Southend Central Area Action Plan (SCAAP) - Revised Proposed Submission 2016

We understand that the desire for a 'City by the Sea' has been a long standing strategy but there appears to no strategic recognition of the historic settlement of central Southend and importance of C18, C19 & early C20 architecture. Instead historic aspects appear only to be recognised in isolation as buildings/areas to be conserved and enhanced and not used as important references for future development. This has been a longstanding problem in Southend. We would like to see the historic environment and settlement brought forward as far more significant to the future of Southend to help avoid the systemic repeat of the past projects of isolation such as the Victoria Shopping Centre, The Royals, the Sainsbury site and most recently, the University student housing. This of course is a very big issue which we cannot go further into here but requires comprehensive discussion and investigation over time with key stakeholders and public representatives.

The term 'celebrate heritage' is abstract and meaningless and heritage assets are not only important for the 'tourist economy' and 'identity-making'. DM5 is only written in terms of 'conserving and enhancing' historic assets and the requirements for development proposals. These are the most basic requirements derived from the NPPF and the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Area Act) 1990 and not descriptive of Southend-on-Sea.

This is just a basic line of text stating that conservation areas exist and that they must be 'conserved and enhanced', a minimal threshold based upon the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and not Southend-on-Sea.

The same comments as made for conservation areas apply.

'Material consideration' with planning application affecting Frontages of Townscape Merit and other non-designated heritage assets is a minimal threshold, again only based upon the NPPF.