URGENT work must be carried out to protect an historic “jewel in the crown of Southend” from the risk of total closure over fears of a cliff slippage, a community group has said. 

Southend Cliff Gardens, opposite from the Genting Casino and across from the Cliff Lift, have faced issues in the past year with slippage forcing footpaths to be closed to the public.

The Milton Society, which aims to preserve the heritage of Westcliff, have launched a petition to call on Southend Council to work out a short-term maintenance and long-term strategy.

This follows the council’s £1.4 million stabilisation work to the Leigh cliffs to stop their collapse, utilising road resurfacing and rock filled baskets to support the cliffs.

Barriers - An example barrier at the gardens Barriers - An example barrier at the gardens (Image: Milton Society)

Southend councillor responsible for environment and waste, Lydia Hyde, has said the council will look to tackle issues with slippage and reopen the gardens using lessons learnt from Leigh.

Milton Society chair, Andy Atkinson, said: “This is difficult to deal with and we want it addressed, it is getting critical, and we are seeing barriers where the public cannot go, we think it is time something is done.

“We have the history there and we want to see something done, we want the public behind the campaign and then hopefully the council can act and start to get something in place.”

A major landslip on the same part of the cliffs in 2002 destroyed a café and restaurant as well as the bandstand, which was later moved to Priory Park.  Andy added of nine green flag awards awarded to Southend’s parks for their high-standard, the Cliff Gardens were not included.

He said: “If we do nothing, large swathes of the garden will be out of use and large patches of the cliffs will grow wild, which is what is happening in large areas now.”

Ms Hyde said: “What we want to do with the gardens is reopen it fully and get it to best use, I think the slippage aspects have led to and ended up with neglect.

“We have experience dealing with this at Leigh, so we’ve reapplied lessons from that to sort the Cliff Gardens. It is important for the Milton Society but important for the seafront to get that jewel in the crown of Southend back.”

Visit change.org/p/save-our-cliffs-in-southend-on-sea.