A massive £500million redevelopment of the Queensway Estate has won support from councillors, clearing the way for a partnership to be formed between the council and Swan Housing Association.

The partnership will collaborate to deliver up to 1,600 new homes including many that the council claim will be “genuinely affordable”.

The council chose Swan as a partner after it met requirements set out by the authority, including building more than the current 441 homes on the site, many of which will be rented at a rate based on the Local Housing Association (LHA) – similar to homes available for social rent.

Councillor James Courtenay praised Swan for meeting these and many other requirements, including the demolition of the existing towers, an increase in parking spaces and height restrictions on the new buildings.

He said: “This is a major regeneration scheme and a catalyst for the whole town, it is going to have a transformational impact on the town centre.”

Councillor Ian Gilbert, leader of the Labour Group, said: “As a ward councillor I have been in the blocks, spoken to residents and had residents in surgery in tears at one point saying that within those blocks change is necessary - residents have been waiting a long time.

“There is no doubt major change is necessary and this is a big opportunity both for residents and for the town.”

But questions remain about the exact number of affordable homes included in Swan's proposal. These detailed have been restricted from public scrutiny.

Independent Councillor Ron Woodley claimed the scheme is an attempt to completely remove social housing from the Southend town centre but councillors from Labour and the Conservatives denied this.

Mr Gilbert added that if this was the case he would not support it.