Achievements during pandemic highlighted as 2050 ambitions continue

June 16, 2021

The council’s cabinet will discuss a report about key recent achievements which are helping to meet the town’s future ambitions (cabinet, 15 June).

The report outlines the additional pressures created by the Covid pandemic and the financial impact on the town. Both businesses and residents have suffered financially throughout the pandemic and the Council itself, with the aid of significant Government funding has been able to provide vital support to both businesses and residents and broadly withstand the immense financial shock from the pandemic.

The town has still enjoyed many achievements, including:

• Adapting services to continue operating throughout the pandemic, including setting up multiple Covid testing sites, vaccination centres, frontline social care services, and keeping schools open for vulnerable children and those of key workers.
• Setting up the Southend Emergency Fund
• Forming the Southend Food Alliance with South Essex Community Hub and Southend Foodbank
• Housing 138 rough sleepers in temporary accommodation
• Helping businesses reopen safely and distributing government grants
• Town centre improvements, completed paving work in London Road and Victoria Circus, improving street lighting, installing urban drainage systems and installing green roof cycle shelters
• Agreeing the Green City Action Plan, supporting the Council’s aim to be net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
• Progress on key regeneration schemes including Better Queensway securing planning consent for the highway in detail and the overall project in outline, the Seaway development was granted conditional planning permission in October 2020, the first commercial build at Airport Business Park Southend was handed over to plane seating firm Ipeco and planning permission was secured for an innovation hub and 12 industrial units at Airport Business Park Southend.

The scale and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is still being calculated, but the approval of the 2021/22 budget and medium term financial strategy in February 2021, plus the medium term budget transformation programme are the starting point to assist with the difficult financial challenges that lie ahead for the Council.

The Southend 2050 ambitions were introduced to the town in 2018 following detailed consultation with residents, businesses and visitors about what they want to see from their town, what makes them proud and where they want to see their money invested.

Cllr Ian Gilbert, leader of the council with a responsibility for economic recovery and regeneration, said: “The pandemic has made it a little more challenging to achieve our goals because of the cost it has had on the country and indeed, Southend. But the 2050 ambitions were created through detailed engagement with our residents, voluntary sector organisations, businesses, and visitors, and we as a council are committed to listening.”

In December 2020 a survey was launched to find out the impact the pandemic had on residents and what experiences they had been through. The findings helped gather ideas for how Southend could begin to recover and continue to inform delivery of the Southend 2050 ambitions and outcomes.

Cllr Gilbert continued: “Like every town in the country, Covid has meant a significant loss of income for the council through car parks, tourist attractions and commercial rents, but it has also meant an increase in costs for social care, children and learning, and mental health services. But this has also allowed us to look at what money is being spent where and what our priorities should be focused on.

“We will continue our investment into adult social care services and open the new care centre to replace Delaware and Priory residential care homes and the Viking Day Centre. We will continue to expand on the number of school places. We will continue to work with partners and attract business development opportunities to the town to create jobs. We will continue to invest and maintain our beautiful Southend Pier. We will continue to find ways to invest in social housing. We will also continue to invest in highways, CCTV and tourism.

“The 2050 ambitions are a direct result of what the people of this town told us, the Council, to focus on and that is exactly what we intend to do within the financial envelope we have available to us.”

The cabinet meeting will take place on Tuesday 15 June 2021 and the papers can be found on the council website.