Southend-on-Sea
| Borough of Southend-on-Sea | |||
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| Country | United Kingdom | ||
| 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 104th 164,300 |
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| - Density | 3,935/km2 (10,191.6/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 | ||
| - Summer (DST) | British Summer Time (UTC) | ||
| Twin Cities | |||
| - Sopot | Poland | ||
| Grid reference | TQ883856 | ||
| ONS code | 00KF | ||
| Website | www.southend.gov.uk | ||
Southend-on-Sea (pronunciation) is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated within the Thames Gateway on the north side of the Thames estuary 40 miles (64 km) east of central London. It is bordered to the north by Rochford and to the west by Castle Point.
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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 the basic pier structure has been repaired each time. There has been significant loss of pier-head facilities since the major fire in 1976.
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 on two lines within the borough connecting it 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 last election in 2008 the composition of the council was:[2]
| Affiliation | Councillors |
|
| Conservative Party | 27 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 12 | |
| Independent | 8 | |
| Labour Party | 4 | |
The council has been controlled by the Conservative Party since they gained control in the 2000 election. 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 since 1997 has been David Amess (Conservative) who replaced Paul Channon.
Since 2005 the MP for Rochford and Southend East 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 in the Rayleigh constituency. Both Southend 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. Southend Airport station is under construction and is due to open in December 2010. This is situated between Prittlewell and Rochford and will be an additional stop for trains to and from Southend Victoria.
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.[8]
Besides its main line railway connections, Southend is also the home of two smaller railways. The Southend Pier Railway provides transport along the length of Southend Pier, whilst the nearby Southend Cliff Railway provides a connection from the promenade to the cliff top above.[9]
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 and eventually London.
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, and Regal Busways. Southend Transport (Arriva) operated coaches to Victoria Coach Station under the Greenline brand; this was then run by but withdrawn on 11 July 2008, due to low falling patronage. There is a daily National Express coach (route 305) to Liverpool, and hourly departure on Stansted Aircoach route X30.
Southend Airport
London Southend Airport was developed from the military airfield at Rochford and offers a regional airport facilities including scheduled flights to Jersey on summer Saturdays, corporate and recreational flights, aircraft maintenance and pilot training. A railway station is under construction to open in December 2010, along with new ATC control tower in February 2011. Southend Airport is operated by Stobart Air, a division of the Stobart Group. There is also a retail plaza of shops next to the Airport. Plans exist for a new terminal building and hotel, and a large project to extend the runway is being finalised.
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, Chase High School (formerly Prittlewell High 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 Essex College,[10] in a new building in the centre of town. Formerly known as South East Essex College, the college changed name in January 2010 following a merger with Thurrock and Basildon College.[11] South Essex College college offers 30 degree courses matriculated by the University of Essex, as well as a number of weekend and evening courses. The university's centre in the town is a single building on the High Street.[12] 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. Additionally, there is SEEVIC College. The East 15 Acting School, a drama school, has its second campus there.
Sport
Southend has two football teams, one of league stature, Southend United, managed by Paul Sturrock. 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 League 2 South). 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.[13]
Entertainment and culture
Seafront attractions
The town is known for its seafront. Southend-on-Sea is home to the world's longest pleasure pier, built in 1830 and stretching some 1.33 miles from shore [14] Since 1986, a diesel-hydraulic railway has run the length of the pier, replacing the electric service which opened in 1890. The pier has been beset by fires; a fire in 1995 destroyed the bowling alley at the start of the pier and another fire in October 2005 damaged the far end 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. An amusement park, formerly known as Peter Pan's Playground, straddles the pier entrance. Peter Pan's Playground was eventually renamed Adventure Island as its size and popularity grew, and has since grown into a large amusement park with over 50 rides. The seafront also houses the "Sea-Life Adventure" aquarium, owned by the Miller family, who also own Adventure Island.
The cliff gardens, which included Never Never Land and a 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 modern vertical lift links the base of the High Street with the seafront and the new pier entrance. The older Southend Cliff Railway, a short funicular, is a few hundred metres away.
On the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, Southend hosts a farmers' market.[15]
Festival events
Starting in 1986, An airshow, dubbed Festival of the Air in 2009, takes place each May. At the show - one of Europe's largest free airshows - aircraft including high-speed military jets and sports aerobatic displays fly over the sea, parallel with the seafront. The RAF Falcons parachute display team and RAF Red Arrows jet aerobatics team are regular visitors to the show.[16]
Each August Southend Carnival opens along the "Golden Mile" with the lighting of the Southend Illuminations.
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.
Music
Junk club which was held at The Royal Hotel, spearheaded what became known as the Southend Scene. Junk was regularly featured in the NME, Rolling Stone and Vogue.[17] Bands associated with the scene included The Horrors, Forever Never, Kenai, These New Puritans, The Violets, Errorplains and Neils Children. Southend had two major venues; Chinnerys has hosted gigs from the Arctic Monkeys, Soulfly, Lostprophets, The Automatic, The Horrors, Skindred, Klaxons, La Roux, Therapy?, The Subways, Zebrahead, Babyshambles, Cancer Bats and many more. The other larger venue the Cliffs Pavilion has played host to concerts from Blur, Motörhead, The Prodigy, Manic Street Preachers, The Chemical Brothers, Oasis, The Verve, Dizzee Rascal, Bloc Party, Madness, Ian Brown, Mcfly and many more.
