Southend-on-Sea
| Borough of Southend-on-Sea | |||
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| Country | United Kingdom | ||
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| Constituent Country | England | ||
| Region | East | ||
| Ceremonial County | Essex | ||
| Unitary Authority | Southend | ||
| Government | |||
| - Leadership | Leader & Cabinet | ||
| - Governing Body | Southend-on-Sea Borough Council | ||
| - Executive | Conservative | ||
| - MPs | David Amess (C) James Duddridge (C) |
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| Area | |||
| - Total | 41.76 km² (16.1 sq mi) | ||
| Population | |||
| - Total | Ranked 98th 162,000 |
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| - Density | 3,879/km² (10,046.6/sq mi) | ||
| - Ethnicity[1] | 93.6% White 2.5% S.Asian 1.5% Black 1.4% Mixed Race |
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| Time zone | GMT (UTC) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | British Summer Time (UTC) | ||
| Grid reference | TQ883856 | ||
| ONS code | 00KF | ||
| Website: http://www.southend.gov.uk/ | |||
Southend-on-Sea (pronunciation) is a seaside resort and unitary authority area in the East of England. Southend-on-Sea, which has Borough status, is part of the ceremonial county of Essex on the north side of the Thames estuary 40 miles (65 m) east of central London. It is bordered to the north by Rochford and to the west by Castle Point. Southend is twinned with the Polish seaside resort of Sopot.
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History
Originally the south end of the village of Prittlewell, Southend became a seaside resort during the Georgian era. Proximity to London and access by train meant the economy has been based on tourism ever since. Southend Pier is the world's longest pleasure pier at 1.34 miles (2158m). It has suffered fires and ship collisions, most recently in October 2005, but has been repaired each time.
With the decline of seaside resorts, from the 1960s much of the centre was developed for commerce and many of the original features were destroyed through redevelopment or neglect. H.M. Revenue & Customs (HMRC), (formerly HM Customs and Excise), are major employers, and the central offices for the collection of VAT are there. Southend opened the University of Essex, Southend to boost the economy.
There are nine railway stations within the borough serving residents who commute to London.
Governance
Local government district
Southend-on-Sea was formed as a municipal borough in 1892 with the functions of local government shared with Essex County Council. In 1913 the borough was enlarged by the former area of Leigh on Sea Urban District. In 1914 the enlarged Southend gained the status of county borough, exempt from county council control and a single-tier of local government. The county borough was enlarged in 1933 by the former area of Shoeburyness Urban District and part of Rochford Rural District.
In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, Southend became a district of Essex with borough status, however in 1998 it again became the single tier of local government when it became a unitary authority.
Council
Seventeen wards each return three councillors, a total of 51. Councillors serve four years and one third of the council is elected each year, followed by one year without election. Following the 2007 local elections and a 2007 by-election, the composition is:[2]
| Affiliation | Councillors |
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| Conservative Party | 29 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 10 | |
| Labour Party | 7 | |
| Independent | 5 | |
The council is controlled by the Conservative Party. Most day to day decisions are by a 10-member executive headed by the council leader.
The town's 'Per Mare Per Ecclesiam' translates into 'By the Sea and By the Church', reflecting Southend's position between the church at Prittlewell and the sea as in the Thames estuary. The town is twinned with the resort of Sopot in Poland. Sopot has the longest wooden pier in Europe, Southend the longest iron pleasure pier in the world.
Southend Borough Council was criticised as one of the worst financially managed local authorities in England by the Audit Commission report for 2006/7 one of three to gain only one of four stars, the others being Liverpool and the Isles of Scilly. Areas of criticism were the use of consultants and the spending of £3.5 million on taxis during the 2006/7 financial year.[3]
Members of Parliament
Southend is represented by two MPs at Westminster.
The MP for Southend West has been, since 1997, David Amess (Conservative) who replaced Paul Channon.
Since the 2005 General Election the MP for Southend East and nearby Rochford has been James Duddridge (Conservative), who replaced Sir Teddy Taylor. Despite its name the majority of the constituency is in Southend, Rochford makes up only a small part and the majority of Rochford District Council is represented by the MP for Rayleigh. Both seats are considered safe for the Conservative Party.
Economy
This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Southend-on-Sea at current basic prices published (pp.240-253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.
| Year | Regional Gross Value Added[4] | Agriculture[5] | Industry[6] | Services[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1,373 | 2 | 305 | 1,066 |
| 2000 | 1,821 | 1 | 375 | 1,445 |
| 2003 | 2,083 | - | 418 | 1,665 |
Transport
Railways
Southend is served by two lines. Running from Southend Victoria north out of the town is the Liverpool Street line, a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line operated by National Express East Anglia. The service operates to London Liverpool Street via Prittlewell, Rochford, Hockley, Rayleigh, Wickford, Billericay, Shenfield and |Stratford.
