TWO new housing developments are close to completion in an area on the up, according to an estate agents.

Tenants will soon begin moving into the eight-storey Eden Point, in Rectory Grove, while the 14-apartment Grandview, at the other end of the Broadway, is taking shape.

Leigh’s boutique shops, charming atmosphere and short commute to London is proving popular with property developers and buyers alike.

However, there have been complaints that the high-rises signal a loss of the former fishing village’s character.

Matthew Cook, manager of Appointmoor Estate Agents, which is marketing Eden Point, said: “Leigh is going through a major transition.

“It’s an up and coming area. Eden Point has done very well.

“There will be more growth in the area, hence the developer’s attraction.

“What I like about Leigh is it is a very individual place, with a lot of independent businesses.

“People are happy to invest there, it’s very cosmopolitan and the commuting is attractive.

“There is a lot more growth in the area to come.”

More than 80 per cent of Eden Point’s 30 flats have already been sold, although developer Lacey Enterprises is yet to release its penthouse.

The controversial development has taken three years to build.

Elsewhere in Leigh, Southend builder Randall Watts has finished about a quarter of the four-storey Grandview, opposite the Grand Hotel, with construction set to finish in May next year.

The first floor slab will be cast on Monday and the concrete formwill be finished by the end of the month, before the external cladding is fitted.

Terry Potter, contracts manager for Randall Watts, said: “It’s going very well.

“The interior will be started in about six weeks.”

Richard Herbert, chairman of Leigh Town Council, welcomes the investment in Leigh, but has some concerns about overdevelopment.

Mr Herbert, who lives in a block of flats in nearby Grand Drive, said: “I like the fact that the town is very vibrant. Many people want to live here.

“I share the concerns of many residents that the amount of development sometimes feels excessive.

“I know Eden Point has been controversial, but we shall have to see once it is finished and people will be able to express their final views.”