The Changes at Southend

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The Changes at Southend

Postby Zoidstar » 26 Apr 2011, 15:25

After over a year of work the rebuilding of Southend seafront has (more or less) been completed, with just the new public toilets to finish (expeted to be done any day)
the easter weekend saw the first real big test of the new look and dispite the protest groups against any and all investment in Southend (I kid you not!) the vast
majority of people like the new look and extra space the prominade gives.


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The duel carrageway has been replaced by a singile lane in each direction, this has enabled the sea side of the prommande to be extened accross the old road.


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Planting has taken place in the newley created flower beds.


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the new road is a "shared space" where the path and road are at the smae level, it is designed to improve safety as drives are more aware of their surroundings, shared space roads are popular throughout Europe and places that it is used have seen a reduction in pedestrian vs traffic acccdents.


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A new public fountain has been installed the water jets shoot up in to the air colourd lighting chages the colour of the water, at night the fontains are switched off with the colursed lighting forming part of the illuminations.



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A new riased decking area is to be used as a public preformance space, the new lighting towners have proven propular with many whilst other say they completely block the sea view for drivers!


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the new prom


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One of the new light towers, they have replaced the old rope and bulb illuminations there were life expired and in need of being completely replaced, these new towers light up from the bottom to the top and change colour, at the top there are a couple of projectors that beam pattens, pictures and messages on the the prom below.


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Looking up at the towers.
Zoid on!
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Postby porterm » 26 Apr 2011, 18:44

I'd be interested to see how this new look will impact the infamous Cruises along the promenade (the pimped up cars that parade up and down about once a month). Maybe they're now banned.

I like the look of that illuminated futuristic looking tower though. I'm all for justifiable innovation, especially in the tourism field, however I think they come into question, like in my home town where they want to repave our whole high street area. I feel in these current economic times that such a gross expenditure would not really be money well spent, especially when the town's shops are closing at quite an alarming rate. But that's a different matter, albeit personal (I just don't see the sense in having a gleaming new High Street with numerous closed shops reeling from escalated rents detracting from any further financial growth).

Martin
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Postby Zoidstar » 26 Apr 2011, 22:16

Not been able to see them working yet but most peopel say they are impresive, sadly you can't please all the people all the time as some people want them taken down already! and the seafront restored to a fully victorian style!

No moden style buildings or facilitys!
Zoid on!
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Postby FATBOY » 29 Apr 2011, 08:06

looking good! its good to see all this investment in our essex seaside towns(my home town clacton). bet the boy racers aint happy???? LOL
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Postby kevin » 29 Apr 2011, 13:09

I have seen this and the so called "lighting towers" are too large and overbearing and out of proportion to the scale of the seafront. Remember these are the so called replacements for the traditional illuminations!

The council have, yet again, missed an opportunity here, using poor quality materials and contractors for the paving - uneven and badly cut cheap concrete slabs immediately grease stained and grimy, a repeat of the high street, which has become an eyesore almost immediately after having millions spent on it.

The whole area continues to look cluttered, and one has to question why so much money has been spent on it when the towns jewel, the pier, continues to lie near derelict since the devastating pier head fire of 1976.
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Postby Zoidstar » 29 Apr 2011, 13:47

The VAST majority of visitors like it, the old illuminations were in such a poor state they were classed as dangerious.

Why replicate every other seaside town and have rope and bulb lights, I did not see the new paving staned at all. As for "looking cluttered" its more open for pedestrians more trees (Just for Skipp!)

The money was spent on the seafont because it was not permited to spend it on the pier, the council had to submit the application for funding which had to include road improvement schemes the pier last time I looked did not have a road running on it!

Works on the pier head are due to start this year.
Zoid on!
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Postby Bob » 14 May 2011, 14:24

Zoidstar wrote:The VAST majority of visitors like it, the old illuminations were in such a poor state they were classed as dangerious.

Why replicate every other seaside town and have rope and bulb lights, I did not see the new paving staned at all. As for "looking cluttered" its more open for pedestrians more trees (Just for Skipp!)

The money was spent on the seafont because it was not permited to spend it on the pier, the council had to submit the application for funding which had to include road improvement schemes the pier last time I looked did not have a road running on it!

Works on the pier head are due to start this year.


They look pretty ugly and the scale of them is out of al proportion to everything else

By all mean replace life expired fittings but at least replace them with something that is an improvement. They could have achieved a much better result at a much lower cost.

They are not trying to lite up a football picture
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Postby Zoidstar » 14 May 2011, 15:04

But why be the same, the funds came from central government as part of the wider Better Southend scheme that has seen Victoria Circus, Cuckoo Corner and progress Road all under go major face lifts, if all that was proposed was replace like for like then the funding would not have been awarded for any of the schemes.

It was all or nothing, what would you have done?
Zoid on!
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Postby derekf » 02 Apr 2012, 14:26

I really like the flower beds but I do wonder when finally something will grow there because they look quite naked without blooming flowers don't you think? Maybe one should call order serenata flower gifts from UK to plant them in those beds so they will have a fresher summer look.
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Postby Zoidstar » 05 Apr 2012, 13:07

Work had not long been completed when I took the photos they were in full bloom later in the year.
Zoid on!
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