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 edge 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 seaside area is a nature reserve at Two Tree Island and a centrally positioned beach close to Bell Wharf. Leigh's foreshore is primarily 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, formerly a residential street, was converted into a commercial parade of shopfronts. In the 1930s, London Road and Leigh Road similarly became recognised as commercial streets, holding shops, workshops, commercial premises, and entertainment areas. Due to the dominance of 24 Hr grocery stores and online shopping from the 1990s, many of the town's independent companies underwent redevelopment, with bars, cafés, eateries, galleries and gift shops replacing most of the traditional stores. Continuing urban regeneration continues to catch the attention of new locals to the town, alongside aiming to accommodate for the growth 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 number of community activities 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 house upgrades, make certain to make use of credible professionals in Leigh-on-Sea to make certain of quality.