A £10m bid to restore Southend's Palace Hotel to its former glory has been put on ice until the autumn.

Minor teething troubles were today blamed for the setback, though the driving force behind the project has vowed to start building work before the end of the year.

It was scheduled to begin earlier this month. Plans for the century-old hotel, revealed last year include:

An 80-bedroom, high-class hotel

A nightclub

Casino

Restaurants and new shops

A glazed atrium described as a modern version of the Winter Garden concept.

Brian Tanner, managing director of West Metropolitan Investments (Southend), said: "We are still moving forward and we hope to have some news soon."

It is understood, however, that the company has yet to find an operator for the hotel element of the proposals.

Meanwhile, ambitious plans to build a replica cruise liner on the old gasworks jetty on Southend seafront are moving ahead.

A major overhaul of the original blueprint has been launched and a new hotel could form part of the revised plans.

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