Annual Report 2021/22

Opportunity and Prosperity

By 2050 Southend-on-Sea is a successful city and we share our prosperity amongst all of our people.

  • we have a vibrant, thriving town centre, with an inviting mix of retail, homes, arts, culture and leisure opportunities.
  • major regeneration projects are under way and bringing prosperity and job opportunities to the city.
  • our children are school-ready and young people are ready for further education, employment or training.
  • Southend-on-Sea has a national profile for its thriving Cultural Creative Industries sector, where culture plays a central role in the social and economic success of our diverse communities.
  • as part of our economic recovery, Southend-on-Sea businesses feel supported to respond to economic shocks and can thrive and grow, creating enough job roles to match the needs of the population and safeguarding fulfilling careers.
  • The Local Plan is setting an exciting planning framework, meeting the development needs of the city for the next two years.

The council has supported the regeneration and revitalisation of our city centre. We have championed initiatives that will help to reduce the number of empty units on the High Street, improve public spaces and increase footfall and dwell time:

  • 'We Made That' with ‘PRD’ Consultants, specialists in place making and economics, were appointed to devise the Southend-on-Sea City Centre Strategy and Investment plan. They will work stakeholders and residents to complete the strategy and investment plan by summer 2022.
  • a City Centre Summit was the kick-off event for the new strategy and investment plan. The event marked the start of a process to listen to people across Southend about the future of the city centre area. The city centre covers central Southend, the High Street and the central area of the seafront
  • following a successful bid to the Local Growth Fund, ‘The Ironworks’, a community arts complex for creative, educational and immersive events, run by a Community Interest Company (CIC), is due to open in the High Street in July 2022. The project will bring a vacant department store into creative use over the next five years. The CIC is looking to develop a sustainable business that has a long-term presence on the High Street
  • development of Victoria Shopping Centre continues, with increased demand for space and more. Diverse uses include phlebotomy, sexual health services, Indirock bouldering and a pop-up gallery
  • the three projects that made up our Round 1 Levelling Up Fund bid are due to be completed by March 2023. The three projects are Leigh Port, The Cliffs Pavilion and City Beach sustainable drainage

We continue to look for opportunities to support and enhance the cultural creative industries sector:

  • over £1 million in funding was secured from the Government’s Community Renewal Fund. It has been used for projects such as the Local Cultural Education Partnership. This will support community recovery throughout 2021 and 2022
  • ‘Estuary 2021’ festival took place in May and June. It covered 107 miles of estuary coastline, 94 locations and 66 venues. 265 artists were involved, enabling 208,764 visits from people living locally and further afield. Estuary 2021 was delivered through a partnership between Metal and Cement Fields, with the support of 130 partners ranging from local authorities to community partners. It was part of the Creative Estuary programme, funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
  • Focal Point Gallery was awarded funding from Creative Estuary for the commission of a new major public artwork. The artwork is due to launch later in 2022 and will welcome visitors and residents to the UK’s newest city.
  • Focal Point Gallery received funding from Arts Council England for 15 local artists to create a series of original sound works. The works will include spoken word, experimental music and field recordings. They will be released over 2021 and 2022.
  • we contributed to the ‘More than a Place’ report. It was convened by Metal and creative sector partners to look at the spatial needs of the creative and cultural industries in south Essex, to facilitate sustainable businesses and growth post- pandemic.

There has been progress on key regeneration schemes this year:

