SOUTHEND Pier will be "in new hands" within a year if the Liberal Democrats take control of the council next month.

Lib Dem group leader Graham Longley said the Tories had failed to keep their promise to make the redevelopment of the pier their priority.

He said the administration's recent admission it could not fund crucial design work for the pier for next three years was a "disgrace".

Mr Longley said: "Each year, the Conservatives have promised to do something with the pier.

"They have spent money on consultants, held development competitions and selected preferred status developers who have been shown to have no track record and failed, wasting year after year to put the pier back on course.

"The Tories have successfully redecked the far end and were unfortunate in facing another fire, but they have failed to keep their promise to find operators to run it, ignoring local entrepreneurs who could do the job."

Mr Longley pledged to have the landmark in the hands of private operators within a year if his party were to win control of the council in May.

But he added: "Even if this was not possible, then money would be made available immediately and not in three years' time."

Council leader Nigel Holdcroft dismissed Mr Longley's comments as "election talk". He said: "We are advancing plans for the pier in a sensible manner, in line with the maritime theme which was agreed at the consultation.

"In the next year, we will continue to advance the programme for the pier and I would hope in 12 months' time we have found a suitable partner in the private sector."

Two local entrepreneurs who have previously applied for permission to run the pier said they would still be interested if given the chance.

Tony Garner, of Epic World Leisure, was granted outline approval in the late Nineties by the former Lib Dem and Labour administration for the Swine rollercoaster at the pierhead, before its details were later rejected by the Tories.

Mr Garner, from Thorpe Bay, has since produced several more comprehensive proposals for the pier as a whole. He said: "We are still progressing our plans and we hope the council will now listen to us so we can go forward together."

Philip Miller, boss of the Adventure Island theme park, said he would be happy to do "any deal which protected my own interests".

He added: "As a true Southend boy, I would love to be involved in the pier and work in partnership with the council. It would have to be with the council continuing to have the responsibility for maintaining the pier and the infrastructure.

"Personally, I have always worked well with Graham Longley and I would be happy to work with him again, should the Liberal Democrats come back to power."