Hoardings have gone up around the former Beecroft Art Gallery in Westcliff ahead of work to transform it into artists’ studios.

Southend Council has confirmed its intention to set aside £300,000 in its annual budget in order to breathe new life into the building and ensure it continues to play an important role in the town’s burgeoning cultural scene.

The project received £495,000 from Arts Council England’s Small Capital Grants Fund, and £80,000 from the Foyle Foundation and Garfield Weston Foundation, equating to a total budget of £875,000 for the project.

The hoardings are currently white, but will soon see a newly painted commission by local artist David Watkins, to be installed in February, depending on weather conditions.

The council is currently tendering for an architect to complete designs for the internal layout of the new galleries and expects to be in a position to announce the successful bidder next month.

The plans for the building include up to 23 studio spaces, covering a total of approximately 6000sqft of working space.

Two floors will be fully accessible, which will include studios ring-fenced for disabled users.

Ann Holland, councillor responsible for culture, tourism and the economy, said: “Southend has increasingly established itself as the cultural hub for the East of England, and we are committed to supporting this achievement by developing new, exciting spaces to allow artists to grow and flourish.

“After reviewing results from a survey in 2016, in which 73 per cent of respondents said they would consider using a studio in this location, our team at Focal Point Gallery have devised a set of plans to accommodate the need for more artist studio space within the town.”

Mrs Holland added: “The facilities will be of the highest quality, retaining original features of this well-loved building where possible, and to ensure energy efficiency, feasibility work is currently being undertaken to reduce carbon emissions.

David Watkin’s painting for the hoardings will be the first in a series of significant artworks commissioned by Focal Point Gallery for the site, which will reflect the nature of the building.”

was pleasantly surprised and will be backing that all the way.”

The building would be divided into seven studios of various size, being priced at between £100 and £300 a month, with the possibility of some studios being enlarged with a price tag of more than £300 a month if there is found to be demand.

The gallery moved to the former central library in Victoria Avenue two years ago due to structural issues

If you would like to register your interest in taking up a space, or receive updates about the project, visit http://www.fpg.org.uk/artistsstudios/ and enter your details.