A GIANT screen is to be installed at the new Forum building in Southend, after the council’s development control committee approved the plans yesterday.

The LED screen, which will measure 6.22m by 3.5m, will form a focal point in the new public square adjacent to The Forum which is due to open in September.

The screen will showcase cultural activities from all three partners of The Forum - the council, the University of Essex and South Essex College – as well as the opportunity to show national events such as Wimbledon.

Councillor Derek Jarvis, in charge of culture and tourism, said: “The Forum will reinforce Southend’s position as a cultural and educational hub in this region, and the big screen will support that.”