Southend Central Area Action Plan & Proposals Map - Proposed Submission

Whilst we continue to support the redevelopment of Southend and in particular the Victoria Avenue corridor, following our receipt of the document we write to raise our objection to the following inclusion.
PAGE 163, Para 2 reads "Project Heath & Carby, investment required £3.78m, description Purchase and enabling works of redundant office buildings at northern end of Victoria Avenue in order to kick start the provision of new housing, Outputs delivered 250 units total comprising 50 social rented and 50 intermediate units."

This statement gives the impression that the council; is looking to the compulsory purchase of Heath House and Carby House for a sum not in line with our expectations with an end goal of delivering a reduced residential mix. Given our current planning permission for 280 residential units, current project expenditure and current committed works, we find the statement misleading. If the Council has a serius interest in purchasing these two development sites we request that you contact us first in writing with a suitable purchase offer. We therefore ask that the statement on page 163 be removed from the SCAAP.

As you may be aware our property consultant and representatives of other Victoria Avenue landowners have recently attended round table discussions to review the prospects of a coordinated redevelopemt approach and master plan initiative. An approach which we hope will stimul;ate development in a very difficult market and one which appears to support the themes in the SCAAP and one which will be be given proper consideration by us. With this in mind we would ask that you work with the major landowners in the area to achieve what are clearly common objectives as we understand that this may not always have been the case in the past.