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 located 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 seaside area is a nature reserve at Two Tree Island and a centrally located beach close to Bell Wharf. Leigh's foreshore is primarily seen 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 transformed into a commercial parade of shopfronts. In the 1930s, London Road and Leigh Road equally became recognised as commercial streets, holding shops, workshops, commercial premises, and entertainment areas. As a result of the dominance of 24 hour grocery stores and online shopping from the 1990s, much of the town's independent firms went through redevelopment, with bars, cafés, eateries, galleries and gift shops replacing the majority of the traditional stores. Continuing city regeneration continues to entice brand-new residents to the town, along with wanting to accommodate for the boost in Southend's increased population. With a population of over 20000, Leigh was classed 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 activities. A variety 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 certain to make use of respected professionals in Leigh-on-Sea to make certain of quality.