WITH two more car showrooms set to disappear from the renowned London Road strip, traders fear property prices are driving them out of business.

For years, the eight-mile stretch of road from Sadlers Farm roundabout to Southend town centre was home to more than 40 dealers getting south Essex drivers on the road in new cars, vans and motorbikes.

However, those halcyon days could soon be disappearing, with more and more showrooms closing down.

Dozens of new homes will be replacing Johnsons of Leigh and Emex International, after the plans were revealed by the Echo.

Johnsons’ showroom, office space and a vehicle repair shop are to be demolished in order to make way for eight new houses.

SK Architects have applied to Southend Council to redevelop the “tired” showroom, with each of the homes having rear gardens.

In May the Echo reported that 30 flats could be coming to replace a showroom on the corner of London Road and Darlinghurst Grove.

One showroom, which trades next to Johnsons, will be moving further down the road at the end of the month to new premises, and its director has spoken of his fears for the future of the trade in the area now that more than half of the dealerships have vanished.

Mark Houghton, director of Boocar, says that a hike in property prices is driving traders away from the area.

Mr Houghton said: “We have been here since 2003, and when we started there were about 45 dealerships in London Road. There must be less than 20 now.

“A lot of landlords bought up property in the Seventies and Eighties when it was cheap, and I guess they are just cashing in on their assets. As a result, some traders aren’t able to afford it.

“The price of property in Leigh is so high now, that’s why you are seeing all these flats appear.”

Jason Aylott, manager of Leigh Car Centre, also in London Road, which has traded for 15 years, believes the dealerships should be protected, and likened it to Leigh Broadway’s mix of coffee shops.

He said: “Going back, it used to be a day out, people could just travel up and down London Road knowing they were going to find exactly what they were looking for.

“There are so many which are disappearing. We have heard of a few which have planning permission for one house here, two houses there.

“I am guessing from the council’s point of view they will see it as better to have a set of council tax payments coming in, instead of just one lot of business rates from a showroom.

“I would like to see us get more protection, and for it to be still the place to go to for cars.

“Look at how Leigh Broadway is well known for coffee shops, there is no way the council would turn them into flats, so why should London Road be different?”

Mr Aylott added that having more competition works better for businesses still in London Road.

Shoppers have also hit out at the loss of business, and believe housing is being crammed on to small sites. Danielle Schacht, from Southend, wrote on the Echo’s Facebook page: “We need more affordable family homes not tiny flats with no gardens or parking. I have been looking for three years to move somewhere affordable just to have a garden for my children but it seems all are so greedy.”