Canvey Island shopping centre to have £2m refurbishment
Lack of modernisation meant some of the centre's 28 shop units had remained vacant, the cabinet was told.The improvements aimed to attract customers and tenants, a report to councillors said, and involved upgrading lighting, flooring, ceiling and infrastructure "to enhance the overall experience"."Creating a brighter, safer and appealing centre will make the space more inviting and competitive while diversifying the retail mix to appeal to a broader demographic with new shops, dining or entertainment options," it added.Residents had called for the centre to be updated, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.One said it was "very run-down" and often just used as a "cut-through" to Sainsbury's rather than for shopping. Others described it as "old, ugly, and boring", LDRS said.
Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
26 minutes ago
- The Sun
Rare 50p coin sells for more than 300 times its face value after lengthy bidding war – exact details to look out for
A RARE 50p coin has sold for more than 300 times its face value after a lengthy bidding war. The 2009 Kew Gardens coin was sold for £136.99 on eBay after one lucky bidder fought off offers from 18 others. 1 This rare find was minted in 2009, and was created to mark 250 years since the botanical gardens opened in 1759. To spot this coin, you need to look on the tails side. It features a leafy vine wrapped around a Chinese pagoda and has the word "Kew" written at the bottom. The front of this coin has an image of the late Queen Elizabeth II, with the engraver's initials, Ian Rank-Broadley, below. There are just 210,000 of these coins in circulation, making it a very rare find. That is compared to The Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III 50p, which has been minted five million times. Plus, you might be able to get more than £136 for the piece. In the past, we have seen this coin sell for up to £700 on eBay. More recently, it sold for £134 on the auction website for £110 after 12 bids. But you might not always fetch such a high sum for the piece, with one seller on eBay flogging the same coin for £34 after 11 bids. Spot a Rare £1 Coin Worth Up to £500: The Key Details Every Collector Should Know The Kew Gardens piece is not the only rare coin that can be worth a pretty penny. Last week, the Blue Peter Olympic 50p piece sold on eBay for £165. It was released in 2009 ahead of the London Olympic games in 2012. The coin features someone doing the high jump on one side, a design created by eight-year-old Florence Jackson from Bristol. The final design was chosen from over 17,000 entries as part of a Blue Peter competition. How to spot rare coins and banknotes Rare coins and notes hiding down the back of your sofa could sell for hundreds of pounds. If you are lucky enough to find a rare £10 note you might be able to sell it for multiple times its face value. You can spot rare notes by keeping an eye out for the serial numbers. These numbers can be found on the side with the Monarch's face, just under the value £10 in the corner of the note. Also, if you have a serial number on your note that is quite quirky, you could cash in thousands. For example, one seller bagged £3,600 after spotting a specific serial number relating to the year Jane Austen was born on one of their notes. You can check if your notes are worth anything on eBay, just tick "completed and sold items" and filter by the highest value. This will give you an idea of what people are willing to pay for some notes But bear in mind that yours is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. This is also the case for coins, you can determine how rare your coin is by looking a the latest scarcity index.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Donald Trump to open resort's second golf course on final day in Scotland
Donald Trump will officially open his new golf course in Aberdeenshire on the final day of his visit to Scotland. The US president's fifth day in Scotland on Tuesday follows a meeting and press conference with Sir Keir Starmer on Monday. Mr Trump will cut the ribbon on a second 18-hole course at his resort in Menie, Aberdeenshire before he flies back to the US on Air Force One. The president has played several rounds of golf during his Scottish trip, teeing off at his other resort in Turnberry, Ayrshire, on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. As they met at Turnberry for bilateral talks on trade and the situation in Gaza, Mr Trump and Sir Keir took part in what proved to be a lengthy press conference, with the president discussing a number of topics. The Republican Party leader spoke of his 'great love' for Scotland and said he wanted to see the nation 'thrive'. He returned to his long-running objections to wind turbines, branding them 'ugly monsters' and speaking of his admiration for North Sea oil and gas. Discussing the war in Ukraine, Mr Trump said he was 'very disappointed' in Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggested he would bring forward a deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire. The US president called Sir Sadiq Khan a 'nasty person', which prompted Sir Keir to come to the defence of his 'friend' the London Mayor. Construction of the new course in Menie began in 2023, with Mr Trump and his son