NEW plans to develop a seafront landmark building are set to be submitted to Southend Council.

The designs for the Esplanade pub site in Western Esplanade are set to be submitted by developers Redab Properties, who said talks with town planners had been positive and there was “real optimism that the £12.5 million scheme will get the green light”.

The company had threatened to appeal a council decision in August to turn down an early application for 24 luxury flats on the site.

However, they have come up with a revised scheme reducing the number of apartments to 23 and the overall project is smaller by 3,449 sq feet. The new design incorporates new sweeping rooflines, which appear to be more acceptable to planners who had feared the former scheme was too big for the seafront.

CG Pettersson, managing director of Redab said: “It is clearly in everyone’s interest if we can reach agreement and I am pleased we appear to have made significant progress with Southend’s planners, but progress has been very slow and we clearly have to consider alternatives should these talks fail.

“The revised plans have had a significant negative impact on the viability of the scheme and these delays have proved very costly but I am hopeful that we shall be able to proceed with the project by the end of the year.”

Redab said it was committed to Southend and was willing to invest in the town, but it has been frustrated by the lack of progress and what it perceived to be “inaccurate perceptions and comparisons with projects in other parts of the borough”.

The company said there has also been differences regarding the amount of money Redab has been willing to offer the council towards affordable housing and other social schemes which the company claims already exceeds some £50,000 per apartment.