Renaissance Southend has been a sponsor of the Thames Gateway Forum for the last four years. The event provides the opportunity to talk to key investors and developers who have expressed an interest in the Thames Gateway...

More than £6 million was invested in Southend-on-Sea in the last financial year to promote regeneration, new jobs and expansion across the town, according to the Thames Gateway Annual Report for 2008/09.

Signs outlining the start of vital new regeneration schemes are set to appear at key locations around Southend in the next few weeks. The signs or site boards, are intended to let local residents know that work has started or is about to begin on a wide range of projects designed to help transform the town over the next 12 years.

Warrior Square Gardens, one of the few green spaces within central Southend, is set for a massive transformation as part of a £1.8 million landscaping project designed to turn the area into a stunning and welcoming outdoor amenity the whole community can enjoy.

Southend Festival’s first art wall community project, sponsored by Renaissance Southend, attracted contributions from almost one hundred children of all ages as well as a surprisingly diverse mix of local people from a councilor and two community police officers to a 62 year old grandmother!

An exhibition of street art, inspired by the proposed City Beach development planned for Southend seafront, was unveiled on June 2nd at the Cliff’s Pavilion, Westcliff - and for students at Chase High School, what began as an exam exercise could now inspire them to pursue a glittering career in the arts.

London Southend Airport, now operated by its new owners the Stobart Group, is proving to be a massive success story for the town with the potential to cope with up to two million passengers every year subject to approval for an extended runway

A £100 million scheme in the Farringdon area of Southend will significantly expand its well established and highly successful further and higher education offer. The plan will provide 7,500 sq metres of additional space for the University of Essex and a further 11,000 sq metres for South East Essex College.

Renaissance Southend Ltd, the regeneration company for Southend-on-Sea, has appointed Murray Foster as its new Vice Chairman. With over 20 years’ involvement within the town, he recognises its immense potential – and aims to unlock it.

Mike Lambert, chief executive of Renaissance Southend, is the new chair of the URC Chief Executives’ Group.

Southend is ready to take the next step in a process that could set the town apart from the rest of the country as a nationwide centre for digital technology, a focus for excellence designed to promote and develop innovations and expertise which have already transformed the business world, education, the arts and the community.

Southend’s regeneration partners have secured funding of £6.1 million as a major first step in plans for new developments across the town centre over the next five years. The funding, agreed jointly by East of England Development Agency (EEDA) and Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), will allow work to start on a 311-vehicle, basement car park for Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, who are also contributing to the cost of the new spaces. This will free land for the development of Elmer Square.

Southend has just been awarded Government grants worth £13m to help boost housing, jobs, to cut congestion and make the borough more accessible.

Hollybrook, the owner of the former College site in London Road, has submitted a revised planning application for permission to develop the site for 560 student flats, 312 parking spaces and 800sqm of commercial space.

Following confirmation of project funding through the Government’s Thames Gateway Growth Fund, Renaissance Southend, in consultation with Southend Borough Council, has appointed Landscape Architects to lead on preparing design schemes for two of the town centre’s most important public spaces; the Seafront from the Pier to the old Corporation Jetty, and ‘the Victorias’ encompassing Victoria Roundabout, Queensway, London Road and Victoria Circus.

The September edition of the Renaissance Southend Newsletter is now available.