Southend Council to buy Victoria Shopping Centre

[Fairport]

What a crass decision to buy commercial/retail property in today's climate. Would have been more sensible to invest in buying housing and renting it out, thousands seem to be making easy money by doing this.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

That is an eyesore and it’s a tragedy what happened to that end of town. Hopefully they’ll bulldoze the ****ing thing.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

That is an eyesore and it’s a tragedy what happened to that end of town. Hopefully they’ll bulldoze the ****ing thing.

unlikely, what shops are in it? a Next? a Boots? what else?
The whole High Street is woeful.

 

[Mad Cyril]

The council should offer units rent and rates free to attract tenants.

Existing businesses would benefit from any extra footfall.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

unlikely, what shops are in it? a Next? a Boots? what else?
The whole High Street is woeful.

I know there’s a Wilko and a Poundland. It’s always dead when I go. The building is ugly, what was there before was much nicer.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

What a crass decision to buy commercial/retail property in today's climate. Would have been more sensible to invest in buying housing and renting it out, thousands seem to be making easy money by doing this.

I can see the logic behind buying when demand is low and the price is presumably cheap. Makes more sense than buying it at the top of the market, which may be what you are suggesting with the housing market (and the council are building houses with Ron's Fossetts dream).

We all know something needs to be done with the top of the High Street and with the Council as landlords they will be in a position to do it. Whether they will make the right decisions is another matter entirely but if they treat this more as a regeneration project instead of a commercial investment - so offering cheap rent for innovative start-ups like local clothes designers or restauranteers rather than the usual private equity backed chains or the depressing clearance shops - this could be a big win for the town.

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

That is an eyesore and it’s a tragedy what happened to that end of town. Hopefully they’ll bulldoze the ****ing thing.

Totally agree. However it is unclear from the Echo report whether the former office block is included. It was not so long ago as far as I'm aware converted to flats for sale. If so demolition might be difficult. I think their plan is to rent it out the hard to let shops to small businesses to fill the spaces. I'm sure no one has thought of this before. Anyway let's give them the benefit of the doubt and see how it goes.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

Totally agree. However it is unclear from the Echo report whether the former office block is included. It was not so long ago as far as I'm aware converted to flats for sale. If so demolition might be difficult. I think their plan is to rent it out the hard to let shops to small businesses to fill the spaces. I'm sure no one has thought of this before. Anyway let's give them the benefit of the doubt and see how it goes.

Agreed. I’d love nothing more than for the whole thing to be demolished and rebuilt but accept in reality that won’t happen. Some local independent shops/start ups to give the place a nicer feel would be good. The High Street isn’t as nice a place to visit these days, it’s sadly been neglected for many years.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

Like a lot of things this council does it is 10 years too late.
A large part of it could have been used for the new library? And then some other use for that site?
FF ought to have happened a decade ago, and a marina 40 years ago.With the latest climate forecasts how does more building one Shoebury garrison flood area make sense?

 

[Stan33]

I can see the logic behind buying when demand is low and the price is presumably cheap. Makes more sense than buying it at the top of the market, which may be what you are suggesting with the housing market (and the council are building houses with Ron's Fossetts dream).

We all know something needs to be done with the top of the High Street and with the Council as landlords they will be in a position to do it. Whether they will make the right decisions is another matter entirely but if they treat this more as a regeneration project instead of a commercial investment - so offering cheap rent for innovative start-ups like local clothes designers or restauranteers rather than the usual private equity backed chains or the depressing clearance shops - this could be a big win for the town.

More flats !?

 

[Mad Cyril]

FF ought to have happened a decade ago, and a marina 40 years ago.With the latest climate forecasts how does more building one Shoebury garrison flood area make sense?

I had a Marina 30 years, ago and the clutch went after two weeks.

 

[General]

I think it’s a solid investment. It’s monthly bills pay for itself via parking costs (set to go up no doubt) and rents. It’ll also give them the option of putting the library and museum in there and using the land where that currently is for renovation (flats!) in the near future...

 

[Mr Plow]

They now need to bring back the Precinct glory days - InShops, Software Plus, the crab, lobster and the three shells for the kids to to crawl through.

