Southend Tories are urging the council not to renew it's contract with the developer behind the £50 million Seaway project. 

The party have put a motion to full council after Turnstone Developments failed to gain planning permission for the project before contracts expired on January 17. 

It follows the decision at the development and control committee to defer the decision on the planning application made by Turnstone over concerns around parking.

Following the decision, Turnstone insisted it was keen to push on with the project. 

Turnstone has been responsible for the project for six years and has already been granted two extensions. 

Tony Cox, Leader of the Southend Conservatives said: "Last year, the council decided to give Turnstones another extension, many Conservatives voted for this in good faith that Turnstones would deliver the project in time.

"However, we must call an end to the Extension-Failure cycle that Seaway has suffered from over the last 6 years.

"To do this we must not renew Turnstones contract and put the development back out to tender.

"This is why, the Conservatives have put forward a motion to reject any extension to the contract, so we can move on as a town and focus more of our efforts on the priorities of residents and Unleashing Southend's Potential.

"I am confident that we will receive cross party support in this motion, as during the debate on last years extension both the Leader of the Labour Group and now Leader of the Council, Cllr Gilbert and his Deputy, Cllr Ron Woodley, agreed with us that it should be Turnstones last chance. They have had they chance, and they have blown it. We must now draw a line under this and look elsewhere for an organisation who is able to actually delvier the investment this town needs. Rather than simply talk about it.

"On any future development proposal, the Conservative Party's aims are clear.

"We want a year round facility on the Seaway car park. However, any future proposal must have a significant increase in the parking facility currently available on the site, and must take into consideration the concerns of the local residents that surround Seaway. "