Dreams of a Shoebury heritage centre move closer (From Echo)

Dreams of a Shoebury heritage centre move closer

8:50am Friday 16th September 2011 in Southend By George Thorpe

CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating after a 20-year mission to get a new heritage centre in Shoebury was finally backed by councillors.

Southend Council’s cabinet has approved plans to use the Grade II listed battery gun store building in Gunners Park as a new centre to showcase pictures and memorabilia from the old Shoebury Garrison.

Retired Army officer Tony Hill has worked since 1979 producing an archive of pictures and other artefacts from the garrison, which would form the centrepiece of the new centre,.

Some of the material belongs to the Royal Regiment of Artillery at Woolwich, and it is hoped this can be kept on permanent loan once the new building is open.

Brian Sandford, secretary of the Shoebury Society, said: “Mr Hill has collected many items, such as old tools and photographs, from the garrison, but they are currently out of sight from the public.

“We have been trying for 20 years to get a building to be used to show Shoebury’s heritage.

“We know the public and a number of schools in Southend would be interested in learning about the garrison’s past.”

A consortium of groups, headed by the Shoebury Society, looks set to form the management team after councillors backed the bid.

Construction work at the centre would be met through a contribution by Gladedale, developers of the Shoebury Garrison site.

The consortium now plans to construct a car park and developing educational rooms for school visits.

Independent councillor for Shoebury Mike Assenheim said he would love to the see the building reused for the purpose of documenting the history of the town’s history.

Mr Assenheim said: “The items need to be somewhere for the public to see them to learn about Shoebury’s history.

“We have to keep the heritage of the town alive.”