Residents got their first glimpse of the Queensway plans at a public consultation.

John Collier, 70 from Southend, said: “It does need it, but it’s a lot to take in.

“There lots of concerns, the timescale, the money, will it ever actually happen. It will probably end up like the football stadium, we’re what, 20 years down the line now.

“I think the greenery will be a nice touch, it’s important to have shops.”

James Auger, 74 from Southend, wasn’t impressed. He said: “I’m not overly happy about it.

Echo:

“They’re pulling down tower blocks which don’t have a very big footprint and replacing them with dwellings. There’s not enough space. What about the parking, people have more than one car nowadays, they haven’t catered for that. The infrastructure can’t handle it, they’re building all these conversions along Victoria Avenue but there’s no extra facilities for the people, like doctors surgeries. The council never listen.”

Part of the plan is to remove the Queensway pedestrian underpass.

It will be filled in, and the footbridge from the tower blocks into the town centre will be removed. Instead, traffic will flow underneath a tunnel like structure that residents will be able to walk across.

IBI design consultant on the project, Marcus Wilshere, said: “There should be no need for residents to encounter a road crossing until Chichester Road. This will also remove some of the noise and pollution from the area.”

Echo:

New area will have landscaped places for people to relax

Work on some of the road changes is set to begin at the end of 2018 with £1.7million funding from the Department of Transport.

The second of two public exhibitions will take place on Thursday, November 16 between 2pm and 8pm in the Deeping Meeting Room, The Forum, Elmer Square.