Southend Borough Council (SBC) has announced that plans to build a new combined museum and art gallery in the Essex town have received the unanimous support of local residents.

An extensive consultation was held by the council regarding the proposals, which would see a new venue established in the Cliff Gardens area, housing historic and artistic artefacts from Southend's history. The council will now consider the results of the consultation, which revealed a desire to see the Saxon King finds returned to the borough, at its cabinet meeting on 17 March.

SBC executive councillor for culture, Derek Jarvis, said: "This shows how much it means to people, to preserve and display our unique heritage for current and future generations. The fact that so many supported the plans means we can now progress this scheme with all speed. "The next stages include exploring funding routes with the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund, and researching the best ways for us to be able to display the Saxon King exhibits."