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 district. The town is situated on the northern side of the Thames estuary, being only several miles from the open waters of the North Sea and from the Kent coast. Featuring on the town's coastal area is a nature reserve at Two Tree Island and a centrally located beach near Bell Wharf. Leigh's foreshore is mainly viewed as being an area with considerable mud flats and creeks when the water is at low tide. Between the 1870s and the 1920s, Broadway, formerly a residential street, was transformed into a commercial parade of shopfronts. In the 1930s, London Road and Leigh Road equally became recognised as commercial roads, holding outlets, workshops, commercial facilities, and amusement areas. As a result of the prominence of 24 hour supermarkets and online shopping from the 1990s, a number of the town's independent businesses went through redevelopment, with bars, cafés, restaurants, galleries and gift stores substituting some of the traditional shops. Ongoing urban regeneration continues to appeal to new locals to the town, alongside aiming to accommodate for the boost in Southend's increased population. With a population of over 20000, Leigh was listed 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 very good access to sports and arts ventures. A range of community celebrations are well established, such as the Leigh Regatta, happening over one September weekend, the Leigh Folk Festival and the Leigh Art Trail. For all your home upgrades, make sure to make use of credible specialists in Leigh-on-Sea to make certain of quality.