The report seeks Cabinet approval for a number of recommendations, including:
- The preparation and submission of an outline planning application
- To progress selection of a delivery partner to take the project forwards
- A preferred financial option to allow the project to go ahead
- To confirm the decision to demolish the tower blocks and other flats within the project area and serve initial demolition notices on all secure tenants of flats and houses
Cllr Ann Holland, Executive Councillor with responsibility for Regeneration, said: “The local Queensway community are well aware of the council’s intentions to regenerate this area, and we have had open and frank conversations with them for over a year now. The message that we are getting clearly is to 'get on with it', and I am pleased that this report will enable us to start doing just that.
“The community are also clear that we believe the tower blocks must come down so we can create a wonderful new community, with new and better housing, improved infrastructure and links to the town, better public spaces and create a place that people want to live.
“This report is about putting the technical policies and procedures in place to enable us to progress the project and work towards the submission of an outline planning application. Things like demolition notices will obviously sound daunting but these have to be put in place to allow a major regeneration like this to happen.
“We have already reiterated previous promises to residents – if they want to remain a part of the future and Better Queensway then they can. If they do not and want to move somewhere else then we will also assist people to do this.”
For more information about the project, visit www.southend.gov.uk/betterqueensway or email [email protected]