A refurbishment in Southend on Sea for a civic centre has been unplugged due to the recession, it has been reported. The £23m refurb was brought forward by Southend Council and was set to have a new ‘eco-friendly’ tower block as well as a new entrance.
It has now changed and the council has put aside the same amount of money but to spend on another part of Southend, there was a proposal for a car park and suite next to the centre but that also has had a set back.
Mr Andrew Moring, who is apparently responsible, said: “We’ve scaled the plans so the Civic Suite and the car park are now possibilities for the future.
“Finance is in short supply in the current climate, so the cost benefits couldn’t be justified.
“We are seeing what we can get for our money and want to make the total as low as possible. The £23million is a ceiling of what we would spend.
“The plan is to refurbish the tower block where most people work to fit in more staff and reduce the carbon footprint.
“This should decrease our overheads and running costs.”
Mr Moring said this would involve fitting in more desks in and getting rid of unnecessary filing cabinets.