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8:12am Thursday 19th June 2008
A BLAZE at a disused officers' mess in Shoebury Garrison is thought to have been started deliberately.
Six fire crews were called to the incident about 6.30am this (Thursday) morning and were still battling the blaze at 3pm.
The derelict two-storey building is Grade II-listed and was earmarked by developers to become a hotel.
A joint police and fire service investigation will be carried out into the cause of the fire, which is being treated as suspicious.
Speaking at the scene this morning, a fire and rescue service spokesman said: "This is a long building with a close boarded roof and an unstable structure, so we are having to fight the fire from outside the building to maintain the safety of crews.
"The mess is a listed building on a derelict estate that has been redeveloped.
"Water supplies have been established and we are beginning to see progress in putting out flames."
Special report and pictures in Friday's Echo
Resident, Shoebury Garisson says...
9:44am Thu 19 Jun 08
BD, southend says...
10:26am Thu 19 Jun 08
jennifer, shoebury says...
10:34am Thu 19 Jun 08
Resident, Shoebury Garisson says...
10:34am Thu 19 Jun 08
Cockle, Southend says...
11:01am Thu 19 Jun 08
Cockle, Southend says...
11:21am Thu 19 Jun 08
Resident wrote:Trust me, as someone born and raised in Shoebury, there is a village with shops, not a shop, a post office, a school, a doctors surgery, a pharmacy, a railway station and bus services; it's called Shoebury and it's all within a half mile radius of the Garrison/High Street gate.
If the squaters wanted somewhere nicer, there are always the large new commercial buildings near the church that have been sitting empty for years!!! I was sold on buying here, that it would be having the small village life back. To me that should mean post office, shop, school and maybe even a gym etc. But no, greedy developers have built hundreds of homes first and nothing else to support the community, leaving (fantastic) derelict buildings like this to rot (or burn!).
Reader1, Southend says...
11:22am Thu 19 Jun 08
Cockle, Southend says...
11:27am Thu 19 Jun 08
Resident, Shoebury Garisson says...
11:41am Thu 19 Jun 08
Resident Garrison, Shoebury says...
11:56am Thu 19 Jun 08
AR, Shoebury says...
12:22pm Thu 19 Jun 08
BD, southend says...
12:41pm Thu 19 Jun 08
Cockle, Southend says...
12:45pm Thu 19 Jun 08
Resident Garrison wrote:Well done and I hope that you feel at home in Shoebury.
As a resident of the Garrison I can say that both myself and my neighbours use the shops, post office and facilities outside the Garrison daily and would not want anything to change.
devil's Advocate, boozledon says...
1:53pm Thu 19 Jun 08
jennifer wrote:Yeah that "Arson" does have a tendency to be a bit "spirity." Might I suggest you try "Harmony?" That holds your hair all day, looks natural enough to let passing men think your not wearing it and has no lingering smell!
it was well alight at 9 am thick smoke,can still smell it in my hair I presume arson.
Resident Garrison, Shoebury says...
1:57pm Thu 19 Jun 08
John Palmer, Shoeburyness says...
2:09pm Thu 19 Jun 08
BD, southend says...
3:05pm Thu 19 Jun 08
John Palmer wrote:I know numerous companies that have shown an interest in these units, but they are so overpriced you'd cry (£1million a floor!) theyve no aircon or other facilities installed and if you look not even plasterboard on the walls. They also arent being marketed to be sold anymore and Ive also heard theres communications with the council already to turn them into residential properties, which will be nice being so close the the houses to the rear ofthem. My main concern is why are they still planning to build on the park when we clearly dont need any more ind units in shoebury there are plenty of empty ones already...
Having lived in shoebury all my life, so far, and being a resident of the garisson and can see both sides. There are a number of residents who would love security gates to keep out the Shoebury hoards, however there are many more who would love to see the high street once again come to life. We were promised so much when we brought our over priced properties, however none have come about. The industrial units are an eyesore, are you telling me in all this time not one business has shown an interest in setting up on the site. maybe its to expensive, maybe thats on purpose it would not take much to turn these buliding in to residential properties. I am sure that was not the original idea !!!.
maureen, shoeburyness says...
3:25pm Thu 19 Jun 08
Andrew, Shoeburyness says...
3:43pm Thu 19 Jun 08
BD, southend says...
3:46pm Thu 19 Jun 08
maureen wrote:we will still use the area for walking and cycling.
to garrison resident. i was against the gladedale village, i thought the mod land should have been used as a residential convelescent hospital/home for our armed forces and their families to recover. this would have been the ideal place, fresh, sea air and open space to walk and appreciate. unfortunately mod thought otherwise. sorry? you do not think local residents should use the property which was available to all locals before you bought your vastly inflated property. we will still use the area for walking and cycling.
BD, southend says...
4:11pm Thu 19 Jun 08
Andrew wrote:I think if it had been gladedale or whoever it would have been the same, Ive actually spoken to some of the higher up bods in gladedale and was surprised at how much control southend council had with regards to what was to be built (hencethe digging up of the park)
Selling the site to Gladedale was a huge mistake. Gladedale promised the newbuilds would be sympathetic to the existing architecture. What we got were pig-ugly Soviet style housing blocs round half the cricket pitch and those appalling wood clad monstrosities on the sea-wall. How people can pay so much for, and live in, such ugly buildings I do not know. Also, Gladedale are guilty of false advertising. All their spiel shouts about \'village living\' and shows pictures of houses surrounded by greenery and fields. None of it shows the factory estate and destruction of Gunners Park.
Horrified, Shoebury says...
11:45pm Thu 26 Jun 08
JimmyShoe, says...
11:36am Sun 17 Aug 08
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BD, southend says...
9:16am Thu 19 Jun 08