How can we safeguard our Kursaal’s future?

The Rowallan Group spent millions painstakingly renovating the ageing seafront icon, retaining the famous dome.

New museum? - the Kursaal

The Rendezvous Casino and McDonald’s were tenants in addition to a banqueting suite and a bowling alley.

It was an important step towards protecting the landmark but many would argue that the magic never actually returned.

It certainly never regained the magic from its heyday as one of the foremost amusement parks in the country.

Now, in 2019, the future is looking uncertain for the Kursaal, which has spent large parts of the year with its doors closed.

So what should be done to preserve it?

A museum to house the Prittlewell Prince artefacts and those brought up from the wreck of The London warship near the pier are suggestions.

One of the town’s leading businessmen has fond memories of the Kursaal.

Adventure Island owner, Philip Miller, said: “The original Kursaal, as a 36-acre amusement park, was one of the finest entertainment centres of its kind in its day anywhere in the world.

“It was a place of wonder where I was taught my trade by my Dad, other kids went to school, I went to the Kursaal and loved it.

“The dome and facade are the only original bits left from the old days and should be preserved.”

Mr Miller, who has made a huge success of his own businesses in Southend, was asked what he would do with the landmark.

He said: “Well there are many things that might work with the right kind of hands-on management. Trouble is, the business rates are around £3,000 a week, so I understand that means you will have to come up with one or more ideas that will bring in turnover of at least £1.5m/£2m net to try to make sense of any investment that would be needed.

“You also have the threat of the Seaway development that would frighten off any potential investors, including me.”

Mr Miller cautiously supported the idea of a museum.

He said: “I quite liked the suggestion of turning it into the town’s museum with all of the wonderful items spread around town all under one roof.

“It wouldn’t make money but museums and suchlike rarely do, but that way the council can at least negate their own rates bill perhaps.

“Another use might be to turn it into a budget hotel; with the Rendezvous Casino an all-year-round attraction already in situ it might be something that might have interest for them to invest?”

The Saxon King in Priory Park group, which campaigned for the artefacts to be stored in a new Priory Park museum, said: “The Kursaal ideally should remain as an entertainment venue in some form. Some people have suggested that the building could be used as a museum. Skipp’s position on museums with particular regard to the grave of the Saxon King remains as it has always been. The Saxon Kings treasures should be housed in a Saxon Great Hall and Village experience in Priory Park as close to the grave site as possible.

“Ultimately whatever happens the fabric of the historic building must be protected.”

Museum fit for a Prince? 

THE gold-encrusted treasures from the tomb of the Prittlewell Prince may soon have a final home in Southend’s landmark Kursaal.

The new Labour, Independent and Lib Dem coalition, is set to look into the possibility of acquiring the leasehold of the building for a permanent home for the artefacts found in the Anglo-Saxon burial ground in Priory Crescent in 2003.

The artefacts, which are on display at the Central Museum in Victoria Avenue, were set to be the main attraction at a new £55million museum to be built on Southend seafront cliffs.

However, the scheme was suddenly dropped last year over rising costs.

With the future of the listed building in doubt after the bowling alley and leisure area of the Kursaal closed for the third time this year, ways of preserving its future have been mulled over

Ron Woodley, new deputy leader of the coalition, believes the Kursaal would be a fitting place for the royal remains and a tribute to former Echo editor, Jim Worsdale who died this year, who was the first to suggest it.

Mr Woodley said: “We’re looking at where we are in terms of the lease and the freehold. I think it would make a perfect museum for the iconic artefacts. It was first suggested some years ago by Jim Worsdale. It would be a nice legacy and memorial to him.

“We’re going to see what we can do to take it forward and we have to look at the cash situation but it would be far cheaper than the cliff museum. It would add to the seafront experience. ”

Kevin Robinson, Labour councillor responsible for business, culture and tourism, said: “The iconic nature and position of the Kursaal on the seafront, and its current situation, means it is understandably the subject of speculation and discussion. We believe that any intended use for the Kursaal must ensure it remains in the leisure and culture field.

“Some are suggesting that it could potentially become a site for a new museum. the new joint administration is aware of this and are interested to explore the viability of such an idea.”