THE Covid-19 pandemic has prompted further delays to the major rebuild of a family-run seafront restaurant - leaving bosses uncertain when work will begin.

Plans for the Fisherman’s Wharf restaurant rebuild have been in progress for at least five years.

Bosses were on track to restart work at Easter - but the coronavirus outbreak triggered a delay.

Now the family behind the restaurant are unsure when work will start again. 

Joanne Potton, company director, said the team cannot wait to get the rebuild completed and welcome back customers.

She said: “We had the finance set up again after Christmas ready to restart at Easter and then the coronavirus hit and our finance company have put it on hold until the market stabilises. 

“We don’t want to be in this position and we are very keen to get the project moving as soon as possible.

“We are obviously very keen to reopen, it’s our family business. 

“Our hands are currently tied due to the situation the country is in at the moment which is frustrating. 

“We are still doing everything we can to move forward with the project as soon as we can.”

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Work began on the site of the restaurant in Western Esplanade back in 2018 - three years after it was granted planning permission by Southend Council.

The old restaurant was demolished, with its glass frontage, to make way for a new one on the cliffs site, opposite Adventure Island.

At the time, owner Terry Tibble promised the restaurant would return to continue “specialising in fish that is freshly prepared and served for all the family”.

The Fisherman’s Wharf was opened in 1986.