  • all road and services infrastructure for the Airport Business Park have been completed. Ipeco, Costa and the Westcliff Rugby Club are fully occupied. Development is scheduled for practical completion in July
  • ‘The Launchpad’, Airport Business Park Southend-on-Sea's new innovation business hub is set to be complete in July 2022 and expected to be operational at the end of the year. The new innovation facility hub will offer a mix of offices, workshops, research facilities and break out spaces
  • full Council have endorsed use of £10 million to improve returns on the Seaway development, which is expected to come to site during 2022. Development will be anchored by Empire Cinemas, Hollywood Bowl and Travelodge. It will deliver over 500 new jobs and approximately £15 million per year into the local economy
  • planning permission for Fossetts Farm has been issued. Permission for Roots Hall is due to follow imminently
  • planning permission is in place for car park and access improvements at East Beach. They will be completed by August 2022. Planning is also in place for new cafes which will be delivered by Easter 2023
  • Better Queensway has hybrid planning consent and the phase 1 reserved matter application has been submitted. This should be determined in spring/summer 2022. Plans have been developed for the first phases of the project. This will see the removal of Quantock and development on the Essex Street car park
  • the Southend-on-Sea Central Area Transport Scheme has completed work at the top of the High Street. It is part of the £7 million London Road and Victoria Gateway improvement works. The work includes planting new trees, repaving the area, improving lighting, introducing new seating and adding greenery
  • public realm works at Elmer Square/The Forum have begun. The phase 1 works comprise of new paving, seating and planting, along with a new children’s play area. The works aim to improve the appearance of the square and increase use by residents and visitors.

The council has been working to support businesses and organisations in an innovative and proactive way. This year we set up ‘It’s Local Southend’, a business directory and marketing platform for Southend-on-Sea- based businesses. Any business in the city can sign up free of charge. To date, over 1,250 businesses have signed up. Southend-on-Sea also went live with a website as part of Totally Locally, a UK-wide initiative promoting local businesses. Customers can browse, shop and pay for items from multiple businesses all in one go on the website. This will enable residents to support locally based businesses.

The second in a number of planned consultations to develop the new Local Plan was completed this year. Feedback from residents will guide future development decisions over the next 20 years. The consultation on the Local Plan ‘Refining the Options’ document and Big Debate surveys received around 2,000 comments.

Skills and employment

The council continues to work with schools and the community to support learning opportunities and address any gaps in learning as a result of the pandemic.

Following the restart of OFSTED school inspections, the percentage of pupils in Southend-on-Sea attending a good or outstanding school has increased. Provision for our most vulnerable pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, continues to grow in strength. This includes a successful OFSTED/CQC revisit inspection. Through our commitment to supporting and continually improving schools, the council has helped to make sure that parents and carers in Southend-on-Sea have a good choice of high-quality places. In September 2022, 88% of children in Southend-on-Sea will start at their first-choice primary school, with 96% receiving one of their top three preferences.

Residents have been supported into work in key employment sectors. These include construction, health and social care, digital, cultural and creative, healthcare technology, advanced manufacturing and engineering and tourism. Residents have been supported through council and partner led schemes:

  • we launched a new Careers Hub in partnership with Careers and Enterprise Company and Thurrock Council. The hub will help schools and colleges improve the quality and availability of careers education
  • a free support system offering access to employment, training and further education in the city has been launched. The service is made up of five leading career guidance services. It will help residents to access opportunities, learn skills, retrain and find new jobs
  • young people aged 16-25 have been supported through council and local business Kickstart paid work placements. Around a quarter of these young people have moved into work
  • construction businesses have been provided with funding to upskill their workforce. This has resulted in local people gaining higher level construction skills, enabling them to move into more sustainable work on a higher wage
  • we secured significant resource to fund business, employment and skills activities for residents, including through the Community Renewal Fund and European Social Fund.

Outcome success measures

  • 5,740 out-of-work benefits claimants
  • 70.8% of eligible children benefitting from 2-year-old funding
  • 176 trainees who enrolled in and got jobs through the SECTA, HALO and PAVE sector skills projects
  • 96.9% of 3-4-year-old children benefitting from universally funded early education in OFSTED-rated Good or Outstanding settings
  • 50 individuals who got jobs through A Better Start Southend’s Workskills Programme
  • 89.6% of children are learning in OFSTED-rated Good or Outstanding schools
  • 455 students who commenced the 60 Minute Mentor Programme
  • 3.2% of the city’s young people are not in employment, education or training or their situation is not known
  • businesses in Southend-on-Sea: 91.2% micro; 7.3% small; 1.1% medium; and 0.3% large
  • 79.6% of high street units occupied (BID area only)

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