WORRIED traders at a Southend shopping centre have come out against the planned Fossetts Farm shopping centre – fearing it could cost them their livelihoods.

Echoing fears expressed earlier this year by the Southend Business Improvement District (BID), shopkeepers at the Victoria Shopping Centre said they were very concerned the development, which would be built alongside Southend United’s new stadium, would suck trade out of the town centre.

Steve Kohler, who has run Teddy Station on the first floor of the centre for seven years, said many traders shared his fears at a recent meeting held with manager Dennis Baldry.

He said: “We had a Tenants’ Association meeting which was bringing to our attention the development at Fossetts Farm, which it’s obvious has gone from being a football stadium with a shopping centre to a shopping centre with a football stadium.

“All the owners are up in arms about it because, if all the big name stores go to an out of town shopping centre, we are going to end up as a dead-end seaside town and the seven years of hard work I’ve put into this business will have been for nothing.

“What’s worried me is it’s stopped any potential investment in the town – I can’t see any big names coming to the town centre with something like that on the horizon, and I think the Royals will be the worst affected because they rely on big names more than the Victoria.”

Conservative leader John Lamb, who is expected to become leader of the council on Thursday, after Ukip’s two councillors agreed to support a minority administration, said he would do all he could to get the best deal for traders.

He said: “They have planning permission, so we can’t go against that, but if they don’t develop it and have to come back and ask then there’s something we can do.

“I’ve met with people representing the BID and I made it clear to them we are very much behind supporting the High Street.

“We were the ones who brought in the BID through the Town Centre Partnership and made it clear the long-term aim was for it to move to a business improvement district which was independent.

“We’ve always supported the High Street and, while we can’t stop the development at Fossetts Farm, it’s something that needs to be discussed between the developers, the BID, and the council.”