Core Strategy Policy KP1: Spatial Strategy

Sets out the spatial strategy for the Borough; the primary focus of regeneration and growth will be the Town Centre and Central Area, including the seafront.

Core Strategy Policy KP2: Development Principles

Sets out the ways in which new development in the Borough, including transport infrastructure, should contribute to economic, social, physical and environmental regeneration in a sustainable way, and to the regeneration of Southend's primary role within the Thames Gateway as a cultural and intellectual hub and higher education centre of excellence.

Core Strategy Policy KP3: Implementation and Resources

Makes provision for the preparation of Area Action Plans and Supplementary Planning Documents to help deliver the provisions of the Core Strategy, ensuring that development of an appropriate scale, mix and quality is brought forward in key areas of opportunity and change including the town centre and seafront.

Core Strategy Policy CP1: Employment Generating Development

Makes provision for an additional 6,500 jobs within the Town Centre and Central Area during the plan period 2001-2021.

Core Strategy Policy CP2: Town Centre and Retail Development

Promotes the development of the Town Centre, which will remain the first preference for all forms of retail development and other Town Centre uses. The Town Centre is afforded sequential preference for additional comparison and convenience floorspace.

Core Strategy Policy CP3: Transport and Accessibility

Seeks improvements to transport infrastructure and services by widening travel choice, and providing for high quality transport interchanges at Southend Victoria, Southend Central and Southend Travel Centre.

Core Strategy Policy CP4: The Environment and Urban Renaissance

Promotes sustainable development of the highest quality and innovation and excellence in design, recognising good quality urban design as a catalyst for regeneration and urban renaissance.

Core Strategy Policy CP5: Minerals and Soils Resources

Sets out the standards the Borough Council will require regarding the sustainable use of soil and mineral resources.

Core Strategy Policy CP6: Community Infrastructure

Supports improvements to existing, and the provision of new, facilities to support the needs of education, skills and lifelong learning strategies, including the Town Centre's higher education/university campus. Seeks to safeguard existing and provide for new leisure, cultural, recreation and community facilities.

Core Strategy Policy CP7: Sport, Recreation and Green Space

Promotes proposals that contribute to sports, recreation and green space facilities within the Borough for the benefit of local residents and visitors.

Core Strategy Policy CP8: Dwelling Provision

Makes provision for 2,000 net additional dwelling within the Town Centre and Central Area.

Transport, Access and Public Realm Strategy

In order to secure a 'step change' in Southend Central Area to achieve a modern integrated and accessible transport system that unlocks potential in opportunity sites and secures sustainable regeneration and growth, complemented by a quality, inclusive public realm, the Council will:

• Work in partnership with the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) to deliver investment and improvements to the strategic road network and public realm, highlighting the importance of the A127 strategic corridor to delivering economic growth and housing, as set out in the Southend and Essex A127 Corridor for Growth – An Economic Plan (March 2014) .
• Continue the programme of public realm and access improvements, including a continuation of the Victoria's public realm improvement scheme at London Road, Queensway (west) and Victoria Circus, Queensway (east) (Policy PA4), Victoria Avenue (Policy PA9), and the Central Seafront Policy Area (including City Beach) (Policy CS1), addressing the principles established by the Southend Streetscape Manual SPD3.
• Continue to develop and support the cycle route network, provision of secure cycle parking and work with Cycle Southend in terms of promotion, marketing, Bikeability and other travel training, and the creation of cycle hubs.
• Seek to pedestrianise a number of the High Street's inter-linking access/'stub' roads and reduce the dominance of on-street parking and general vehicle circulation, creating one-way streets and 20mph zones.
• Improve the environmental quality of existing residential streets within the Central Area, particularly those to the east of the High Street, to create 'home zones' or pedestrian-priority areas that improve access and encourage walking and cycling.
• Continue to implement a quality signage and way-finding scheme for pedestrians and ensure that travel information better relay details to road users.
• Encourage the use of sustainable travel modes, ensuring that all forms of transport are equally accessible to all, through smarter choices techniques (including the promotion of a Borough-wide Smart Card ticketing system, and through the use of mobile phone technology) and mobility management measures, promoting opportunity for car sharing and the setting up of car and van clubs.
• Maintain and build upon existing bus stop improvements, real time information and bus prioritisation at signals, as well as targeted junction enhancements and highways improvement works.
• Improve public perceptions of safety within Southend Central Area particularly at night, by ensuring that street lights are maintained, CCTV is obviously sited, and public transport and taxis operate after dark to help secure a vibrant, safe evening economy.
• Work with local bus operators to further improve bus services to the town centre including evening and night time services, providing a more reliable and punctual bus service through the implementation of a Punctuality Improvement Partnership (PiP), and improvements to the Advanced Vehicle Local (AVL) system.
• Work with train operators to achieve high levels of reliability and performance on all services, maintain and promote contra-flow inter-peak services for journeys to Southend, explore park and ride opportunities that provide quick and convenient access to the Town Centre and Central Seafront, continue active participation in the development and marketing of Station Travel Plans, and encourage pedestrian and cycle links between Southend Central and Southend Victoria Railway Stations and the Travel Centre. 
• Work with taxi operators to improve the provision for taxi's at key locations to support access.
• Work with stakeholders to develop the work of the Ideas in Motion brand to encourage businesses, schools and colleges to implement managed travel plans and introduce a personalised travel planning service, and to support applications for funding.
• Seek to develop a priority route towards London Southend Airport, together with corresponding junction improvements at A127 Victoria Avenue/Fairfax Drive/East Street/Harcourt Avenue/ Great Eastern Avenue.
• Manage car parking demand within the Southend Central Area network through a combination of measures to support the vitality and viability of the town centre and central seafront area; balance parking supply between the car parks and development sites north and south of the railway line; ensure there is no net loss of public car parking south of the central railway line.
• Improve access to car parks for vehicles and pedestrians.
• Encourage an extension to the existing VMS scheme, or updated technology, to improve information about car parking capacity within town centre car parks, direct drivers to the most convenient and accessible car park, and avoid unnecessary circulating traffic by improving access to town centre car parks from Queensway dual carriageway.
•   Ensure that servicing and delivery arrangements meet the reasonable needs of businesses, and minimise their environmental impact; working with the freight industry and logistic to implement more efficient use of vehicles in terms of guidance, zoning and delivery timetables.