Leigh Port Revamp - Leigh-on-Sea

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Leigh On Sea News: Leigh Port Revamp – MAJOR works at Old Leigh’s Port could finally be getting off the ground, as Southend Council prepares to draw up contracts following confirmation of money from the Government’s Levelling Up fund.

Leigh Port Revamp - MAJOR works at Old Leigh’s Port could finally be getting off the ground, as Southend Council prepares to draw up contracts following confirmation of money from the Government’s Levelling Up fund.

MAJOR works at Old Leigh’s Port could finally be getting off the ground, as Southend Council prepares to draw up contracts following confirmation of money from the Government’s Levelling Up fund.

£14.8million of the Government’s £19.9 million for Southend has been allocated to boost Leigh’s historic fishing industry, and to safeguard it for generations.

The other part of funding was earmarked to renovate Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion, and whilst work is currently underway at the iconic theatre, delays have been experienced in Leigh as negotiations continued with Natural England around biodiversity net gains.

As part of the ambitious refurbishment project, the quay will undergo resurfacing, the wall will be reconstructed, and the entrance will be expanded to facilitate improved vehicle access. Dredging will also maintain a navigational channel.

Not only will this work mitigate the risk of flooding for local residents, but will focus on the removal of silt from a three-kilometre section of Leigh creek.

Leigh Town Councillor Peter Wexham, who has also worked as a fisherman in the Old Town, is keen to see the scheme get off the ground, but expressed frustration that it has taken so long.

He said: “I’ve been fighting to get this done for about 25 years, meeting with MAFF and then when it was DEFRA, as well as Fisheries officers, Government Ministers Natural England, and finally getting the FLAG (Fisheries Local Action Groups) money, which investigated what improvements needed to be done.”

Coun Wexham emphasized that, due to the intricate ecosystem in which the Old Town is situated, numerous factors have been taken into account as the work commences.

He said: “This scheme has dragged on for years, and now they find they have to have habitat creation to counteract the loss of habitat.

“There is the Zostera or eel grass on the marshes opposite, and you cannot disturb the winter wading birds at night. The cocklers have got to work all through the summer, too, so it’s got to be done in between all those things in mind.”

Coun Wexham was critical of the approach the council has taken in addressing things such as habitat creation, accusing them of ignoring local knowledge in favour of expensive experts, adding: “Southend have left all the work to consultants, who have cost vast amounts of money to get to this point in time, because they just ignored what I had been saying to so many different people as they swap or change jobs.”

Labour Councillor for climate, environment and waste, Lydia Hyde, said: “There will be a number of different works at the port side and they do involve the dredging of the waters, as they are limiting the boat depth and to do that, you have to disturb the seabed and nature of the area.

“We have to get permission from Natural England.

“What they will ask is how we will achieve a biodiversity net gain figure and then have to show how we will offset negative effects to seabed creatures.

“It has been a long process.”

Coun Wexham added: “When this started, I had local fisherman saying that we would not live long enough to see this happen.

“Sadly, that has been right for many of them – but their families and myself will now see it become a reality in the near future.

“The good news is that finally the scheme will start to go ahead and benefit the local fishing industry for the next 50 years or so.”

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