Plans for a £40million seafront museum have raised concerns, including the issue of parking, among residents and traders.

Southend Council last week chose its architect for the Estuary Experience museum it hopes to build on cliffs in Western Esplanade.

The museum, which will be designed by Hawkins Brown, will include a planetarium, cafe, shop and multi-storey car park.

It will also house the precious artefacts uncovered in the Saxon King burial ground in Prittlewell along with those from the London shipwreck which sank 350 years ago near Southend Pier.

The first stage of the project will be the construction of a car park but that has not placated seafront traders.

Philip Miller, owner of Adventure Island, said: “Obviously we warmly welcome well thought out investment into Southend in general, and the seafront in particular. However, it is the same old story. The council leadership has missed the bigger picture, yet again.

“Assuming the museum is successful in attracting the kind of numbers of extra visitors that will be needed to make this a viable proposition - where on earth are they going to park all of these extra vehicles?”

Mr Miller added: “If the Saturday night seafront firework displays are anything to go by, where more visitors were stuck looking for spaces than actually in them, then we really will be headed for ‘carmageddon’ for residents and visitors alike.”

Southend Council says building the car park first will help with parking concerns and is looking at parking provision elsewhere on the seafront, including the gasworks site in Eastern Esplanade.

Readers took to the Echo’s Facebook page to voice their concerns.

Rachel Bayla Bahr said: “I think they need to spend some of this money on our failing, shabby, empty, poor-looking high street as it’s becoming a world class embarrassment.

Kevin Carr was more upbeat.

He said: “Great idea but let’s stop talking about it and get it built. Anything that raises the profile of Southend and attracts more quality visitors is a good thing as far as I’m concerned.

“Also let’s get the Lucy Road and Kursaal developments done too.

“You have to start somewhere and these projects will help to bring in more money and people to the town which will, in turn, attract better retailers.”