The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway, the Fenchurch Street line, is operated by c2c and runs from Shoeburyness in the east of the borough, west through Thorpe Bay, Southend East, Southend Central to Fenchurch Street in London via Benfleet and Basildon or Tilbury and Barking. Additionally, two services from Southend Central each weekday evening terminate at Liverpool Street.
From 1910 to 1939, the London Underground's District Line's eastbound service ran as far as Southend and Shoeburyness.
Road
Two A-roads connect Southend with London and the rest of the country, the A127 (The Southend Arterial Road), via Basildon and Romford, and the A13, via Tilbury and London Docklands. Both are major routes. However, within the borough, the A13 is a single carriageway local route, whereas the A127 is almost entirely dual carriageway. Both lead to the M25.
Buses
Local public transport is by two main bus companies, Arriva Southend (formerly the council-owned Southend Corporation Transport) and First Essex Buses (formerly Eastern National/Thamesway). Minor companies include Stephensons of Essex, Stansted Transit and Regal Busways. Southend Transport (Arriva) operated coaches to Victoria Coach Station under the Greenline brand; this was then run by Stephensons of Essex but withdrawn on July 11, 2008. There is a daily National Express coach (route 305) to Liverpool .
Southend Airport
London Southend Airport was developed from the military airfield at Rochford and offers engineering and maintenance, aviation and pilot training, corporate and recreational flights, and scheduled flights to Jersey on summer Saturdays. There are plans to expand the airport, including incorporation of a railway station, in 2009.
Education
Secondary schools
In 2004 Southend retained grammar school system and has four schools: Southend High School for Boys, Southend High School for Girls, Westcliff High School for Boys and Westcliff High School for Girls. Additionally there are two single-sex schools assisted by the Roman Catholic church: St Bernard's High School for Girls and St Thomas More High School for Boys. Both, while not grammar schools, contain a grammar stream; entrance is by the same exam as grammar schools. The other mainstream secondary schools are mixed-sex comprehensives, including Belfairs High School, Cecil Jones College, The King John School, Deans, Chase High School (formerly Prittlewell High School), Thorpe Hall School, Futures Community College (formerly Thorpe Bay High School), Shoeburyness High School and The Eastwood School.
Further and higher education
A number of secondary schools offer further education, but the largest provider is South East Essex College [1], in a new building in the centre of town. The college offers 30 degree courses matriculated by the University of Essex. The university's centre in the town is a single building on the High Street [2]. The university has built its own centre in Southend, next to the college building on the site of the Odeon cinema. These buildings form the first two phases of the Southend Campus.
Entertainment and culture
Seafront attractions
The town is known for its seafront. Since 1986, a diesel-hydraulic railway has run the length of pier, replacing the electric service which opened in 1890. A fire in October 2005 damaged the far end of the pier. The pier has been beset by fires; a fire in 1995 destroyed the bowling alley at the start of the pier. The pier was also run through by a boat in 1984.
The Kursaal was one of the earliest theme parks, built at the start of the 20th century. It closed in the 1970s and much of the land was developed as housing. The entrance hall, a listed building, is a bowling alley arcade operated by Megabowl and casino. A newer theme park, Adventure Island, developed on land formerly occupied by Peter Pan's Playground, straddles the pier entrance. It has grown into a large amusement park with 50 rides. The seafront also houses the "Sea-Life Adventure" aquarium.
The cliff gardens, which included Never Never Land and Victorian bandstand were an attraction until slippage in 2003 made parts of the cliffs unstable, and the bandstand has been removed. The council wants to re-erect the bandstand but a location has to be found.
A cliff lift links the base of the High Street with the new pier entrance. The older lift, a short funicular, is a few hundred metres away, closed because structural and mechanical work needs to be done in order to meet European Union legislation which classes it as a cablecar.
In August Southend Carnival opens along the Golden Mile with the lighting of the Southend Illuminations. On the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, Southend hosts a farmers' market.[8]
Theatres
There are three theatres. The Cliffs Pavilion is a large building to host concerts and performances on ice. The most recent theatre is the New Empire Theatre. It is, unlike the other two, privately owned. It is used more by amateur groups. The theatre was converted from the ABC Cinema, which was originally a theatre built in 1896. The Edwardian Palace Theatre is a grade II building built in 1912. It shows plays from professional troupes and repertory groups, as well as comedy acts. The theatre has two circles and the steepest rake in Britain. Part of the theatre was a smaller venue called The Dixon Studio.
Sport
Southend has two football teams, one of league stature, Southend United, managed by former player Steve Tilson. The other, Southend Manor, play in the Essex Senior League. United competed in Football League One (the third highest division of the English football league system) after being relegated after finishing third from bottom of Football League Championship at the end of the 2006-07 season.
