of our town.”
​
More information will be released on the wider Motionhub project in the coming months.

An ambitious 10-year blueprint to make Southend the number one coastal destination in England is to be considered.

Councillors are being asked to comment on the draft tourism strategy, titled “Destination Southend-on-Sea”, which has been authored by Southend Tourism Partnership working with Southend-on-Sea Borough Council. The document outlines how public and private sector partners across the borough should work together to further build upon the town’s thriving visitor economy, which supports 6,500 local jobs and attracts over six million annual visitors.
 
Key aims of the strategy include:

• Improving communications and marketing, to encourage more people to visit and longer stays.
• Infrastructure – making it easier for people to get into the town and move around different attractions once they are here. This will work alongside the Council’s emerging parking strategy to ensure parking supply and demand are effectively matched.
• Destination development – improving the quality of existing attractions and facilities, making the most of new developments coming online and maximising the opportunities presented within the Leigh-on-Sea and Shoeburyness Coastal Communities teams.
• Events and cultural tourism – further development of the town’s events programme throughout the year.
• Make Southend Sparkle – mobilising local citizens, businesses and volunteers to welcome and assist visitors to the town and act as champions for its visitor offer.

Key partners identified in the strategy include:

• Southend Tourism Partnership
• The Leigh Coastal Community Team
• The Shoeburyness Coastal Communities Team
• The Southend Business Investment District (BID
• Southend-on-Sea Borough Council

Cllr Ann Holland, Executive Councillor for Culture, Tourism and the Economy, said: “This draft strategy presents a deliberately ambitious but achievable way forward for developing the Borough’s visitor economy, from Shoeburyness to Leigh-on-Sea, from our famous beaches to our award-winning parks and historical buildings.
 
“Southend was built on tourism and this strategy will position the resort for future generations, providing jobs, wealth and an attractive place for all to live, work and visit.”
 
Jacqui Dallimore, Chair of Southend Tourism Partnership, said: “This strategy sees Southend aspiring to be the best with a strong focus on delivery.
 
“Success will require willing participation by stakeholders who value the past but look to the future needs of our visitors and how our economy can be stronger with coordinated tourism activity at its heart.
 
Once reviewed by the Cabinet, the draft strategy will be further developed before being taken through the Council’s political cycle for adoption.
 
You can view the draft strategy in full here.

​Local authorities serving South Essex have been awarded over £3m towards an innovative project that aims to promote sustainable transport and employment.
 
‘South Essex Active Travel’ will see jobseekers, young people, students and volunteers offered targeted travel advice and sustainable transport incentives to better connect them with 12,100 jobs and 10,500 education and training opportunities that will be available in South Essex over the next three years.
 
A total of £3.323m was awarded to the project by the Department of Transport’s Access Fund after Southend-on-Sea Borough Council led a funding bid with Essex County Council and Thurrock Council to develop their work in using sustainable transport as a tool to accessing learning, jobs and skills. Additional benefits of the project include improving air quality, reducing carbon emissions, and alleviating traffic congestion.
 
Funding will be allocated from 1st April 2017 and will be used to develop new active travel initiatives, expand walking and cycling services in Southend-on-Sea, Thurrock and Essex. It will build upon existing award winning projects such as Southend-on-Sea’s Ideas in Motion, Cycle Southend and Thurrock’s Beat the Street.
 
In a letter to the Councils, Pauline Reeves, Deputy Director, Sustainable Accessible Travel at the Department for Transport said: “Transport Ministers felt that the South Essex Active Travel proposal was a particularly strong bid that will deliver against the fund’s primary objectives of supporting the local economy by supporting access to new and existing employment, education and training as well as active promotion of increased levels of physical activity through walking and cycling.”
 
The bid to DfT was supported by Opportunity South Essex, a private/ public sector body governed by a Board made up of the six local authorities in South Essex (Essex County Council, Thurrock Council, Southend-On-Sea Council; the District Councils of Basildon, Castle Point and Rochford) and nine Businesses Leaders including Stobart Group, Port of Tilbury, DPW London Gateway, Olympus Keymed, Southend Business Partnership, c2c, Chamber of Commerce, Pixelwork Limited and PROCAT.  
 