Use to be some good shops in that place during the 80s/90s to be fair.

 

[OldBlueLady]

I saw something online somewhere to say that pressure was being put on the Council to move the police station and courts into the Victoria - not quite sure how that would work.

I didn't know that the old Chartwell House had been converted into flats, used to be the home to Midland Bank Credit Cards back in my day, which used Garons Banqueting Suite for their lunches - used to meet friends in there every now and then.

I had a Marina 30 years, ago and the clutch went after two weeks.

My first car back in the 80s was a Marina. Ex cop car, great car, could go a fair lick up the A12 when I was living in Norwich and coming home every weekend!

 

[Floval Flyer]

I ventured into Southend High Street yesterday as need to go to Waterstones.

The high street has been in decline for many years, but it’s really hit rock bottom. The place seems so dirty and run down, felt like I was on the scene of a zombie film set, lot of ne’er do wells hanging about too.

Hard to see how many of the retailers can survive, worst case being WH Smith, which was virtually empty, same as the Chelmsford store when we were over there a week or so back.

Sad state, not nice to see.

 

[londonblue]

The council should offer units rent and rates free to attract tenants.

Existing businesses would benefit from any extra footfall.

I haven't been on the high street for around 20-25 years since I don't live in the area, but haven't they put a roof on that whole development? If that is the case then I would consider allowing more restaurants etc to open up (covid permitting of course). Retail is dying, but given this area has roof then it seems to me it would make a great area to open restaurants and coffee shops and allow them to spill into the pedestrian areas. A bit al-fresco, but with a roof to keep out the rain.

 

[Supershrimper]

Problem with Southend high street is its too long and open to the weather. Its not too bad when the sun is shining and its nice weather, but add in some gloomy clouds and rain and its a different beast entirely.

I always thought that they should try and condence the high street, allowing flats, restaurants etc to be built near / on the Royals shopping centre, as well as Victoria shopping centre and then try and build another covered shopping area with Southend Central train station as the focal point, encompassing the library that seems to be forgotten behind the back of the high street.

A higher concentration of decent quality shops, somewhere to have a bite to eat in the evening etc

 

[rigsby]

I spent avery rare 2hrs plus in the High street this week as I was having work and an MOT done on the car in a nearby garage.

First thing I see on arrival just after 09:00 was a group of the great unwashed, strong cans on the go, arguing in the middle of the High Street. Perhaps they were waring over begging pitches. You would have thought a group of more than 6 not
distancing would be arrested and fined but of course its not financially viable in the new normal.

A combination of beggars, drug dealers, closed shops and low end crap in the ones that are open, means the town centre is on life support. A cinema and rock climbing wall in the Sea way wont save it. Sadly talking to one of the most well known councillors, he thinks it will.

With Debenhams going they might have to look at the Royals as well as Victoria.

 

[Mad Cyril]

They now need to bring back the Precinct glory days - InShops, Software Plus, the crab, lobster and the three shells for the kids to to crawl through.

Use to be some good shops in that place during the 80s/90s to be fair.

I would like to see something like Brighton Laines with loads of independent shops.

Not sure the local market would support that though. There is a reason the high street is full of bookies and toot shops and fast food places.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

I spent avery rare 2hrs plus in the High street this week as I was having work and an MOT done on the car in a nearby garage.

First thing I see on arrival just after 09:00 was a group of the great unwashed, strong cans on the go, arguing in the middle of the High Street. Perhaps they were waring over begging pitches. You would have thought a group of more than 6 not
distancing would be arrested and fined but of course its not financially viable in the new normal.

A combination of beggars, drug dealers, closed shops and low end crap in the ones that are open, means the town centre is on life support. A cinema and rock climbing wall in the Sea way wont save it. Sadly talking to one of the most well known councillors, he thinks it will.

With Debenhams going they might have to look at the Royals as well as Victoria.

The High Street is very poorly policed from the abundance of beggars, louts drinking lager (in a prohibited area?), clouds of cannabis smoke, dodgems with bikes and scooters, litter strewn.
No up market shop will come anywhere near it. If GAP or FatFace, for examples, wanted to open a shop in the SS postcode they would choose Leigh Broadway for those reasons alone.