COUNCIL bosses could offer vast swathes of Southend’s town centre to a single developer as they try to push through ambitious regeneration plans.

Chiefs at Southend Council are considering signing up to a partnership with a private firm to bankroll the majority of their £300million vision for the future.

The deal would guarantee the developer the first chance to suggest redevelopment plans for ten key sites, including Warrior Square car park, Queensway House and Southend Pier.

Nigel Holdcroft, the council’s Conservative leader, described the idea as a convenient way of circumventing the Government’s cash crisis.

“The problem we have is we have invested a lot of public money in town centre projects over the past few years, but that money is now drying up,” he said.

“To stop our plans stalling, what we are looking at is a series of different options, of which this partnership is one.”

Leading councillors are due to discuss the deal, known as a limited liability partnership, at their cabinet meeting tomorrow. The Echo understands one developer has already said it is interested in the deal.

If it becomes reality, the partnership would initially focus on the ten council-owned sites set out in the authority’s Southend Central Area Action Plan, although council bosses have not ruled out allowing the partnership to approach private landowners in the town centre area with a view to developing their land.

Mr Holdcroft said the private firm would be chosen from a shortlist of suitors on the basis of how it proposed to develop the sites.

However, the leader was adamant the deal would not mean the council was held to ransom.

He said: “This will not be an exclusive partnership.

“We would never sign up for anything which would mean we would have to accept a development, nor would we be able to tell the private partner exactly what to do.

“If the council decided to go down a different route with a different developer, that would still be perfectly possible.”

Graham Longley, leader of the council's Liberal Democrat councillors, said: “I would hope the council is prepared to look at working with a number of providers and does not create exclusivity by doing this.

“I would also expect any partner to avoid becoming an expensive consultant. Most of all, I would have deep concerns if they do not have a proven track record in this field.

“We do not want to be anybody’s testing ground.”