Council in negotiations to save the Kursaal

Councillor Matt Dent would like the Kursaal opened up to arts groups

Planners in Southend are in negotiations with the leaseholders of the historic Kursaal building in the hope of bringing back into use.

Southend-on-Sea City Council owns the freehold of the land but London-based property group AEW has a 200-year lease on the building.

Under the terms of the lease, the company must maintain the condition of the building, but in recent years it has been left to deteriorate.

According to Matt Dent, Labour councillor for Kursaal ward, the company should fix up the building or give up the lease, in order for the council to start restoring it.

The Kursaal Amusement park was designed by George Sherrin in 1896 and completed in 1901.

Historic England described the building as the remnants of the original development from Southend's Edwardian boom period, which covered 26 acres and included a menagerie, music hall, funfair, 90 shops and 53 houses.

Its ballroom staged all sorts of events, including concerts by big name rock bands, including local heroes Dr Feelgood.

The council said the Grade II listed building remained "an important landmark".

"There are bits of the building that are not in great shape," says Councillor Matt Dent

Mr Dent took to Facebook, teasing residents with the suggestion that good news could be imminent.

"One of the big avenues the council has been pursing recently is the upkeep obligations," he said.

"There are bits of the building that are not in great shape because they have not done the maintenance they are obliged to."

Mr Dent added that the council had started receiving "some response" from AEW about the negotiations, which he believed was "promising", but nothing was "definite or certain."

The lack of maintenance could give the council grounds to nullify the lease.

The councillor, who said he would like the Kursaal opened up to arts groups, said: "It would require going to court.

"From my perspective, what I would say to the leaseholder is if you are not willing to spend the money to keep the building in the condition it should be in, then you need to surrender the lease back to the council so that we can."

AEW has been contacted by the LDRS for comment.