Eric breaking ground on the project. Trump International Scotland claims the two courses will be the 'greatest 36 holes in golf'. The second course is expected to be dedicated to the president's mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born on the Isle of Lewis. Critics say the Trump developments in Scotland have not delivered as many jobs as promised and work at the Menie site has caused environmental damage. Mr Trump and Sir Keir landed at Menie aboard Marine One, the president's helicopter, which was seen circling the new course before it touched down on Monday evening. The president then hosted a dinner at Menie with members of his family and guests including Scottish First Minister John Swinney. A demonstration took place in Balmedie, near the resort, on Monday. A small number of protesters sat at the roadside in the centre of the village, surrounded by cardboard signs bearing anti-Trump slogans.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The truth about Britain's 'dark economy': Map reveals how nearly 1,000 businesses were fined £37MILLION for hiring illegal workers last year
Nearly a thousand businesses the length and breadth of Britain were fined more than £37million for employing illegal workers last year. Firms received penalties of up to £360,000 as part of the clampdown, which exposes the vast size of the UK's 'dark economy'. The ability to work without papers is considered a major pull factor for migrants overstaying visas or arriving illegally on small boats and lorries. MailOnline used Home Office data covering the whole of 2024 to name and shame businesses that have been caught out. They range from car washes, barbers, salons, hotels and takeaways to haulage firms, care providers and home renovation services. The biggest fine of £360,000 was given to D&T Hand Car Wash in Leatherhead, followed by £280,000 for a south London real estate company called Arya Rae Ltd and £270,000 for nursing agency Wrexham Care in Staffordshire. Also among the top ten were two more car washes, two construction companies, a haulage firm, one care provider and one restaurant - Portofino in New Brighton, Merseyside. Fines issued by Immigration Enforcement teams totalled £37,625,000, although it is unclear how much of this money has been paid. Businesses found to be employing people illegally face fines of up to £45,000 per worker for the first offence and up to £60,000 per worker for repeat offenders. While many are small firms, inspectors have netted some major names, including the famous Royal China restaurant on London's Baker Street. The well-known eatery has paid fines totalling £470,000 after three visits by immigration officers between 2018 and 2024. At least 20 people were arrested during the raids, which found one staff member who was receiving an hourly rate of £6 while carrying out 66-hour weeks. The council later stripped the venue of its licence to serve alcohol - labelling it 'the worst licensed premises in Westminster'. The latest raid by the Home Office's Central London ICE (Immigration Compliance and Enforcement) took place on May 10 2024, with nine members of staff detained - almost a third of those on duty at the time. The Royal China Group was fined £360,000 on that occasion, with six Indonesian and two Malaysian men deemed to have overstayed visas, and a Chinese woman working in breach of hers. During a raid in Oldham, immigration Enforcement officers found makeshift shipping containers that had been turned into a kitchen and living room In June, the Home Office revealed its officers had visited more than 9,000 businesses in the previous 12 months for checks on paperwork and working conditions. More than 6,400 people were arrested during the raids. The Home Office said there were a range of industries exploiting migrant workers with businesses often subjecting migrants to 'squalid conditions and illegal working hours' and below-minimum wages. In one case, migrants were found living in appalling conditions inside shipping containers at a car salvage yard in Oldham, where they were paid just £2.33 an hour. The illegal workers, from Malaysia, Lithuania and Belarus, were working between 50 and 60 gruelling hours a week. Officers found makeshift sleeping cabins, fitted with small beds and bathrooms, as well as shipping containers that had been turned into a kitchen and living room. Immigration officials said the migrants were promised accommodation and three meals a day - but once these costs were deducted it is suspected they only received £500 a month, or £2.33 per hour. Last year, MailOnline witnessed more than 30 officers raiding a bedding and mattress factory before making a dozen arrests. Specialist immigration enforcement teams in six vans surrounded the large warehouse near Tipton in the West Midlands before rushing in just after 10am. Several workers started running away after spotting the officers and tried to hide between timber pallets and piles of mattresses before they were handcuffed. The name of the business, Giomani Designs, was on a sign outside, and its products - which include leather beds and outdoor rattan furniture - were sold direct to consumers online. Officers interviewed all the men at the factory before arresting seven Indian men for suspected illegal working. Those found to be legally employed were allowed to return to their shift.
