Please sign now and show your support for the continued use of this great community resource.
“I agree in principle with the proposal to relocate the Beecroft Gallery complete with its collections to the Central Library Building (Victoria Avenue Southend-on-Sea SS2 6EX).

I would like to see the building utilised to create a gallery incorporating the Beecroft collections, a contemporary art gallery, a community centre and business centre with affordable rents for niche and start-up business.”

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What we will use the library building for, after it all moves to the new site

There has been much talk about the pros and cons in connection with the new library being built by Southend Council in conjunction with the University, however, little has been said with regards to the future of the existing Central Library building in Victoria Avenue.

The building is a proven community asset, providing not only the town's main library services, but also valuable community spaces, such as a local Gallery, a lecture theatre and meeting rooms. In our opinion, it would be foolish not to maintain this highly versatile building as part of the public portfolio.

With the relocation of the library services to the new building in Farringdon, there exists the opportunity to utilise the available space by converting it into galleries for the Beecroft Collection.

At present this extremely significant art collection is housed in a building located in Station Road, Westcliff, which is not fit for purpose, lacking space (the current gallery displays only 2% of the works), disabled access and is structurally unsound.

The collection is shamefully Southend’s best kept secret; with over 2,000 works of art, including Constable, Rossetti and Leyden. The collection should be nationally, if not internationally recognised and a draw to tourists in its own right. However, it languishes in a rundown unsuitable building, un-acclaimed, neglected and largely unpublicised outside of our local press. .

Relocating this major art collection to the central library would allow the collection the space to be displayed in all its glory and in the process create a major tourist attraction, drawing high spending cultural tourists to our town.

In addition, the new gallery could become a cultural hub with workshops being held in its meeting rooms and lectures and presentations in its lecture theatre.

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