A huge artificial lagoon on Southend seafront will welcome bathers by the end of July, it has been confirmed.

Works will start on the tree-lined pool, roughly the size of a football pitch, at Three Shells Beach, in just 18 days time.

And project bosses say it will be completed, at the very latest, by the time schools break up for the summer holidays.

The scheme, hoped to give a major boost to Southend’s tourism industry, was first unveiled in 2014, but has been beset by delays. But now lorries are set to bring down thousands of rocks from Leicester for the pool’s construction set to start from March 1.

Echo: An artist's impression of the artificial lagoon

CGI of the lagoon


Mark Murphy, group manager for property regeneration and strategic projects, said: “We know that because what we are working on, there will be certain days, due to the weather and the tide, that we won’t be able to do anything.

“We expect to lose some days because of this, so we’re saying it will be open by the third week of July, whereas if we had no delays it would be completed in June – but it’s sensible to give ourselves the extra time.

“The lagoon is an interesting one, because we have not seen any man-made lagoons in England, and this will provide a significant improvement to the seafront offer in Southend.”

He added a regular complaint from tourists is that when the tide is out, there is little chance of them enjoying the water.

At its deepest, the pool will be 1.1 metres deep. At all times.

But the lagoon means there will be a permanent area of water for bathers, which will clean itself when the tide goes out and in.

The council already has planning permission for the scheme, and is currently ratifying the construction process, which will see about 14,000 cubic tonnes of rock carted down to Southend from a Leicestershire quarry.

The rocks will be put on top of sheet piling that has been piled down into the seabed.

The costs of the project have spiralled to £1.8million, but the Alexander Yacht Club has withdrawn its objection to the plans, which had held up the scheme.

Paul Thompson, chairman of the Southend Seafront Traders Association, said: “It’s good news. It’s nice to have some water available all the time.

“It’s certainly going to add to the attraction for tourists in Southend.”