RESIDENTS can now get a bird’s eye view of how work on the new £27million Southend library is progressing.

The Forum has launched its own website which gives minute by minute updates on the building work, thanks to a webcam set up on the side of the University of Essex’s Gateway Building in Elmer Approach.

Family-construction company Wates began work on the project in early March and have now finished digging out the footprint of the building, which is on the site of the former Farringdon multi-storey car park.

They will now start setting out the foundations of the building, constructing a reinforced concrete sub-station and installing bore holes for ground source heat pumps.

Director Robert Setchell said: “We are delighted that residents will be able to keep up to date with the progress we are making via the webcam facility on the new website.

“This is a very prestigious project for Wates to be involved in and we are aware of the huge interest it is attracting from the people of Southend.

“As a company we are always keen to invest in the local communities in which we work and we will be doing all we can to keep local people up to date with the progress of this exciting project.”

The Forum website also shows a computerised animation of the development rising from its foundations to an impressive four-storey building, and provides the latest news and images from the project.

Due for completion in August 2013, The Forum will replace the existing Southend Central Library on Victoria Avenue, provide new teaching facilities for South Essex College and the University of Essex, and house the Focal Point Gallery.

To keep up to date with the building project visit www.theforumsouthend.co.uk.