THE owner of Southend’s landmark Kursaal building was threatened with enforcement action and ordered to carry out urgent repairs, it has been revealed.

Owners AEW, a London-based property group, currently has a 250-year lease on the 123-year-old seafront building which currently is standing empty except for a small Tesco Express.

The firm has come under fire for “failing to maintain” the building and it has now been revealed the council wrote to bosses demanding the building is maintained and threatening enforcement action.

In response, AEW is working with the council’s listed building teams to carry out work on the grade II listed building – however it remains unclear what those improvements will include.

Council documents, ahead of a meeting last nighton Monday, also revealed the “extreme challenges” AEW face in attracting businesses, with the Kursaal not “meeting the requirements for modern leisure operators”.

Matt Dent, councillor for the Kursaal ward, said: “Any listed building needs to be maintained properly, particularly the Kursaal. It is a building of such significance and heritage to Southend.

“We are pleased that AEW are now responding and engaging with planning around repairs.

“But quite frankly, it should have happened a long time ago and should not have taken a letter reminding them of their obligations under the lease.

“I will continue to support enforcement action against them if they don’t get their act together.”

The Kursaal was ranked among the most “endangered” buildings in the UK, as part of an annual list by Victorian Society over concerns the “interior and exterior of the building not being properly maintained”.

Mr Dent said if AEW is unable to fulfil the vision of the building being used for leisure, the firm should consider surrendering the lease.

He adds: “I think we still need to be aiming towards the leisure area for its future, as that is where the heritage is.

“For me, I don’t feel like a great deal has been done to fulfil its potential. I do understand there are challenges, but there is much more that could be done to ensure the future of the Kursaal.”

A spokesman for AEW said: "We remain in constant dialogue with the Southend Council regarding the future of the Kursaal and are currently in discussions with a number of contractors who specialise in listed buildings, with a view to undertaking essential repairs in the near future."