DEVELOPERS hoping to “turbo boost” Southend by building the £50million Seaway entertainment complex insist they are as determined as ever to make the plans a reality.

Southend Council’s development committee deferred a decision on the development during a controversial meeting this week due to concerns over parking.

Turnstone Estates has spent more than five years trying to find the best way to redevelop the Seaway Car Park on Lucy Road into a major new leisure attraction in Southend complete with an 11-screen IMAX cinema, bowling alley, hotel and multi-storey car park.

Director Tim Deacon said: “Although we are disappointed with the decision to delay our proposal for a massive £50million investment in Southend’s High Street, we are as determined as ever to deliver Seaway Leisure.

“That’s why we will continue to work closely with Southend Council officers to do everything we can to address the issues raised by the development control committee so that we can get on with turbo charging the local economy and delivering state-of-the-art facilities for residents as soon as possible.

“Every day that Seaway Leisure is delayed is an extra day that Southend residents are held back from hundreds of new jobs and local businesses unable to cash in on the extra visitors that a new year-round family friendly leisure attraction will bring to the High Street.”

Councillors voted to delay a decision because the number of parking spaces would be reduced from 661 to 555 and a survey on what was needed was based on figures from 2015.

Along with adjusting their plans to meet the needs of the council, the developer must also first wait to see whether this will even be possible, based on their existing agreement with the council.

Southend Council had only agreed to allow Turnstone to redevelop the car park if they gained planning permission by today, something they failed to achieve.

If Turnstone wish to continue on, they will be reliant on the council agreeing to extend the agreement, something many have already pledged they wouldn’t do, but are now reluctant to rule out.