Rescuing Southend’s Crown Jewel: Better Queensway & Viability Innovation | Glyn Halksworth

When the original joint venture partner collapsed, Southend-on-Sea City Council stepped in—investing £20M of Housing Infrastructure Funding (HIF) to de-risk highway works and unlock the 1,760-home Better Queensway regeneration scheme. In this episode, Toby Fox meets Glyn Halksworth (Director of Regeneration, Housing & Regulatory Services at Southend-on-Sea City Council) on site. They discuss breaking down mega-projects into manageable phases, rethinking development viability by counting wider public-sector savings (like NHS and temporary accommodation costs), deep retrofits vs. new builds, and re-engaging the development market. `00:00` - Introduction: Rescuing Better Queensway `00:55` - What Happened with Swan Housing & Taking Back Control `02:08` - Chunking Down the Scheme: De-Risking Mega-Projects `03:09` - De-risking via Infrastructure: The £20M Highways Intervention `05:46` - New Phasing: Starting with Underused Council Sites `07:15` - Connectivity & Location: 9 Stations and Vibrant Communities `08:14` - Housing Mix: Build-to-Rent, Deep Retrofit & Extra Care `09:22` - Redefining Viability: Accounting for Wider Social & NHS Savings `11:00` - Funding Structures: HRA, Market Partners & Registered Providers `12:56` - Partner Appetite: Unlocking National & Local Delivery `14:16` - The Road to 2028: Key Decisions Facing the Council #southendonsea #regeneration #development