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 just 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 situated beach near Bell Wharf. Leigh's foreshore is primarily 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 transformed into a commercial parade of shopfronts. In the 1930s, London Road and Leigh Road equally ended up being recognised as commercial streets, holding shops, workshops, industrial properties, and entertainment areas. As a result of the dominance of 24 hour supermarkets and online shopping from the 1990s, a number of the town's independent small business undertook redevelopment, with bars, cafés, eateries, galleries and gift stores replacing the majority of the traditional stores. Continuous urban regeneration continues to appeal to brand-new locals to the town, in addition to planning 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 area to live in Great Britain, with attention being drawn to the strong community spirit, a sense of belonging, and good access to sports and arts ventures. A variety of community events are well established, such as the Leigh Regatta, happening over one September weekend, the Leigh Folk Festival and the Leigh Art Trail. For all of your home upgrades, make certain to make use of respected specialists in Leigh-on-Sea to make certain of quality.