MORE than £2million is set to be spent revamping the Victoria Shopping Centre as Southend Council looks to “enhance the city centre”.

The council bought the shopping centre at the top of the High Street for £10 million in 2020 with a view to earning rent from shops there.

Bosses insist they are getting ready to welcome a raft of new tenants into the centre, but claim to be unable to reveal who they are as negotiations continue.

The council had already set aside £805,000 set aside for 2022/23 to develop the centre but is proposing a new budget of £2,050,000 for refurbishment work to repair the atrium roof and the Queensway roof.

The building’s façade will also be refurbished and a new goods lift will be installed.

And the existing multi-storey carpark will also be improved with the installation of a new ANPR car parking payment system.

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Some of the money will be spent dividing units for new lettings. Part of the outlay will be recoverable from tenants via service charges.

A report to council cabinet, which met on Tuesday, said: “These works will make a significant contribution to the attraction and amenity of the Victoria Centre and improve and enhance that end of the city centre.”

Paul Collins, councillor responsible for asset management and inwards investment, said: “Since we took over the Victoria Centre in December 2020 and showed our intent to support the regeneration of the city centre, we have seen a number of new and varied business uses open up, including the new blood unit, the indoor climbing centre, a new climate hub, and two further units.

"This has been achieved despite the impacts of Covid."

Mr Collins added: “A total of 78 per cent of the total floor space is currently occupied, and we have already signed, or are in advanced negotiations on over 30,000 sq ft of space involving seven potential new occupiers, including some retail.

“These potential lettings are exciting and will further increase the use of the centre by attracting more people to the Victoria Centre and city centre in general, as well as providing further job opportunities for local people.

“The work aligns with the council’s objective when we bought it - to revitalise the centre and the High Street, by creating a more vibrant and mixed-use scheme rather than relying solely on traditional retail uses.”