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 side of the Thames estuary, being merely 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 located beach near Bell Wharf. Leigh's foreshore is mostly viewed as being an area with significant mud flats and creeks when the water is at low tide. Between the 1870s and the 1920s, Broadway, previously a residential street, was changed into a commercial parade of shopfronts. In the 1930s, London Road and Leigh Road similarly ended up being identified as commercial streets, holding outlets, workshops, industrial premises, and entertainment areas. As a result of the prominence of 24 Hr grocery stores and online shopping from the 1990s, much of the town's independent businesses undertook redevelopment, with bars, cafés, eateries, galleries and gift stores replacing the majority of the traditional shops. Continuing city regeneration continues to entice brand-new citizens to the town, alongside intending to accommodate for the rise 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 place 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 ventures. A range of community celebrations are well established, such as the Leigh Regatta, occurring over one September weekend, the Leigh Folk Festival and the Leigh Art Trail. For all your home upgrades, make sure to make use of reliable professionals in Leigh-on-Sea to make certain of quality.