Report 1224/TC

Dwelling Provision in Southend and Leigh. 17^th Jan 2007

Southend’s Core Strategy allows for an increase in dwellings in Southend of 6,000 between 2001 and 2021, although there are moves by the East of England to increase this to 6,500.

The 6,000 increase is split by Southend as follows:

1. Town Centre and Central area 1,650

2. Shoeburyness 1,400

3. Seafront 400

4. Intensification 2,550

Clearly, 1 and 2 do not affect Leigh, and, except for very marginal plans, 3 will have little direct impact on Leigh as there is virtually no space for seafront development. Thus, the figures which generally affect Leigh are those in 4.

Intensification covers the whole Borough, except for the specified areas in 1,2 and 3.

For an increase in dwellings of 2,550 over 20 years, there is an average increase of 128 per year.

Please see attached ‘Flat Analysis to Jan 2007’. This shows 170 flats approved in Leigh from Jan 2002 to Dec 2006, thus 34 per year – 27% of the entire intensification dwelling increase target for the Borough. Leigh covers about 12% of the population of Southend, but removing The Town Centre, Central area, Shoeburyness and Seafront, covered by 1, 2 and 3 above, the increase in Leigh is probably proportionate.

Insofar as houses are concerned, there have been a few successful applications for houses in Leigh, but the number is statistically very small and would not have a significant impact on the total dwelling requirement.

Geoff Fulford