THE old Kursaal “pleasure palace” on Southend seafront has ranked among the most "endangered" Victorian buildings in the UK desperately “in need of rescue”.

The Victorian Society, a charity dedicated to protecting Victorian and Edwardian Heritage, has named the seafront landmark among the most “endangered” in its annual list.

The Grade II listed building on Southend seafront dates back to 1901 but now stands almost totally empty, aside form a Tesco Express on the ground floor.

London-based property group AEW has a 200-year lease on the building from Southend Council - which owns the freehold.

Despite growing calls for it to be built back into use, there has been little action apart from minor repair work.

Matt Dent, Southend councillor responsible for culture, tourism, and business in the new Labour-led administration said the focus needs to be “the council trying to get the lease back”.

Mr Dent, who represents Kursaal ward on Southend Council, said: “I appreciate the Victorian Society putting spotlight on it.

“It is a great shame to me and rest of city that the Kursaal is on this list. I have said for a long time, we need to make sure we are saving this piece of Southend heritage.

“The state it is in at the moment, sitting empty, minimum if any maintenance being carried out, it is a disgrace. As part of the new administration, we will be looking at doing something, which is dear to my heart.

“I hope being part of this spurs many on in getting a solution. I said before, I would be just as happy with the current leaseholders making an effort with maintenance and re-opening it. But in my opinion, I don’t think they are interested as the leaseholder hasn’t kept up with the maintenance. So, we need to hold them to that, with the general focus on the council trying to get lease back.

In response to the building being list as “in need of rescue”, a spokesman for AEW said: “Our team remains in constant dialogue with the Council with regards to The Kursaal and we continue to consider options for the site but are not in a position to provide a further update at this stage. In the meantime, our building surveyors recently visited the site and are preparing a scope of works to undertake repairs.”

Campaign group Concrete Culture launched a bid to see it brought back into use in 2021, with ideas including a music venue, indoor skate park or “modern town hall”.