🔵 The Safest Place in Essex

Do you agree with the statistics? Southend town is one of the safest areas to live in the country.

Author

Tom McCloud
February 07, 2025

Good morning, Southend! I hope you’ve all had a great week. We have a lot to cover this week. I struggled deciding which stories to highlight, so make sure you head to the news section at the bottom and see the headlines for the week.

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Let’s get into it… in today’s Southend Spotlight:

  • How safe do you feel where you live? 🙂

  • Seafront attraction reopens 😲

  • More exciting signings for the Shrimpers ⚽️

Don’t forget to check out the upcoming events list at the end of this email and to forward this email to anyone you know that may be interested.  

— Tom McCloud

HIGHLIGHTS ⭐️
🙂 Leigh Rated One of the UK’s Safest Towns

Old Leigh

Despite rising crime rates being a common concern for those living in and around the Southend area, recent statistics show that Leigh-on-Sea is actually one of the UK’s safest towns. 

  • The crime rate in Leigh is 24% lower than the Essex average

  • and 35% lower than the national average.

  • It sits in the top 10 safest small towns in Essex

Following Rightmove’s recent survey which found Leigh as the 8th happiest place to live in the UK, it seems as though Leigh is rising in the ranks of desirable locations.

And although Southend as a whole has a higher crime rate than Leigh, the recent statistics show a significant decrease in crime over the past 5 years

Do you live in Leigh? How safe do you feel? Write back and let me know. 

🚠 Cliff Lift Reopens

The Cliff Lift - Western Esplanade

The Cliff Lift was forced to close back in November after a health and safety inspection found a fault with one of the emergency brakes.

Works to repair the Cliff Lift took place this week and has been given the go-ahead to reopen this weekend!

The Cliff Lift was originally opened back in 1912 and is a unique piece of engineering and history. It is the only single car funicular railway in the country and has a unique design in which the counterweight runs within the structure.

The Cliff Lift is operated entirely by volunteers and donations are appreciated, but not mandatory, when using the lift.

🔵 Southend Accepted into Devolution Priority Program

Leader of the Council Cllr Daniel Cowan

Earlier this week the government accepted Southend-on-Sea City Council into its Devolution Priority Program.

This means that we will be fast tracked into having a mayor instated and powers drawn from the government and to the local level.

"Devolution will be momentous, bringing more powers and funding into the area, and allowing us to deliver major projects, better services and improve the lives of local people and business. I look forward to continuing to work hard to deliver on this.”

Cllr Daniel Cowan

You can read more about the Devolution Revolution here, the government claim that greater devolution is key to unlocking regional growth, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change and putting more money into working people’s pockets, while also empowering them to direct change in their communities.

THIS WEEKEND
Crafts and Super Bowl

10:00-15:00, Saturday

22:00-04:00, Sunday

Two very different events that I’ve highlighted for this weekend.

Saturday 8th Feb

The Folk & Bespoke Craft Fair will be taking place 10am - 3pm, Saturday 8th Feb.

Folk & Bespoke prides itself as being different, a celebration of small independent businesses and time served craftspeople, Folk & Bespoke aims to bring you something different every month!

Sunday 9th Feb

If you’re looking for place to watch the big game with a big atmosphere this weekend, Genting Casino have the viewing party for you 🏈🇺🇸

£25 will get you a ticket to the event, an American style buffet and two Budweiser's.

The event starts at 10pm and runs until 4am when the casino closes.

LOCAL HISTORY 📷

Manor Road, Westcliff, date unknown

Southend is rich with interesting pieces of history and every week we dedicate a section of this newsletter to sharing that history with you. If you have suggestions for the next piece, reply to this email.

Then and Now by Jon Wennington

There isn’t a known date for the above photo unfortunately, but it seems like it was a while ago, before the road was one way only. The photo is of Manor Road, opposite Westcliff Station

THE BLUES ⚽️

🧤 Goalkeeper Nick Haynes Signs from Barnet

Nick Haynes

The 25 year old shot-stopper, Nick Haynes, has joined Southend Utd on a permanent deal that keeps him at the club until summer 2026

This is not Nick’s first stint at Root’s Hall, he was loaned to the club from Ipswich back in 2022 before moving to Solihull Moors where he picked up a good amount of game time.

"I’ve picked up more games and more experiences since I was last on loan here. I had a great spell at Solihull last year and thought I did well at Barnet this year too. I’m going to grasp this opportunity with both hands and honestly, I can’t wait to get back in front of them fans."

Nick Haynes

🙋🏻‍♂️ First CEO-Fans’ Forum

Southend United have confirmed the details of their first CEO Fans’ Forum, which will take place on Thursday 13th March.

This is an opportunity for supporters to hear directly from the club’s CEO Tom Lawrence, where he will update fans on the clubs current operations and future plans.

Tom will also be answering questions which can be submitted here.

If you’re a season ticket holder and would like to attend, head to the ticketing site now and reserve your space.

Latest Results

  • Tuesday 28th Jan

    • Southend Utd 2-0 Flyde

  • Saturday 1st Feb — (FA Trophy - 5th Round)

    • Southend Utd 0-1 Sittingbourne

Next Games

  • Saturday 8th Feb — 15:00

    • Maidenhead Utd vs. Southend Utd

  • Tuesday 11th Feb — 19:45

    • Southend Utd vs. Halifax

Current Position

Southend are currently 11th in the National League

NEWS 🗞️

EVENTS 🗓️

🗓️ Upcoming Events

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Thanks for reading this week’s Southend Spotlight.

— Tom McCloud