After the closure Southend’s Seaway Coach Park (CBW1251), additional coach parking facilities have been made available.
Following a recent meeting between Southend Borough Council and CPT officials, the seaside town has confirmed that new and improved coaching facilities – providing over 100 free parking spaces for coaches and additional set-down and pick-up points – have now opened, after the closure of the long standing Seaway Coach Park in July, 2016.
The new facilities can be found on Lucy Road, SS1 2AU (10 spaces) and at the nearby Garon Park Sports Centre, SS2 4FA (100). Both locations will provide all day parking, completely free of charge, from 0900 – 1800hrs each day.
Southend Borough Council also confirmed that it hopes to introduce a further 10 parking bays in the next week or so on Warrior Square, SS1 2NQ, which is a short walk from the town centre.
Any coaches arriving at Seaway coach park will be directed by a member of council staff to one of the new facilities.
Scott Dolling, Head of Service – Economy, Regeneration and Tourism at Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, said: “While we appreciate that operators will be disappointed to learn that Seaway Coach Park has now closed, we hope the new facilities provided on Lucy Road and at Garon Park clearly demonstrate that Southend understands the requirements of the industry and is very much open to coaches and coach tourism.
“In addition to these new facilities, there are toilets available on each site and visiting coach drivers who register their details online can also claim a free meal and drink at the Pebbles One cafe on the seafront.
“I look forward to welcoming CPT to all future Visit Southend forum events in order to ensure that the coach industry is fully represented and consulted on any proposed changes to the current parking arrangements in the town.”
CPT’s Coaching Manager, Andy Warrender, added: “At an extremely positive and productive meeting with the Southend Borough Council we were delighted to hear that alternative coach parking arrangements are already in place close to the original Seaway Coach Park.
“Each year coaches carry thousands of passengers to Southend in a safe and environmentally friendly way, with a single coach removing up to 30 cars from local roads.
“Coaches are also increasingly becoming the holiday mode of choice and it is refreshing to see that seaside towns such as Southend recognise their importance and are providing suitable facilities for coaches, drivers and their passengers.”
INFO
A page dedicated to visiting coaches and groups is now available on the Visit Southend website, https://www.visitsouthend.co.uk/visitor-information/coaches-groups.aspx
