Browsing: Council News & Politics

As well as looking ahead towards City Day on 7 March, the start of a new year is also an opportunity for looking afresh and making New Year’s resolutions.

Southend-on-Sea City Council is making Christmas tree recycling easier than ever this festive season, with a new free bookable collection service and seven temporary drop-off points across the city, alongside changes to bin collections and garden waste services.

Southend has launched a new Culture Small Grants Scheme offering £250–£1,500 to support creative, cultural and community-led activities. Applications are open until 31 January 2026 for residents and local groups with projects taking place in Southend-on-Sea.

Southend-on-Sea is set to receive £8.5 million in bus funding over the next three years, supporting improved reliability, new routes, extended late-night services and better connections across the city.

Mayoral elections planned for 2026 have been pushed back to 2028, though Southend and wider Essex are still expected to receive early devolution of funding and powers before the mayoral model is introduced.

Southend-on-Sea City Council and Anglian Water have launched a £90m, 10-year programme to eliminate sewer spills, reduce flooding and create greener public spaces, including new rain gardens and the Marine Parade Green Oasis.

The South East Essex Green Party has issued a statement expressing deep disappointment over the closure of the University of Essex Southend Campus, highlighting the impact on education, jobs and community spaces, and calling on MPs to push for proper government funding for Further and Higher Education.

Bedford’s decision to approve 1,100 new homes despite Anglian Water’s pollution warnings offers a stark warning for Southend and neighbouring areas, which together face housing targets of 51,000 new homes. Southend Against Sewage highlights decades of underinvestment and the risk of infrastructure collapse if councils continue ignoring capacity limits.

Southend is facing rising costs, transport cuts, division, and the long-term consequences of privatisation. Cllr Stuart Allen calls for fairness, investment, cooperation, and a proper long-term plan to rebuild services, protect communities, and create a better, more connected Southend.

A new state-of-the-art Community Diagnostics Centre is opening early next year in the former Argos unit at the Victoria Shopping Centre, bringing quicker diagnoses, shorter waiting times, and extended opening hours to patients across Southend.