Conservation Area Appraisals Consultation

Chapmanslord Conservation Area

The historic interest of the Chapmanslord estate in Leigh-on-Sea derives from its association with the 1919 Housing Act, which drove the ‘Homes fit for Heroes’ campaign following the First World War. The estate is significant for its exemplar Garden City planning with a distinctive housing layout orientated around a curving road and two cul-de-sacs and substantial landscaping. The estate was developed by a public utility society, the Chapmanslord Housing Society. 

The properties in the Conservation Area have an Arts and Crafts character and while there is a mix of house types all have the same general style and with a common palette of materials and features which gives the Conservation Area a consistent character. Properties located at key locations within the development are orientated on a diagonal to create spacious gateways and focal points and this is a key part of its character. These properties often also have additional decorative features to highlight their importance in the street. 

The Conservation Area Appraisal for Chapmanslord has been reviewed and updated.

We would welcome your comments by Friday 29th January 2021. 

Clifftown

Clifftown Conservation Area is situated on the clifftop in Southend overlooking the estuary. It was designated in 1968 and later extended twice to its present boundaries. The buildings in Clifftown Conservation Area have an important place in the history of the town - the Georgian Royal Terrace and the Victorian Cliff Town Estate mark the first major attempts to develop Southend as a seaside resort and as a residential town. Its building styles and planned layout overlooking the estuary give the area its own charm and character.

The Conservation Area Appraisal for Clifftown has been reviewed and updated.

We would welcome your comments by Friday 29th  January 2021. 

Crowstone

The Crowstone Conservation Area was designated in 1990. The original buildings that remain within Conservation Area, Crowstone House and No.7 Chalkwell Esplanade, show characteristics typical of the late-Victorian and Edwardian period of Southend’s rapid expansion, including: corner turrets, decorative gables, bay windows, grand entrances and white ornamentation. Crowstone House is the defining feature of the Conservation Area, a familiar and well-loved landmark on the esplanade. It was built in 1905 as a house but was subsequently extended and converted to a ladies school by a Miss O’Meara in 1913. It is now a care home.

The Conservation Area Appraisal for Crowstone has been reviewed and updated.

We would welcome your comments by Friday 29th January 2021. 

Eastern Esplanade

Eastern Esplanade Conservation Area was designated in 1989 and consists of a terrace of mid-19^th century cottages reputed to have been built for local fishermen. These buildings date from the period when Southend functioned as a small scale resort while it continued to have strong fishing and maritime industries.

The Conservation Area Appraisal for Eastern Esplanade has been reviewed and updated.

We would welcome your comments by Friday 29th January 2021. 

Kursaal

Kursaal Conservation Area was designated in 1989. It is located to the south-east of central Southend, sitting at the junction between Eastern Esplanade, Marine Parade and Southchurch Avenue, meaning that it faces both the seafront to the south and the town centre to the west. The Conservation Area is centred on the grand entrance to the former Marine Park, known as ‘The Kursaal’. The Conservation Area also comprises a Victorian terrace of three shops with residential accommodation above, book-ended by two larger commercial buildings. The Kursaal development marks part of the rapid expansion of Southend as a seaside resort town from the late 19^th century, and the area sits at the eastern fringe of Southend’s ‘Golden Mile’ of seafront amusements and visitor attractions along Marine Parade.

The Conservation Area Appraisal for Kursaal has been produced and is available to review.

We would welcome your comments by Friday 29th January 2021. 

Leigh

Leigh Conservation Area represents the spread of the settlement of Leigh-on-Sea away from the fishing village on the shoreline, upwards to populate the cliffs. Earlier development was sparse, concentrated on the shoreline and around St. Clement’s Church, then in the late-19th and early-20th century development expanded rapidly with residential buildings and the bustling commercial centre of Broadway, reflecting the expansion of Southend-on-Sea and Leigh-on-Sea itself as seaside resorts. 

Leigh Conservation Area still retains this distinction of character zones, with more closely set residential development within the southern parts of the Area, larger buildings and the Church set further north and the commercial buildings on Broadway and Broadway West at the northern edge of the Conservation Area. Leigh Cliff Conservation Area lies to the east, and Leigh Old Town Conservation Area to the south.

The Conservation Area Appraisal for Leigh has been reviewed and updated.

We would welcome your comments by Friday 29th January 2021. 

Leigh Cliff

Leigh Cliff Conservation Area is representative of the expansion of the village of Leigh away from the historic core on the shoreline and around St Clement’s Church in the late 19^th century, as Leigh on Sea’s popularity rose as a resort in tandem with the increase in prominence of Southend-on-Sea. The Conservation Area links to Leigh Conservation Area along Broadway. The former Grand Hotel provides an impressive landmark to the east end of the road. The residential streets have a strong late-Victorian architectural quality, featuring bay windows, timber panelled doors with stained glass, sash windows and a regular rhythm of placement and architectural features. The gardens at Leigh Cliffs provide an important part of the setting of the Conservation Area, the hillside location also providing impressive sea views.

The Conservation Area Appraisal for Leigh Cliff has been reviewed and updated.

We would welcome your comments by Friday 29th January 2021. 

