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Council backing Esplanade House makeover plans (From Southend Standard)
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Council backing Esplanade House makeover plans
10:00am Sunday 21st March 2010
PLANS to turn a partially demolished old building into flats and a hotel are being recommended for approval.
If passed, the proposals would see the Esplanade House site, in Eastern Esplanade, Southend, revamped by Langly Developments, owned by the Robert Leonard Group.
It wants to build a mixed use development, with 216 flats, a 64-bedroom hotel, restaurant and shops.
The development would also include semi-underground and surface car parks and cycle parking. It would also build about 50 affordable houses on land behind the hotel, in Burnaby Road.
The hotel would be made up of five blocks, ranging between four and 12 storeys high.
The flats would be a mixture of 60 one-bedroom flats, 129 two-bedroom properties and 27 three-bedroom homes.
Some of the flats would also have balconies and the shops, flats and hotel rooms would be separated into four blocks.
In Southend Council’s planning report, which recommended the proposal for approval, it stated: “Improved accommodation provision assists with the strategic drive to increase the value of tourism to the borough, by enabling and promoting short breaks over day-trips.
“The development of a hotel and restaurant on the site of Esplanade House is therefore supported.”
Esplanade House has been vacant for five years and the council’s report stated the site had been identified as being potentially contaminated, due to its previous use as a gas works.
A previous application for the site, which proposed 220 flats, a 64 bedroom hotel, restaurant and retail space, was rejected by councillors on the grounds of its height, mass, design and bulk, as well as lack of dedicated parking for the hotel.
Nearly 100 letters of objection to the application have been received.
They raise concerns about traffic and parking in the surrounding residential streets, plus the excessive scale of the development, overshadowing of neighbours and the listed fishermen’s cottages.
The application is set to be decided on Wednesday.
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Your Say Your Southend
openspace, Southend on Sea says...
11:22am Sun 21 Mar 10
jayman wrote:I would be interested to know if the above comments regarding contamination are true. "Thinking" it might be true is not really good enough and is certainly not fact.
i thought that land was contaminated with chemicals related to town gas production as there used to be coke ovens and a massive slag(coal) heap by all weans build another awful development there just make sure this is in the information pack. i think one of the chemicals is the carcinogen (arsenic) and other gasses such as hydrogen sulphide which cannot be removed from the soil and even contaminates the virgin earth (clay footings) good luck with this one.. why do you think the office block has a bloody great flu sticking out the top of it!
It is certainly true that this building does not add much to the appearance of the seafront. This might just be a case of making the unacceptable a little more pleasant so I wait with interest to see the final development plans.
The Southend Observer, Southend-on-Sea says...
11:43am Sun 21 Mar 10
openspace, Southend on Sea says...
3:19pm Sun 21 Mar 10
The Southend Observer wrote:Once again, like many other posts, the words " I think" appear. It might be correct, but equally might be totally incorrect. Probably not enough to stop any development but enough doubts might warrant a closer chemical inspection of the ground. My original question remains. Is there any firm evidence to justify such an inspection and, just perhaps, has this already taken place ??.
I think Jayman's comments are almost certainly true - after all there were at least 2 gasometers on that land for many years. Two distant relatives of mine were employed by the gas board many years ago to clean the inside of the gas holders - both died prematurely from cancer.
x2k, Southend on Sea says...
6:24pm Sun 21 Mar 10
--
From memory, the land was decontaminated some time ago, which allowed the Victoria Gardens housing development to go ahead on the same land.
--
Anyway, good to see some promising news on this eyesore, and glad the developers have adjusted their plans enough to make them acceptable.
openspace, Southend on Sea says...
9:19pm Sun 21 Mar 10
x2k wrote:Thanks for your comments, I suspect that you are right regarding decontamination. Can only agree with your final paragraph, lets hope that we do not get a "Camp Seafront", trying to stop the development, they will be looking for a new place to live now.
Environmental factors like this would always form part of the investigation into the planning application. Have a look at the council's website, the report will be on there somewhere and should have details of this. -- From memory, the land was decontaminated some time ago, which allowed the Victoria Gardens housing development to go ahead on the same land. -- Anyway, good to see some promising news on this eyesore, and glad the developers have adjusted their plans enough to make them acceptable.
BASILBRUSH, Southend-on-Sea says...
10:20pm Sun 21 Mar 10
jayman, southend says...
10:23pm Sun 21 Mar 10
openspace wrote:i agree I am no expert. but what i am sure of is that the former gasworks office was built stilted and ventilated from the ground. the land in that specific area is not decontaminated due to the massive cost of decontaminating in that area. why else would a prime seafront site like that go undeveloped for so many years? the answer is house prices and profit. the reason why the building was gutted and not fully demolished was down to tax reasons and liability to decontaminate the land . but i agree it is an eyesore
The Southend Observer wrote:Once again, like many other posts, the words " I think" appear. It might be correct, but equally might be totally incorrect. Probably not enough to stop any development but enough doubts might warrant a closer chemical inspection of the ground. My original question remains. Is there any firm evidence to justify such an inspection and, just perhaps, has this already taken place ??.
I think Jayman's comments are almost certainly true - after all there were at least 2 gasometers on that land for many years. Two distant relatives of mine were employed by the gas board many years ago to clean the inside of the gas holders - both died prematurely from cancer.
SARFENDMAN, Rayleigh says...
9:44am Mon 22 Mar 10
openspace, Southend on Sea says...
11:35am Mon 22 Mar 10
SARFENDMAN wrote:Usual high quality comments that we have come to expect from the anti-everything brigade, who talk much but actually do nothing for the environment.
Good excuse as getting rid of an eyesore and possibly contaminated land and the pay off is passing plans for a "pack em in" development. Lot of cars come to mind. Wonder Woman Anna can sort the traffic issues, no sweat.
And your suggestions for this area are- what exactly ??.
PS do not expect a sensible reply so will probably not be disappointed.
geezer, innit, Basildon says...
11:40am Mon 22 Mar 10
ravnos161, southend says...
2:46pm Mon 22 Mar 10
at.com/Southend%20Ga
s%20Works,%20Essex%2
0V1.1.pdf
anon anon, southend on sea says...
4:38pm Mon 22 Mar 10
geezer, innit wrote:why? when there is an open prison round the corner called 'kursual estate' !!
build a prison there.
anon anon, southend on sea says...
4:38pm Mon 22 Mar 10
geezer, innit wrote:why? when there is an open prison round the corner called 'kursual estate' !!
build a prison there.
essexboi1989, southend says...
11:12am Fri 26 Mar 10
Southend Council is backing plans for housing and a hotel on the vacant Eastern Esplanade site
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jayman, southend says...
10:28am Sun 21 Mar 10