Leigh-on-Sea is a civil parish in Essex. It is a district of Southend-on-Sea, with its own town council, and is at present the only civil parish within the borough. The town is set on the northern edge of the Thames estuary, being just a few miles from the open waters of the North Sea and from the Kent coast. Featuring on the town's seaside area is a nature reserve at Two Tree Island and a centrally set beach beside Bell Wharf. Leigh's foreshore is mostly seen as being an area with substantial mud flats and creeks when the water is at low tide. Between the 1870s and the 1920s, Broadway, formerly a residential street, was completely transformed into a commercial parade of shopfronts. In the 1930s, London Road and Leigh Road equally became identified as commercial streets, holding shops, workshops, industrial properties, and amusement areas. Due to the supremacy of 24 Hr grocery stores and online shopping from the 1990s, much of the town's independent businesses underwent redevelopment, with bars, cafés, eateries, galleries and gift shops replacing some of the traditional stores. On-going city regeneration continues to bring in brand-new citizens to the town, in addition to intending to accommodate for the boost in Southend's increased population. With a population of over 20000, Leigh was rated by Rightmove's 2016 Happy at Home Index as the happiest area to live in Great Britain, with attention being drawn to the strong community spirit, a sense of belonging, and great access to sports and arts activities. A range of community celebrations are well established, such as the Leigh Regatta, taking place over one September weekend, the Leigh Folk Festival and the Leigh Art Trail. For all your home upgrades, make certain to make use of credible contractors in Leigh-on-Sea to make certain of quality.