Several key projects could receive new investment next year, including doubling the funds available to fix local roads and pavements up to March 2026.
The draft budget for 2025/26 will be discussed by the council's cabinet next week (Cabinet, 13 January, item 6) where the following is proposed:
- £2.5m extra to fix and resurface more pavements, in 2025/26, in addition to £8.5m already budgeted from April 2024 to March 2027
- £1.5m extra to fix and resurface more roads in 2025/26, in addition to £6.16m already budgeted from April 2024 to March 2027
- £1.8m from April 2027 to March 2030 for any priority works needed to council owned assets, in addition to £1.5m already budgeted from April 2024 to March 2027
- investment linked to the civic pride action plan, including £590,000 to design and build a new inclusive playground at East Beach, £175,000 to improve signage across the city, £130,000 to improve the approach from Victoria Station to the High Street and £100,000 for a feasibility study into stabilising the cliffs on Western Esplanade and creating a new Never Never Land
- £500,000 to resurface and reline car parks which need work
- £3.75m for ongoing planned refurbishment and maintenance work to Southend Pier from April 2027 to March 2030. This is subject to a viable business case and is in addition to £3.1m already budgeted from April 2024 to March 2027
- £1.5m additional investment into coastal defence work from April 2027 to March 2030, subject to a viable business case. This is in addition to £1.0m already subject to viable business case from April 2025 to March 2027
- £4.5m from April 2027 to March 2030 for refurbishment of council buildings and fire improvement works, subject to a viable business case
In addition to the above, £11.9m would also be added to the housing revenue account (HRA) to continue to ensure council housing meets the decent homes standard, along with common area improvements and environmental health and safety works. The draft programme also confirms £19.9m for the Better Queensway highways project (including £0.75m to help deliver the project) with £14.5m of the funding coming from Government.
Cllr Daniel Cowan, leader of the council, says: "It is vital that we continue to invest in key projects, build a city we can all be proud of and deliver on our promises.
"Fixing and resurfacing more roads and pavements is important to local people, so I am particularly pleased to be doubling the funding to do even more in this area, along with confirming the capital investment that will be required to deliver the highways scheme for Better Queensway. This project will transform the area and the lives of those who live there. We need to get on with it, and that is what we are doing.
"We recently launched our civic pride action plan and seeing proposals for those projects show that we are serious in our ambition to improve civic pride and drive investment into our city. I am particularly proud to see over half a million pounds budgeted to create a new inclusive playground at East Beach and pleased to present an overall draft capital programme that is realistic and deliverable."
Cllr Paul Collins, cabinet member for finance, assets, and investments, says: "Although our capital programme has reduced in recent years to ensure it is realistic and that we have not promised projects we cannot deliver, we continue to have ambitions and priorities for the city over the next five years that need investment.
"It is therefore good to see lots of important schemes that are ready for delivery and others that will come forward subject to viable business cases being completed.
"This draft capital programme will bring a multitude of benefits to our residents over the next five years. It has been well considered and will complement the ongoing improvement and regeneration projects across the city."
The draft budget will be considered by the council's cabinet on Monday 13 January and the council's Policy and Resources scrutiny committee on Thursday 30 January. Any changes to the draft budget will then be considered by cabinet on Tuesday 11 February, with the final budget to be discussed and approved at full council on Thursday 20 February.