Council to make case for big infrastructure boost to local area

October 30, 2018 by Southend Borough Council

The Council is set to campaign for a road to the east, to extend the Crossrail line to Southend-on-Sea and for a further river crossing east of the Lower Thames crossing.

The news forms part of a draft five year plan (2019-2023) being discussed by the council’s cabinet next week (6^th November).

The draft document states under milestones for 2019: ‘with the Elizabeth Line (Crossrail) running services from Shenfield, campaign starts to extend line to Southend-on-Sea.’

Under 2020 it says: ‘campaigning for further river crossing east of Lower Thames crossing’ and the document reveals an ambition to secure funding for a road to the east by 2023.

Other milestones 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 Airport Business Park Southend by 2023.

The milestones also highlight 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 is going to grow in the future, and we are working with council 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.”

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 4^th December and then Full Council on 13^th December.

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