BUSINESSMAN Richard Shea has announced he is ditching plans to open a children’s entertainment centre at the New Empire Theatre.

But the theatre owner says he still hopes to go ahead with a similar plan on a site close to Southend High Street.

Mr Shea’s company, Shea Properties, put forward proposals to use the former New Empire Theatre in Alexandra Street, as a children’s entertainment centre.

The New Empire closed last year after ten years as an inpedendent theatre, following a dispute with Shea Properties over the rent.

Mr Shea has now put the building, which dates from 1896 but has been extensively altered, on the market. Offers in the region of £1.15million are being invited for the prime town centre site.

He said: “I have no intention of abandoning the idea of a children’s centre where they can have fun in the centre of the town. However, the costs at the New Empire building would be massive, and it would be hard to justify the expenditure.

“There would have been a lot of problems with conversion of the building into what I wanted to do, particularly with the electrical system, fire escapes and other considerations.

“It would be a lot less costly to provide what we need in a more modern building which would still be within a couple of minutes walk of the High Street.

“There is not a great deal more I can say at the moment, because negotiations are still going on about somewhere which would be suitable.”

He added: “I believe the state-of-the art place for children would be another boost for tourism in the town, especially near the other other amusements on the seafront.”

The theatre originally opened in 1896 as the Empire Theatre but for many years ran as a cinema, first as the Rivoli and later the ABC.

After the twin-screen ABC cinema closed in 1997, Mr Shea bought it and leased the building to the New Empire Theatre company.