Southend residents are to benefit after the seaside town was given another major boost of European funding, it was revealed today.

The Objective Two cash will boost areas of the town which have been judged to be deprived and in need of regeneration.

The money comes in addition to £500,000 which has just been announced for improvements to Hamlet Court Road at Westcliff.

The Business and Enterprise Support Programme is to receive match funding of £735,000 through the scheme.

Another £140,000 will be devoted to the development of a Credit Union scheme in the borough, which is being organised through the Southend Association of Voluntary Services.

For the next three years, Southend is to receive a total of £70,000 to pay the wages of a co-ordinator for the whole of the Objective Two funds received by the town.

Executive councillor in charge of economic regeneration David Garston said he was delighted with the further success which had been achieved by the town in gaining European funding.

He added: "Our determination as an administration to go for this particular pot of money is paying off.

"It is good news for the town that we are again getting more money for economic regeneration. It is good news for everyone in Southend."

Mr Garston said that with Objective Two funding and economic regeneration development fund money, a total of £10.325 million would have come to the town through the council's funding initiative.

Published Wednesday, April 30, 2003

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