Leigh Broadway Barclays future to be decided by residents

The old Barclays bank in Leigh Broadway has been empty since September 2022 and Southend Council previously rejected plans to transform the building into a coffee shop and patisseries with an Airbnb rental flat above.

Now owner Mehmed Hassan, who owns the Sand Bar, Baboush and Leigh Food Shack, is asking residents to help him decide on the future use of the building.

Taking to Facebook from his businesses accounts, he asked residents if they would prefer to see a boutique hotel, a restaurant and bar or new flats on the site.

In the announcement, Mr Hassan said he was “excited to announce” the purchase of the “beautiful old Barclays” and wants to know “what residents think it should be developed into”.

Leigh resident, Carolyne Goodall, said: “I don’t think flats are a good idea, they definitely won’t do.

“I would like a boutique hotel out of all these plans. I think Leigh lacks places to stay and there is honestly nowhere like that around here.

“I think anything other than that can be found elsewhere, we have so many cafés and restaurants on the Broadway already and it would be a shame for the building to become a set of flats, as you can see them cropping up just about everywhere.

“A boutique hotel split with a restaurant would be quite nice, the restaurant factored into the bottom floor and with a good local owner, who run Fellini’s, would be great.

“People say we have too many restaurants but with the hotel, it would work quite well.”

Leigh Green Party councillor, Richard Longstaff, praised the business owner for giving residents a say. He said: “Putting this to the public is a good idea, it engages the public and I will have a look myself and think what is best.

“The Airbnb plans didn’t sit well with the public so engaging with the public is courteous and a welcome approach.”

Plans for any conversion to the building would remain under consideration by Southend Council.