DEVEOPERS are pressing on with plans for a £50million leisure complex...despite a rival park due to open just two miles away.

Turnstone Estates were brought in by Southend Council to transform the Seaway car park, off Lucy Road, with a cinema, restaurants and bars.

Progress had appeared to stall after a revised scheme was unveiled in December.

The Echo can now reveal Turnstone is putting the final touches to its ambitious plans, with a detailed application due to be submitted by the end of the year.

It comes after the developers carried out their own survey in a bid to alleviate parking concerns- ruling Southend town centre has enough spaces to cope with demand.

The scheme is set to be in competition with the new Fossetts Farm development, which will become home to Southend United’s new stadium as well as a cinema, shops and restaurants.

With the plans nearing completion, the two major developments could go head-to-head as they bid for the go-ahead from Southend Council.

Tim Deacon, managing director of Cambridge-based Turnstone Estates, said: “At the moment we are just working on fine tuning the proposal for the cinema design and car parking. There’s been quite a lot of debate about the level of car parking so we have undertaken our own survey.

“The survey found that even on the busiest days there was still car parking accessible at all the other car parks in the town. We recognise that Seaway fills up quite quickly when there are people coming to the seafront but certainly other town centre car parks have still got capacity, even those not far away.”

Mr Deacon added: “That finding is in line with previous surveys but we wanted our own independent survey.

“Most of the seafront businesses and traders are in support of our proposals because of the benefits they will bring but we recognise parking is a big issue.

“We aren’t announcing the name of the cinema operator yet but hopefully we will do before Christmas.”

A hotel is also set to be built on the site.

John Lamb, leader of Southend Council, welcomed the progress.

He said: “I’m looking forward to seeing the proposals. I think it’s another good development for the town but we want to see what’s being proposed to make sure we are going to benefit from the whole development for the seafront and for the High Street.

“It’s an exciting development for the town and another sign that businesses are happy to invest.”

Fossetts Farm is set to include 35 retail units, a 12-screen Cineworld, ten restaurants, and 240 apartments in three tower blocks.

That scheme, also in the final design stages, has sparked concerns people will be drawn away from Southend High Street and the Seaway development.

In January, Southend United club chairman Ron Martin signed a deal with real estate firm British Land to fund the first phase of the complex in Eastern Avenue, Southend.

Commenting on the recent sale of the former Prospects College at Roots Hall, paving the way for the long-awaited Fossetts Farm development, Mr Martin said there were now “advanced relocation plans” for the club.

Ann Holland, councillor responsible for culture, tourism and economy, said both schemes will be great additions for the town.

She believed they will balance each other out, offering something for everyone.

She said: “It is good news to hear we may get the Seaway application in this year. I think it will be superb with lots of leisure facilities and something for all the family to enjoy.

“The Fossetts plans seem to have changed so much over the years . I’m slightly concerned about the High Street and traffic but that’s something for the council to consider .

“We need a new football ground. The two schemes are completely different and Seaway will help to balance it out and bring people to the seafront and town centre.

“It will keep people in the town for leisure and shopping.”

The seafront, which continues to attract some big name investors, will also welcome a £60million flats, shops, and restaurants development at Marine Plaza.

The scheme, on the former Dizzyland site, was approved in June 2015.

Can town handle the loss of important parking area?

CLAIMS that Southend will be able to cope with the loss of a seafront car park have been met with scepticism by traders.

Following its independent review, Turnstone estimates that there are 2,200 extra spaces available in car parks close to the Seaway site.

Adventure Island operator Stockvale believes these spaces are already taken up on the hottest days of the year.

He has concerns about the town’s overcrowded car parks, claiming visitors are regularly left scrambling for spaces.

Philip Miller, executive chairman of Stockvale, said: “Stockvale is not against the development it is just about the lack of extra parking required which has not been addressed.

“The fact they are building on the largest car park that serves the seafront is poor forward planning. The message it sends is only to curtail investment.”

Mr Miller added: “People avoid the seafront on busy days because you have a situation where visitors drive around and around waiting for a space to appear, causing pollution and congestion. Common sense tells you if these cars had somewhere to park we would suffer from neither.

“It would certainly make travelling into town on busy days much easier as well.”

Paul Thompson, chairman of the Southend Seafront Traders’ Association and owner of the seafront Pebbles cafe, is also worried.

He said: “I completely disagree with the results of Turnstone’s survey. Ask any resident in town or any business, they will say more parking equals less traffic congestion.

“At the moment residents’ lives are blighted by constant traffic jams when the sun is out at the weekend. People are driving around and around looking for parking spaces. On the busiest days the queues into town stretch right back to Rayleigh. The whole town comes to a standstill.”

In June the council announced plans for 400 extra spaces in the Tylers Avenue car park and the Fairheads Green car park, off Eastern Esplanade.

Tony Cox, councillor responsible for transport, waste and cleansing, said: “When it’s a nice sunny day Seaway does get full very quickly, that’s why measures were put in place to steer people to alternative car parks.

“Seaway is a needed development but we need to make sure there will be sufficient car parking in the plans.”