Southend is also 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.
Bands and solo musicians that originate from Southend include; Procol Harum, Danielle Dax, The Horrors, The Kursaal Flyers, These New Puritans, Ipso Facto, Scroobius Pip, Zior, and Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.
Radio
In 1981, Southend became the home of Essex Radio, which broadcast from studios below Clifftown Road. In 2004, the renamed Essex FM, now Heart Essex moved to studios in Chelmsford.
On the 28 March 2008, Southend got its own radio station for the first time, Southend Radio started broadcasting on 105.1FM from purpose built studios adjacent to the Adventure Island theme park.[18]
Places of Worship
The main religion in Southend is Christianity, with numerous churches around the borough. There are two synagogues, one orthodox in Westcliff and one reform in Chalkwell for the borough’s Jewish people (mainly in the Westcliff area which is nicknamed 'Little Jerusalem' due to the large Jewish population there.) There are 3 mosques to cater for the borough’s Muslims.
York Road Market
Demolition of the historic market began on 23 April 2010 despite the attempts of locals to have the building renovated.[19]
Notable people
- Gary Brooker, lead singer of Procol Harum
- James Bourne, singer/guitarist in Son of Dork and previously in Busted.
- Kevin Bowyer, concert organist
- Emma Chambers, actress
- Dave Brown, comedian, actor, photographer, graphic designer and ape. Known for his role in The Mighty Boosh
- Joe Spurgeon (Coffin Joe), drummer for The Horrors
- Nathalie Emmanuel, actress Hollyoaks
- Brian Cleeve, author and broadcaster
- Jonathan Clements, author
- Phil Cornwell, actor and impressionist
- Tina Cousins, singer
- Gemma Craven, actress
- Tom Cowan, synth player for The Horrors
- Danielle Dax, musician, actress and performance artist
- Warwick Deeping, author
- Warren Ellis, graphic novelist
- Lee Evans, comedian
- Mark Foster, Swimmer: holder of several UK swimming records at 25m and 50m.
- John Fowles, author
- 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
- Mike Guy, former Hungarian football player, 3 times NB1 winner
- Robert Lloyd, opera singer
- Lee Mead, musical theatre actor and winner of the BBC show Any Dream Will Do on 9
- Helen Mirren, actress
- Joshua Hayward, guitarist for The Horrors
- Rhys 'Spider' Webb, bassist of The Horrors
- Dicky Moore, singer/songwriter, guitarist in Scritti Politti
- Bob Parr (producer), multi Emmy© Award-winning television producer
- Annabel Port, broadcaster
- Spencer Prior, former Southend United and Derby County footballer
- Lara Pulver, actress
- 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
- Keith Taylor (British Politician), Member of the European Parliament and prominent Green Party figure
- Peter Taylor, football manager
- Kara Tointon, actress (former EastEnders actress)
- Hannah Tointon, actress
- Robin Trower, rock-blues guitarist
- Matthew Cutler, ballroom dancer and professional on Strictly Come Dancing
- Ron Martin, Southend United chairman 1998–present
- Tris Vonna Michell, artist
- Roy Hay, musician, Culture Club
- DJ Raze, musician, Power Noise
- Jeannie Clark, former professional wrestling manager and ex-wife of Stone Cold Steve Austin
- Sam Duckworth, musician, plays under stage name Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.
References
- ↑ Lead View Table
- ↑ "Local Election Results 2008". Southend-on-Sea Borough Council. http://www.southend.gov.uk/election/2008/. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
- ↑ Laura Smith (January 30, 2008). "Echo News - Official: Council is wasting our cash". http://www.echo-news.co.uk/search/2003572.Official__Council_is_wasting_our_cash/. Retrieved 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
- ↑ John Robert Day, John Reed (2005). The story of London's underground (9 ed.). Capital Transport. pp. 66. ISBN 9791854142893.
- ↑ "Southend Cliff Railway". The Heritage Trail. http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/cliff_trams/southend_cliff_railway.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
- ↑ http://www.southend.ac.uk/
- ↑ http://www.sarfend.co.uk/southendnews/2009/11/south-essex-college-merger-approved.html
- ↑ http://www.essex.ac.uk/southend/
- ↑ SAC Official Club Website
- ↑ Southend Pleasure Pier.
- ↑ Essex Farmers Markets
- ↑ Airshow website Retrieved 2 June 2009}
- ↑ 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
- ↑ http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/southend/8116980.Workmen_move_in__to_demolish_market/
External links
- Southend Timeline
- Southend Association of Voluntary Services
- University of Essex in Southend
- Southend Festival Home Page
- Weather Forecasts and Tide Times for Southend
- Southend on Sea The Music Venues
- Southend Punk and Alternative Music History
- Southend Borough Council
- History of Southend-on-Sea Theatres and Music Halls
- Southend-on-Sea Facebook Page
- Longpier: best blog about Southend & Southend United
- Essex Photos
- Culturebox, Southend Council's culture pages
- Southend Kursaal Photos
- Video clip of 'Southend Past: The Town our Parents Knew' - original archive film from Southend on Sea
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