Residents say they ‘deserve better’
16:00, 25 Mar 2026Updated 11:46, 26 Mar 2026
(Image: Southend on Sea City Council)
Southend residents have said they ‘deserve better’ as they slammed the new Monopoly Board on the city ‘missing iconic landmarks’. More than 30 Southend-on-Sea landmarks and organisations feature on the board, which was released on March 19.
Some iconic spots that feature include Southend Pier, The Palace Theatre, the Cliff Lift, Cliffs Pavilion, the central museum and planetarium and lots more of the city’s ‘A-List’ landmarks and organisations. The four train stations from the classic London MONOPOLY take on a local twist too.
They become a travel set and include the Airport, as well as Southend train station. When the launch of the board was announced last summer, it was said that the board would be ‘themed around tourism, heritage, shopping, entertainment, leisure, business and education’.
However, some locals and businesses have shared their disappointment that some major landmarks have been left out. While local charities and landmarks have been included, there have been claims that some of the organisations on the board have paid to have been featured.
Leader of Southend-on-Sea City Council Daniel Cowan shared: “We’ve seen plenty of debate about which Southend favourites made it onto the MONOPOLY board — and which didn’t — and that really speaks volumes about our city. The reality is, Southend is packed with iconic landmarks, hidden gems and community treasures. There are simply more fantastic places than could ever fit on one board.
“The selection has been shaped through the official process and public input, and what it reflects is a snapshot — not the full picture — of everything Southend has to offer. If anything, the conversation shows just how much pride people have in their part of the city. And that’s something worth celebrating.”
The board has included Thorpe Hall School and the Echo newspaper – but iconic Southend spots like Rossi and Adventure Island have failed to appear on the board. EssexLive asked Philip Miller, executive chairman of Stockvale (which includes Adventure Island) why the theme park was not included.
He said: “We just looked at the offer as a pure marketing exercise and not that cheap!” Other businesses and locals have shared their disappointment at some iconic features of Southend not being included.
‘Southend deserves better representation than this’
Lee Clark, Southend Confelicity Party Kursaal Ward(Image: Lee Clark)
Lee Clark, Confelicity candidate for the Kursaal Ward, shared: “I was personally led to believe that major Southend landmarks would be featured on the board. I didn’t for a second imagine there would be costs involved to appear on it. So when I see things like estate agents and private schools listed as “landmarks”, that’s when the penny dropped… or should I say, the £1000s dropped.
“It’s hard not to feel like this should be renamed the advertising Monopoly board of Southend, because it simply isn’t a true reflection of our town. There are so many genuine landmarks and community assets that people would expect to see, yet they’re missing. And it now feels clear why. What’s also disappointing is that the costs involved don’t seem to have been made clear to the public from the start. Southend deserves better representation than this.”
‘It’s not a true representation of our beautifully wonky city of Southend’
Argosy Toys, an independent toy shop that’s been open for decades, said: “When I was 14 my parents bought the Argosy (!) and I started working there. One of my things was to always keep the traditional games in stock, even when Amazon started selling them less than my trade price. If anyone ever asks for Monopoly I always quip ‘of course we have, we’d get thrown out of the association of independent toy shops if we were ever caught not stocking Monopoly!’
“So imagine my interest when last year I heard there was going to be a Southend Monopoly. Naively I asked if my shop would be featured, being the oldest toy shop in the city, let alone the county. No reply from Winning Moves so when their next round of emails came, I asked again. No reply. Then a few months ago I’m shown the image of what was going to be on the board. Seeing the selections I phoned Winning Moves only to be given a vague answer of ‘it’s down to a panel of judges etc.’
“No mention of cash. Then I noticed something I didn’t want to. Most of the spaces are paid for by the places shown. Thousands of pounds too. So in fact it’s not a true representation of our beautifully wonky city of Southend, but a compilation of adverts of the richest businesses of the towns. Added to that, they’ve got the nerve to set the retail price at £35.”
‘The iconic Monopoly board is a moment of real pride for our city’
Despite some criticism, some businesses, landmarks and people have shared nothing but praise for the new Monopoly board. Leader of Southend-on-Sea City Council Daniel Cowan added: “Seeing Southend’s incredible landmarks, hardworking charities, and much-loved independents celebrated on the iconic MONOPOLY board is a moment of real pride for our city.
Daniel Cowan, leader of Southend-on-Sea City Council(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
“This edition captures the character, joy, history, creativity, and energy that make our home such a vibrant place to live, work, and visit. I can’t wait for residents, MONOPOLY fans, and yes, me included, to open the box and see our story come to life square by square.”
Katie Southgate, founder and CEO of Gold Geese, which featured on the board, said: “We’re a tiny local charity so we’re over the moon to make it on to the iconic Southend Monopoly board! We’re excited to share the game with the families we support.”
Emma Dadswell from Toys ‘N Tuck said: “As an independent family business that has stood the test of time for 34 years now, we are so honoured and excited to be a part of the board as a reflection of our lovely loyal community here in Southend! We have been taking lots of pre-orders and have been counting down the days to the big launch day.”
Southend-on-Sea City Council said: “We were not involved in the commercial or selection processes behind the MONOPOLY: Southend‑on‑Sea Edition. The game has been produced entirely by Winning Moves UK under licence from Hasbro, and all decisions regarding the board’s content and any commercial arrangements were made by Winning Moves alone.”
Winning Moves have been contacted for comment.