Kate Willard from the Stobart Group, and Chair of Opportunity South Essex,  says: “This funding award is fantastic news for the sub-region and the Partnership very much looks forward to supporting the delivery of the proposed schemes.”
 
Cllr Tony Cox, Executive Councillor for Transport, says “We are delighted to have been awarded this money, which will help us to make a real difference to the prospects of hundreds of people in Southend-on-Sea and across South Essex as a whole, by linking them up to education, training and jobs that they might otherwise have considered out of their reach.
 
“This award is recognition of the track record that Southend-on-Sea, and South Essex authorities’ have in successfully delivering innovative projects that positively engage our local residents and businesses.”
 
The participating councils will now start setting up the programme by recruiting staff and talking to partners about how they can get involved with the aim of starting to deliver the services from April.

Expanded secondary schools, a new care campus for the elderly, and investment in the Pier, parks and car parking improvements top the funding list as Southend Council's draft capital budget up to 2021 has been revealed.

In addition to over £125m already in the capital budget committed to important projects, £59.1m of funding has been identified for a number of existing and new projects up to 2021, including:

• £20m on a major secondary school expansion programme, following recent work to expand many primary schools.  An estimated £10m is expected from central Government funding, with a further £1m expected to refurbish maintained schools that require work. This is in addition to £8m identified last year for the conversion of PROCAT and Wentworth sites and partial expansions of other schools;
• £11.5m new investment in Southend Pier, including £8m to reconstruct the timber outer pier head, and an additional £1.5m for reinforcement works to the Prince George extension;
• £9.5m for the redevelopment of Priory and Delaware residential care home and the Viking Day Centre for people with a learning disability. This is in addition to £2m previously identified in the current capital budget;
• £5m to look into creating additional car parking capacity at sites south of central Southend, and £0.5m to improve parking signage;

Cllr John Lamb, Leader of the Council, says: “Despite the continued central funding cuts, we must be bold, ambitious and invest in our Borough to ensure that we advance and prosper in the future.

“We are therefore investing significant sums in essential things like secondary school places, ensuring that our famous Pier is safeguarded, maintained and improved and investing in plans to look after our elderly and vulnerable through developing new facilities.

"We also continue to fight for external funding, and have had many successes in securing external funding for important local projects.

“We have also listened to local traders and are proposing major investment in creating additional car parking spaces in the central Southend area and improving signage and guidance systems.

“We are also ensuring that we remain a modern business and workforce, by investing in ICT and software improvements and a number of smaller but equally important projects.

“Wherever possible these projects will bring income into the council or just must be done.  Despite the austere times this gives us an impressive capital budget to make a difference to important local facilities and infrastructure and shows that we are open for business and here to do the very best for local people and businesses.”
​
Further proposed projects include:

• £6.2m to continue the completion of the Decent Homes programme in 2020/21, including kitchen and housing modernisations, and carry out energy efficiency and health and safety works funded through the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) major repairs allowance;
• £1.3m for ICT business transformation to enable more efficiencies to be made, streamline services and enable future revenue savings to be made
• £1.2m on core ICT infrastructure and software improvements that are vital to ensure the council remains a modern and productive business;
• £0.7m for theatres and leisure centres;
• £0.5m to develop and improve car park signage for the whole Borough and introduce new signage, particularly to promote alternative seafront car parks;
• £0.4m for a major CCTV upgrade to digital cameras;
• £0.25m for a new ‘wheeled sports’ facility in the central Southend area to be developed between 2018 and 2020. This will be for skateboarders, bikers and scooters;
• £0.25m to deliver short term measures to help deal with extreme rainfall events and plan for the medium and longer term;
• £0.25m to look into the feasibility of wave and tidal energy on the pier, drainage sensors and solar PV and battery energy;
• £0.2m for play equipment and park furniture;
• £50K to provide new commercial beach huts on the Pier, a small fleet of rickshaw type bikes for Pier visitors, and a new shelter on City Beach;
• £50K for new doors and security improvements at the Southend Travel Centre;
• £45K to replace handrails along the Cliffs area.

The £59.1m of new funding will take the approved capital programme for 2017/18 to 2020/21 to £185.8m, of which £58.8m of this is expected to be spent in 2017/18, £61.2m in 2018/19, £49.6m in 2019/20 and £16.2m in 2020/21. External funding accounts for £58.2m of this.