Plans for three new retail areas in Southend, set to create 760 new jobs, have been submitted to the council.
Property company Lansbury Holdings wants to invest a total of £35 million in the projects in separate parts of the borough.
The first is a retail park of nine units at Fossetts Farm, east of Sutton Road and Temple Farm roundabout.
They also want to develop a B&Q warehouse store on vacant land between the Travel Inn hotel and Tesco supermarket in Prince Avenue, Westcliff.
It will include a coffee shop, garden centre, builders' yard and almost 600 parking spaces.
The proceeds of this development will be used to fund two new retail stores on the current site of B&Q in Queensway, Southend.
Lansbury director, Robert Clements said: "These three linked planning applications offer long-awaited, ready-to-occupy industrial buildings, state-of-the-art DIY retailing and a new town centre retail opportunity.
"Because of the importance of the potential jobs investment, we hope the council will make rapid progress to approve the applications."
B&Q development manager, Malcolm Edge, said: "The proposal for a flagship warehouse store at the Prince Avenue site demonstrates our belief that Southend is losing DIY sales to other towns.
"In addition, B&Q can create four times as many jobs as the existing store. It will be a major economic boost for Southend."
The plans will be discussed by Southend councillors at a meeting in September.
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