Southend's Kenbro Discount Carpets flats plan

Antony Mason, director of the 47-year-old business, in Sutton Road, has reassured loyal customers and staff there are no plans to close, but will downsize and move in the future.

Owners of the family-run business submitted an application to Southend Council to bulldoze the store, making way for the four-storey development.

The scheme, approved in April 2023, will see three ground floor commercial units put up, with 34 homes comprising eight one-bed, 19 two-bed, and seven three-bed flats.

It would result in the downsizing and relocation of the business, but not its closure, according to Mr Mason.

He said: “Business has been hard these last two years, what with the pandemic and of course having to battle online shopping.

Kenbro Discount Carpets in Sutton Road

“It’s quite sad [if we have to move premises] as we have been at this site for many years, but this is the new reality for a lot of retail.”

Mr Mason says he is looking for other premises in Southend to continue the business now the plans to demolish the storeroom are approved.

An official financial viability appraisal has yet to be held, but early estimates in the housing scheme’s planning documents suggest 20 per cent of homes could be affordable.

New plans

Sutton Road, and the surrounding area, has seen an explosion of new developments in recent years.

Councillor Ian Gilbert, responsible for housing, says there has been a “clear move” away from warehouse, industrial and commercial uses in the area in recent years.

“There have been quite a number of blocks being built in this area and they have made a positive impact,” he told the Echo.

Space for parking

The Kenbro site lies about 500 metres away from the council’s £575 million proposed Queensway estate redevelopment, expected to include 1,760 new homes, as well as new shops and cafes.

Sutton Road is also set to see other major schemes spring up in the coming years.

Earlier this year the council approved plans to convert a 100-year-old biscuit factory, opened in 1921 by the London Co-operative Society, into 17 flats and commercial storage space.

Plans are also afoot to redevelop the former Paterson Worktops building in Sutton Road into 22 new flats.

And in June, Dove Jeffery Homes Planning Services lodged a bid to convert the former Yesteryear Classics car showroom into 33 flats.

The Kenbro Carpet plans will be decided on by the council’s development committee in due course.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the business could close if the plan was approved. We would like to apologise to the owners for the error and also to staff and customers for any uncertainty caused at the time. The plan was approved in April 2023 but the business is still open and operating from the same Kenbro site. It is still owned by the same family.