Consultation begins to improve gateway to High Street

August 11, 2019 by Leigh-on-sea.com

Local residents and businesses are being asked to share their ideas about how to improve the town-centre end of London Road and the area outside Southend’s Odeon cinema.

Project Sunrise focuses on improving the section of London Road (from College Way to Victoria Circus) and improving the Victoria Circus area itself. Residents and businesses are now invited to have their say on what they would like to see in the area to improve the current street scene by taking part in an online survey.

Cllr Ron Woodley, cabinet member for transport, capital and inward investment, said: “Over the past two years, the council has been speaking to residents and businesses about how to improve Victoria Circus and the town-centre end of London Road. This area is a main gateway into the High Street and we have already seen a number of changes at the lower end of the road between Sainsbury’s and the roundabout by Pets at Home, including new planters, new road layout, seating, electric charging points and new lighting columns.

“As we enter the next phase of the project, we once again want local people to get involved and tell us what they would like to see.”

Project Sunrise is part of the Southend Central Area Transport Scheme (S-CATS): an ambitious £7m project which is fully funded by the Department for Transport’s Local Growth Fund through the South East Local Partnership (SELEP).

Phase one of the project was completed in 2017, with £1m worth of junction improvements on Victoria Avenue (Great Eastern, Carnarvon Road and East Street/West Street).

Phase two of the project was completed in February 2019 and saw a £2m public realm and streetscape improvement scheme along London Road (between Queensway and College Way through to Elmer Avenue) to make this an attractive gateway to Southend High Street.

The consultation can be found by visiting www.southend.gov.uk/sunrise and is live until 8 September 2019.

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