Southend plans £3m office development

Southend Council has revealed plans to create new office space on an industrial estate in the Essex town.

Article posted: 25 Jan 2011

Firms looking to rent offices in Essex may soon be heading to Southend, as plans for a major business development have been unveiled by the council.

The Progress Road Industrial Estate in Eastwood will be transformed as part of a £3 million regeneration project if the proposal goes ahead, the Southend Standard reports.

Southend Council wants to create new office units along Brunel Road and convert the area into a hi-tech business park.

Existing workshops and factories will be demolished to make way for the project, which has already been awarded £2.6 million in funding from the East of England Development Agency.

Alan Richards, the council's group manager for asset management, said construction work could begin in 2012.

The plans were welcomed by Denise Rossiter, operations director of Essex Chambers of Commerce, who told the newspaper: "This is fantastic investment, which will allow private enterprise growth."

Southend's £7 million City Beach project, which will transform the town's seafront with new lighting columns, footpaths and cycling facilities, is due to be completed in March.

Posted by Dan