BUSINESS members have backed plans to turn a Southend car park into a leisure facility.

Southend Business Improvement District (BID) and its members have backed controversial plans to redevelop the Seaway car park owned by Southend Council into a facility with IMAX cinema, shops, cafes, restaurants and a hotel.

As Seaway sits within the Southend BID area, the organisation has regularly been asked whether or not it supports the plan to redevelop the car park.

The scheme by Turnstone Estates has proved controversial as the council state the land is valued at £3.8 million, a figure which many seafront businesses believe is too low.

Following the submission of the detailed planning application, Southend BID's board took the view that it should ask its levy payers for their thoughts and opinions about the project.

The 346 members were asked if they support the scheme, with 115 (63 per cent of the 183 responses) supporting and 57 businesses, 31 per cent, not supporting

Southend BID Chair Dennis Baldry said: “I believe the result shows that our levy payers support the view that this as a major investment in Southend and one that could create hundreds of jobs.

"With that in mind, I think they would like to see this matter resolved swiftly and the work finally get underway.”

Alison Dewey, manager of Southend BID, said: “This is a highly unusual step for the BID, but we feel that we needed to canvass the views of our levy payers’ and then share their collective view on a project that will almost certainly have an impact on the BID area."

Tim Deacon, Director at Turnstone, said: “We are delighted that the voice of hundreds of Southend town centre businesses is supporting our proposals for Seaway Leisure.

"Our £50 million investment to provide a new year-round family leisure facility for all the local community to enjoy will turbo charge Southend town centre, creating up to 550 new jobs and contributing to £15 million of extra expenditure every year.

"With Southend town centre businesses backing us, we’re looking forward to Southend-on-Sea Council’s decision on our planning application.”