BUSINESSMAN Philip Miller has lambasted Southend Council’s policies for helping the town’s High Street.

Following a presentation yesterday, he said: “Southend Council need help - they rely too much on employing expensive ‘insultants’ that repeat back to them what they have told them they want.

“As it’s Christmas we have given Southend Borough Council gratis what we believe the town not only would want, but desperately needs.

“It is based around free two-hour parking on the side streets (about 100 spaces) taking away needless double yellow lines and opening up the High Street to cars once more.

“The reopening of the High Street and increasing free parking on to the side streets would not only help to relieve congestion about town but also reinvigorate trade re click and collect, it would also make it safer particularly after dark.

“It might stop the exodus of small traders too, and would certainly start attracting new businesses back in to town; it would soon become a big Leigh.

“We might even hang on to M&S and Debenhams.

“You could put rockets on the regeneration if the council offered business rate reductions simultaneously at least for the back streets.

“Southend Council will complain about loss of revenue, ignore it, I can very easily show them where to not only replace the supposed losses but actually increase the car park takings over and above any displacement.”

In September, Mr Miller joined other traders in condemning a “variable tariff” plan by the council which could set parking charges based on how popular a car park is on a particular day, meaning seafront car parks cost more, while outlying car parks could be much cheaper.

But James Courtenay, deputy leader of Southend Council, has warned scrapping the pedestrianised High Street could be "costly" and "dangerous".