CAMPAIGNERS have won their battle to save an historic seafront pub from demolition.

The Stockvale Group has pulled out of plans to knock down the Britannia, in Eastern Esplanade, following a public backlash.

An application to replace the 200-year-old pub with flats and a fish and chip shop - which was submitted to Southend Council in August - has now been withdrawn.

Developers are instead set to look at converting the current building.

It comes a campaign was launched by historian Ian Yearsley to save the Britannia - with calls for the building to be restored.

The pub, which closed last March, dates back to the early 19th century, is in the Kursaal conservation area and is listed as a building of historic importance.

A spokesman for the Stockvale Group - which owns Adventure Island - said: “Following the extent of public concern regarding the application on the Britannia pub, we have withdrawn the current application and engaged a specialist conservation engineer, who we are working closely with to develop a new scheme to respond to the concerns raised by the local community.”

Marc Miller, from the Stockvale Group, previously told the Echo that demolition was the “only viable course of action” for the building due to its dilapidated state.

Mr Yearsley is celebrating his victory.

He said: “I believe a lot of people put in objections. It’s good to see that both the council and the developers have taken notice of public opinion.

“I’m very pleased to hear the application has been withdrawn as it shows that residents’ concerns have been taken seriously and that the council has recognised it’s an important historic building.

“I think a good next step is to work with the preservation trust, who have experience of historic buildings, to develop a new scheme.

“What made me get involved with this was the fear of losing a building which played an important part in the history of the town.

“The Britannia itself can be converted to a restaurant or the fish and chip shop that was proposed, maybe with flats above that. It’s got to be something to do with the tourist industry as it’s down the seafront.

“There is still plenty of room on the land behind the building for flats.”

Vernon Wilkinson, spokesman for The Essex County Preservation Trust, added: “While its good news, we must monitor this. We need the building to be integrated entirely into any new build for it to keep its historical significance. It needs to be unchanged.”