Shopping centre units which have lain empty for 16 years could be turned into a climbing wall.

Not-for-profit company IndiRock wants to turn four units in the Victoria shopping centre into a vibrant leisure facility in the town centre.

The outlet will also give youngsters a wide range of work experience to help them get into the job market.

The units, on the first floor walkway from the stairs leading from Victoria Station will be combined to make one unit if planning officers give the go ahead.

Emily Vermont, 32, from Leigh is behind the scheme, which she hopes will also breath new life into the boarded up units.

She said: “This is a social enterprise not-for-profit start up. It will be a climbing wall and coffee shop selling barista coffee and Hugo’s Pantry in Leigh will be supplying cakes and home-cooked goods.

“We’re focusing on creating an opportunity for people in Southend to get work experience in things like sports with the climbing wall, in front of house, behind the cafe and in back office work.”

Ms Vermont, who will run the outlet with partner Gordon Conroy, 43, added: “My background is with the charity Finding Rhythms, working in prisons but I got frustrated with the level I could help. Young people are leaving prisons and becoming homeless because they have no jobs.

“We think it will work as there is a small club building a wall in Basildon Sporting Village but the only other climbing walls are in Colchester or London.

“We have been speaking to the council and its hoped it will help get people back into that part of the town centre. We’ve had the opportunity to be on a retail estate and it’s still affordable.”

If it get the go ahead, the wall will be designed by a specialist carpenter

Any new attractions in the centre, which currently has a 26 per cent occupancy rate, are likely to be welcomed.

Dennis Baldry, manager of the Victoria said: “A planning application has gone in for change of use and should it go through it will be up to the landlord to decide what to do. At the moment it’s just change of use to see if it can happen.

“Across the UK property is changing in terms of what people want to do with it. It’s something happening organically nationally.

For updates, visit indirock.co.uk