A HISTORIC shelter on Southend seafront cliffs which was hit by arsonists is set to be restored to its former glory.

The Grade II shelter, on Clifftown Parade overlooking the estuary, was targeted by firebugs last year and has stood as an eyesore ever since.

Southend Council has now submitted an application to renovate the shelter situated near a war memorial designed by Edward Lutyens and the landmark statue of Queen Victoria which are also both listed structures.

The timber and cast iron structure will be re-glazed and its damaged wooden seating replaced.

Filigree ironwork will be removed and stripped before being placed back into the structure.

In its application, the council said: “The works proposed aim to restore a Grade II listed shelter from fire damage and vandalism which have ruined its historic integrity and complement the surrounding area, in particular the Clifftown Conservation Area.

“The aim of the proposal is the future retention of the property and enjoyment that the shelter provides to local residents and visitors to Southend.

“In our opinion the proposals reflect the historic character of the shelter and the surrounding area.”

The historic structures have long been targeted by vandals, in particular the statue of Queen Victoria pointing out to sea, which is regularly missing her finger.

Milton ward councillor Cheryl Nevin welcomed the work.

She said: “It is good to see the application go in. It will go through the due process to development control but hopefully it will clear up what is currently not a very nice view. The Queen Victoria statue is still suffering damage despite work on it.

“The shelter was damaged some time last year. It is not far from the cliff lift so we will welcome the improvement so long as it is done properly.”

The Queen Victoria statue was built by one of the finest sculptors of his time and carved out of the same type of marble used to create the Pantheon, Trajan’s Column and even Michaelangelo’s immortal David.

The day the Queen Victoria statue was officially unveiled on Pier Hill was a historic one for the town - in fact ‘half of Southend’ turned out to watch as VIP guest, Lady Rayleigh (Evelyn Georgiana Mary Balfour), do the honours.

It was May 24, 1898 – Queen’s Victoria’s 79th birthday.

Each time the statue has been damaged it has cost the council in the region of £3,000 to repair and the authority has fought an ongoing battle to protect the historic structures from mindless vandals.

The First World War memorial was originally designed by Lutyens based on the Cenotaph on Whitehall in London.

The memorial was unveiled by Lord Lambourne, the Lord Lieutenant of Essex and dedicated by the Bishop of Colchester on 27 November 1921. It was designated a Grade II listed building in 1974 and upgraded to Grade II* in 2015, when Lutyens’ memorials were recognised as a national collection.

The council has fought an ongoing battle to protect the historic structures from mindless vandals.