Leigh Old Town

Leigh Old Town Conservation Area derives significant special interest from its industrial past, which continues to drive the Conservation Area today. Leigh dates back to Domesday and has been a small fishing settlement from the earliest times. Its fishing industry peaked in the 18^th century before being overtaken by the oyster and shrimp industry, whilst the twentieth century bought the growth of the cockle industry. From the 16^th century the town was described as a ‘principal port’ for trade and was well reputed for its boat-building and mariners.

The Conservation Area Appraisal for Leigh Old Town has been reviewed and updated.

We would welcome your comments by Friday 29th January 2021. 

Milton

Milton Conservation Area has a strong late-Victorian and early-Edwardian architectural quality, which can be seen in all of its streets. Ecclesiastical buildings form important landmark points, with the Grade II listed Park Road Methodist Church to the south-eastern corner of the Conservation Area marking the entrance from Clifftown, and Avenue Baptist Church, an attractive red brick building to the west of the Conservation Area, marking the entrance from Milton Road, via Avenue Terrace. The layout of the area, which has resulted from the historic street pattern of the Hamlet of Milton and the later location of Southend Park, also plays a large part in the special interest of the Conservation Area.

The Conservation Area Appraisal for Milton has been reviewed and updated.

We would welcome your comments by Friday 29th January 2021. 

Prittlewell

Prittlewell Conservation Area’s key historic interest derives from its origins as a Saxon village which thrived during the medieval period, becoming one if the primary settlements in the south-east Essex region and the principal village in the immediate area, which today has become Southend. The village has a strong connection with Prittlewell Priory, located to the north. The Conservation Area illustrates the evolution of the village from medieval times to the present day, through its variety of architecture which shows a sequence of typical materials and details for the periods. St Mary’s Church stands as a landmark not only in Prittlewell but within the wider Southend settlement.

The Conservation Area Appraisal for Prittlewell is now available for review.

We would welcome your comments by Friday 29th January 2021. 

Shoebury Garrison

Shoebury Garrison Conservation Area has a crucial place in national military history for the development and testing of ordnance and for artillery training from the mid-19^th to the mid-20^th century as the country emerged from the Napoleonic era into the modern era of warfare. It is associated with important events, such as the Crimean War, and people, such as the former Duke of Cambridge, the army Commander in Chief and a frequent visitor to the Garrison. Many of the Garrison’s buildings are listed buildings and have special architectural or historic interest. The site contains a comprehensive group of military architecture, including mess buildings, buildings associated with artillery testing, a drill hall, hospital, residences and a church. These have a consistency in design and materials which give the area visual coherence and contribute towards a fine townscape, which is complemented by green open spaces, well-manicured gardens and mature tree planting.

The Conservation Area Appraisal for Shoebury Garrison is now available for review.

We would welcome your comments by Friday 29th January 2021. 

Shorefields

Shorefields Conservation Area is associated with the start of Southend’s rapid growth as a seaside resort and residential centre between 1870 and 1900. During these decades, the national rise of holidays and day trips and Southend’s easy access from London by rail, made it increasingly popular. The Shorefields estate was sold for piecemeal development as the resort expanded westwards from the earlier Cliff Town estate. It was the first development of what was to become a new resort with its own identity, Westcliff-on-Sea. The Conservation Area contains the resort’s oldest surviving hotel, the Westcliff Hotel, built in 1890. Demand for accommodation also encouraged residents to open their homes to visitors, and some of the housing in Shorefields was designated for this dual purpose. Shorefields contains a variety of late Victorian architecture and materials. The Conservation Area has a fine setting overlooking the Cliffs and Estuary.

The Conservation Area Appraisal for Shorefields is now available for review.

We would welcome your comments by Friday 29th January 2021. 

The Leas

The Leas Conservation Area draws historic interest from the development of Southend-on-Sea – as Southend developed and expanded in the 19^th century, railway lines were erected connecting the town with its surrounding countryside and London. The Leas is directly related to the arrival of the second railway line to Southend in 1889 and the opening of Westcliff-on-Sea station by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway in 1895. Most original buildings within the Conservation Area were constructed between 1900 and 1922 in response to this development in infrastructure. The Leas became a popular seaside destination for tourists. The Leas architectural interest lies in its diverse range of architectural and decorative features, which are prevalent across the Conservation Area. The locally listed Argyll House offers an interesting and alternative 1930s aesthetic, and is a prominent landmark in views along Western Esplanade and Clifton Drive.

The Conservation Area Appraisal for The Leas is now available for review.

We would welcome your comments by Friday 29th January 2021. 

Warrior Square

Warrior Square Conservation Area is a valuable example of a late residential Victoria square, with plot developments laid out around a central garden, which was rare in Southend. Its architecture provides an interesting example of a transitional moment of late Victorian terraced architecture with emerging Edwardian influences. The Conservation Area is significant for the provision of the public gardens as a setting for the terrace, which gives an interesting townscape, with avenues of mature trees within the square and along the framing road providing an attractive contrast to the commercial town centre to the west.

The Conservation Area Appraisal for Warrior Square is now available for review.

We would welcome your comments by Friday 29th January 2021.