Half-demolished office eyesore to be replaced with hotel and flats
An old office block is to be turned into 216 homes and a new hotel, restaurant and shopping complex.
The building, Esplanade House in Eastern Esplanade, Southend, was partially knocked down by demolition contractors some time ago. It has been left unused for five years and has been described as a blot on the landscape.
As well as being fully knocked down through a controlled demolition, the site will now have to undergo decontamination work because the building was previously used as a gasworks.
The application to develop the site has been approved by councillors, though there was some objection to the scheme. Concerns about traffic, parking and the scale of the redevelopment were raised. The planned hotel will be only four storeys tall whereas one of the blocks of flats will be as high as 12 storeys.
However, the approved plans follow a rejected application which was said to be ill-designed, too tall and not equipped with adequate parking. The new site will feature underground and surface car parks as well as cycle parking.
The new development will see contributions to road improvements, including new pedestrian crossings. The application was recommend for approval by planning officers on account of its perceived ability to attract tourist trade to the town.
