Southend Growth Hub

Growth Hub

Phase one of the Central Area Growth Point project combines multiple priorities delivering long term benefits; job creation, skills, investment confidence in a deprived area, key sector support and environmental benefit.

Former central library and museum

The project will deliver new heating and improved ventilation to the former central library (home to the Beecroft Art Gallery and The Hive Enterprise Centre) and the Central Museum using a Biomass boiler, solar PV and new lifts within the Gallery and Enterprise Centre ensuring their sustainability for the long term. The former central library and museum are co-located on Victoria Avenue adjacent to Southend Victoria train station. The former central library benefitted from investment by the Council and through Southend’s City Deal in 2013-14 totalling £1.2m. The museum is also home to the planetarium and is a key feature of Southend’s cultural offer to residents and visitors.

Transformation

Victoria Avenue has been blighted by derelict buildings for more than a decade. These have deterred investors, lowered confidence, triggered anti-social behaviour and been an unwelcoming gateway to the town centre for visitors and businesses alike. Recent investment and activity by the public sector has been the catalyst for private investment which will see some buildings brought back into use. The Central Museum and former Central Library are still within Council ownership and have the potential to be transformational projects both in terms of their position on Victoria Avenue and what they can deliver with regards to job creation and cultural industries growth and engagement. We have longer term aspirations to develop a new Museu

Project delivery

Specifically the project will deliver:

• Biomass boiler to replace defunct boilers at both former Central Library and Museum
• New Building Management System to manage boilers and ventilation
• Programmable valves to generate savings by allowing programming on individual rooms
• New heating circuits in ground floor reception
• Solar on the plant room roof
• Ventilation improvements to make the system fit for purpose, last and to reduce noise currently making parts of the Hive unusable
• New lifts to replace the current end of life equipment

£579m of investment to East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock

In total the SELEP Growth Deal with Government has brought £579m of investment to East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock. Over the lifetime of the Growth Deal (2015-2021) we aim to deliver 78,000 jobs and 29,000 homes across the SELEP area, with the Deal set to attract a further £960m of investment into the South East over the six year period.

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