The Seaway redevelopment has been hailed as the town’s biggest jobs boost in years – but local residents fear their lives will be blighted by the plans.

A whopping 450 jobs are set to be created in the scheme – the biggest employment boost in the town since Stobart announced it would be taking over Southend Airport six years ago.

However, the development will be built opposite terraced housing on Herbert Grove, and residents say the benefits of the scheme will not outweigh the drawbacks for them.

The council will also knock down the Rossi Ice Cream factory on the road – which it bought for £2million in 2008 – and have to relocate it elsewhere in the borough. Number 29 Herbert Road will be demolished and a public space created in place of the buildings.

Donna Casey, 34, who lives on Herbert Grove, said: “It’s a good thing for the town, but it’ll be a nightmare for us – it would make us consider leaving.

“We don’t want the riff-raff and all the litter, as it’s already noisy down here because of the nightclubs.”

Pauline Trumble, who runs Seaway Guesthouse on the road, added: “Will we get compensation for loss of sea views?”

Despite the concerns, David Burch, from the Essex Chambers of Commerce, said it was a massive boost for the town.

He said: “It certainly sounds like the biggest jobs creation for Southend in a number of years.

“We welcome it in principle, as it will revitalise an area of the town, create jobs, and hopefully bring a lot more people into Southend.”

The plans come after more details were released about another mass seafront development called Marine Plaza, near the Kursaal on Marine Parade.

Goldfield Developments Limited plans to bring restaurants and bars to that development too, but existing seafront traders are not worried about the threat of competition.

Paul Thompson, chairman of the Southend Seafront Traders’ Association, said: “This will bring people on to the seafront if they’ve just been for dinner or to the cinema.

“It’s a bigger cake for everyone to have a bite on.”

Echo:

Turnstone Estates, the firm behind the Seaway plan, claims it is in negotiations with a number of potential tenants to snap up the eight remaining restaurant units

Cinewars in Southend with Cineworld moving in

A battle at the box office could break out with a new Cineworld creating competition for the existing Odeon in Southend High Street.

Film fans would now have a choice where to go with the chains just a 15-minute walk apart from each other.

In a similar scenario in Basildon, the Tory council there recently announced plans to ditch building a cinema in Leisure Square, off East Walk, in the town centre because the nearby Eastgate shopping centre signed a deal to put a cinema at the top of its mall.

But Tim Deacon, director for Turnstone Estates, said: “I think it will be viable because it’s about the quality on offer and that will be good for customers in Southend.”

No further details have been released on the newcinema, except that it will have ten screens.

Both Cineworld and Odeon try to attract the same market of movie fans, with both businesses showcasing the latest big-budget releases, rather than focusing on cult flicks.

David Burch, from the Essex Chambers of Commerce, added: “There’s always a danger when a new business comes in competing with existing ones and one of them may end up closing down.

“But Southend does have a large catchment area and it is a large town itself.”

Both Odeon and Cineworld did not comment.

Town centre link

Developers hope that their new project will link the town centre with the seafront.

At the moment, the huge Seaway car park is sandwiched between Southend’s seafront and the High Street.

By opening this area up, there are hopes that both areas – big hitters for the local economy – could be finally seen as one.

The plans are also seen as helping to add to the six million visitors Southend currently attracts per year.

Tim Deacon, director of Turnstone Estates, which is ploughing £50million into the redevelopment, said: “This will link the town centre with the seafront, giving the borough an evening economy and an area for family entertainment.”

The news of the Seaway development comes weeks after Goldfield Developments took the wraps off its Marine Plaza project – just five minutes walk away in Marine Parade.

That will also contain hundreds of flats, plus rows of bars, restaurants, and amusements – and work could start around the same time as the Seaway project.

Ron Woodley, leader of Southend Council, added: “In ten years time, you will see a very different Southend.”