A SENIOR councillor outlined his vision of what a marina could look like in Southend – and it’s in Poland.

Graham Longley, a regular visitor to Southend’s twin town Sopot, said he would like any plan for a marina on the seafront emulate that of the Pomeranian port.

The commercial marina, completed in 2011, is built around the town’s pier in much the same way as the original George Walker proposal for Southend, which was rejected by just one vote in the Seventies.

Mr Longley, Lib Dem councillor responsible for tourism, said: “The marina is attached to their pier, which is the longest wooden one pier in Europe, and the kind of thing I and many others would find acceptable.

“It’s quite encouraging in many ways and, if we could get something like that, it would be quite interesting because, as far as I know, it’s doing very well.”

Council leaer Ron Woodley revealed that over the last month the council was approached more than once by investors over the possibility of constructing a marina in Southend.

However, he added, with an estimated cost of up to £40million, the project would have to be privately financed.

Sopot Marina was constructed with an investment of 65million zloty, which amounts to about £11million, with European Union funding of 25million zloty or £4.3million.

Southend West MP Sir David Amess has also been pressing the case foramarina for the town.