2000 Southend’s millennium clock, was installed in the High Street outside the Victoria Shopping Centre. It was designed by four schoolgirls, following a competition run by the Council in local schools. The clock cost £50,000 to build and install. C & A, which was housed in the Victoria Shopping Centre closed. 2001 December. Invisible Man Public House was demolished. Originally called the Golden Goblet, then the Rusty Bucket. The site was redeveloped into a McDonalds. 2004 July. The old Odeon cinema in the High Street was demolished. 2004. The South Essex College relocated to the campus in the centre of Southend. 2008 March. New radio station Southend Radio starts broadcasting from Adventure Island on the seafront. 2009 January. Woolworths in the High Street closed. 2010 Park inn Hotel (Palace Hotel) opened after refurbishment 1st January. South Essex College formally merged with Basildon and Thurrock College and was renamed South Essex College of Further and Higher Education. The swimming pool at Warrior Square closes. February. The “Deeping” underpass below the Victoria Shopping Centre closes permanently. 2011 17th February. Southend millennium clock was removed from the High Street outside the Victoria Shopping Centre, and placed in storage at a cost of £5,000. unfortunately, it was not designed to take account of the elements and rarely worked for any length of time. The swimming pool at Warrior Square is demolished. Warrior Square reopens after refurbishment, costing £1.8 million. 2012 17th June. £1.8m restoration of Prittlewell Priory is completed. 2013 February. The railway bridge was replaced in the High Street, the original bridge constructed in 1883 had become structurally unsafe. 2015 November. Renovation of the the Bell Hotel in Leigh ended in disaster when the roof collapsed. The building was being renovated to become one part of the multi-million pound Bell Sands flats development. The hotel was later demolished. 15th December. South Essex College buildings in Carnarvon Road were demolished. 2016 British Home Stores in the High Street closed. 2019 South Essex College opened a new campus in Stephenson Road, Leigh-on-Sea, which specialises in engineering and construction.

Southend Council installed the sleeping giant, a huge grass figure growing out of the ground in the Shrubbery, hoping to draw

people into the magic that is the memory of so many from their childhood.

31st July. Kent Elms footbridge opens to public.

2020 March. Southend is put in lockdown in line with national government guidelines as the COVID-19 pandemic takes hold of the country and a blanket lockdown is introduced. Town’s shops reopen with COVID-19 restrictions in place. COVID-19 testing station is opened in a car park in Short Street. 5th November. Town is in lockdown again due to another COVID-19 lockdown. December Southend reopens with COVID-19 restrictions in place. Primark moves out of the Royals Shopping Centre and relocates to the old fully refurbished British Home Stores Building in the High Street. Footbridge at the Bell on the a127 is demolished to make way for road improvements. August. Southend (& Essex) gets a new Radio Station, Street Sounds Radio.