There are two rugby clubs with nationwide profile, Southend R.F.C. and Westcliff R.F.C., Southend having the superior men's first team (playing in National Division 2) but Westcliff the more developed youth set-up. Essex County Cricket Club play in Southend one week a season. Previously the festival was at Southchurch Park, but it has moved to Garon Park. The only other cricket is local.
The eight-lane, floodlit, synthetic athletics track at Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre is home to Southend-on-Sea Athletic Club. The facilities include all track and field events. [9]
Music
The establishment of Junk Club By The Horrors Rhys Webb and Oliver Abbott (Von Blitz) aided by Ciaran O'Shea, in the basement of the Royal Hotel in 2002, created a 'Southend scene' featured in NME, Rolling Stone and Vogue.[10]. Bands associated with the scene included The Horrors, These New Puritans, The Violets, Errorplains and Neils Children. Junk terminated in 2006. The Experimental Circle Club, set up by Thomas Silverman and Junk's Ciaran O'Shea, operates in Southend and London. Chinnery's is a music venue that has featured Arctic Monkeys, Zebrahead and Lost Prophets.
Southend is known for electronic music. The town has venues at the commercial and underground ends of the spectrum. The biggest underground music venue is the Royal Hotel which features house, techno, dubstep, breaks and electro. The Sunrooms champion all creative music.
Radio
In 1981, Southend became the home of Essex Radio, which broadcast from studios below Clifftown Road. In 2004, the renamed Essex FM moved to studios in Chelmsford. On the 31 March 2008, Southend Radio started broadcasting on 105.1FM from studios adjacent to the Adventure Island theme park. The station won its licence in April 2006, beating three competitors. [11]
Notable people from Southend
- James Bourne, singer/guitarist in Son of Dork and previously in Busted.
- Gary Brooker, lead singer of Procol Harum
- Kevin Bowyer, concert organist
- Emma Chambers, actress
- Nathalie Emmanuel, actress Hollyoaks
- Brian Cleeve, author and broadcaster
- Jonathan Clements, author
- Phil Cornwell, actor and impressionist
- Tina Cousins, singer
- Gemma Craven, actress
- Danielle Dax, musician, actress and performance artist
- Warren Ellis, graphic novelist
- Lee Evans, comedian
- Benjamin Grosvenor, BBC Young Musician of the Year Finalist
- John Hutton, politician
- Daniel Jones, musician, producer and former member of Savage Garden
- Phill Jupitus, comedian
- Mickey Jupp, musician
- Dominic Littlewood, TV presenter of several programmes, most notably To Buy or Not to Buy
- John Lloyd, former British tennis number one
- Robert Lloyd, opera singer
- Lee Mead, musical theatre actor and winner of the BBC show Any Dream Will Do on 9
- Helen Mirren, actress
- Dicky Moore, singer/songwriter, guitarist in Scritti Politti
- Annabel Port, broadcaster
- Spencer Prior, former Southend United and Derby County footballer
- Rachel Riley, Countdown co-presenter (from January 2009 onwards)
- Joy Sarney, singer and one-hit wonder
- Jake Shillingford, singer/songwriter, founder of My Life Story
- Peter Taylor, football manager
- Kara Tointon, actress (plays Dawn Swann in EastEnders)
- Bands
- Procol Harum, symphonic rock band
- Dr Feelgood, Seventies pub-rock band. Their 1978 album Stupidity, partly recorded live at the Kursaal, was a UK No.1.
- The Horrors, rock band
- The Kursaal Flyers, Seventies rock band
- These New Puritans, rock band
- Ipso Facto, 2008 Band, featured heavily in NME.
- Scroobius Pip, Rap artist, signed 2008.
- Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
References
- ↑ Lead View Table
- ↑ "All Councillors". Southend Council.
- ↑ Laura Smith (January 30, 2008). "Echo News - Official: Council is wasting our cash". Retrieved on 2008-07-21.
- ↑ Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
- ↑ includes hunting and forestry
- ↑ includes energy and construction
- ↑ includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured
- ↑ Essex Farmers Markets
- ↑ * SAC Official Club Website Wikipedia Info
- ↑ http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1862738,00.html - 'The beach boys', Guardian Unlimited Arts article on the scene
- ↑ http://www.sarfend.co.uk/southendradio - Sarfend.co.uk's page on Radio in Southend
See also
- Thames Gateway
Towns within the Borough of Southend
- See also: Category:Towns in Southend-on-Sea
Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, Westcliff-on-Sea
External links
- Southend Association of Voluntary Services
- University of Essex in Southend
- Southend Festival Home Page
- Southend on Sea The Music Venues
- Southend Borough Council
- Longpier: best blog about Southend & Southend United
- Essex Photos
- Culturebox, Southend Council's culture pages
- hub - music downloads - including Southend dj's and producers
- The Royal Hotel - Southend's no. 1 underground music venue
- Southend Kursaal Photos
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