A £300million plan to regenerate Southend town centre and seafront has been given the green light by senior councillors.

The draft Southend Central Area Action Plan proposes hundreds of new homes, more shops and offices, further pedestrianisation of the town centre and revamping the town’s historic pier.

It also looks at the radical option of the council working with a private company in a limited liability partnership to drive regeneration plans.

Members of the council’s Tory cabinet approved the document this afternoon.

It looks at redeveloping 19 sites around the town in 10 designated areas.

Jonathan Garston, the councillor responsible for planning, added: “This is an exciting document.

“We have a clear vision for the town centre and seafront.

“If we didn’t have a document like this, you would end up with piecemeal development all over the place, not a clear vision.”

Council bosses want to attract hundreds of millions of pounds of investment from the private sector as well as produce £35million from their own coffers over the next three years.

The draft plan will be looked at by all councillors before public inspection at a future date.