As an iconic seafront bandstand plagued by structural issues turns 100 today, question marks hang over its future.

We look at whether the building will ever be restored to its former glory, or just be “left to wither away”…

Herne Bay Bandstand opened in Central Parade on April 17, 1924.

A century on, residents and councillors are worried it will not last to see its 200th birthday, if refurbishment is not carried out urgently.

Owner Canterbury City Council (CCC) says the building needs “very expensive” structural work, but the money has run dry.

Nejmi and Hassan Hassan run their cafe and ice cream parlour Makcaris in one half of the building.

The other is understood to have been empty for at least four years, last occupied by an Indian restaurant.

Nejmi told KentOnline: “It’s historic. I'd say there are three things on Herne Bay seafront that really make it what it is.

“Those are the clock tower, the bandstand - because it’s iconic - and the Ship Inn, which is the oldest business on that strip.

“You open historic books, you search on the internet, and everything comes back to the bandstand.

“So it’s a huge shame that half of it is empty and not being used.”

His brother Hassan added: “It’s been forgotten about like the rest of Herne Bay. It's been left to just wither away.

“And if the council has no money what will they do? What’s going to happen to it?

“They will just leave it to become dilapidated; in which case it probably won't last another 25 years, let alone 100 years.”

The Hassans took over the unit to the right of the building in 2009.

They say they would like to see the left side used, whether by themselves or a neighbour.

Part of the bandstand’s charm is a stage, where free music events have been held - some funded by the brothers - in the past.

However, the platform has reportedly contracted ‘concrete cancer’, making it unsafe to use.

The construction term describes steel reinforcement within a concrete slab beginning to rust.

Resident Stephen Brazer has lived in Herne Bay for 58 years, and remembers the building in its heyday.

He said: “As I was growing up, it was a little bit rundown.

“It used to be a tourist information centre there many years ago.

“Then they had the lottery grant, which put a new roof on it and painted it up and it looked nice. It's not an eyesore.”

The 64-year-old would like to see the empty space filled up.

“I'd love to see a cocktail bar there,” he said.

“It's a very, very important part of Herne Bay, almost as important as the clock tower.

“It's very old and it's our heritage, really.”

Last year, the town lost out on £13 million of Levelling Up Funding.

The plans to “transform Herne Bay’s seafront” - the official title of the council’s £128,000 application - were rejected in round three of bidding.

This money would have gone towards regenerating the bandstand and making King’s Hall a “landmark music centre”, the city council said at the time.

But opposition Canterbury city councillor Liz Harvey says if the local authority does not have the cash, it should find it.

The Conservative explained: “Many people in the town would be really, really upset if the bandstand was allowed to get any further into ruin.

“They should be looking at all government grants and any funding that's available.”

The town resident of 25 years says the structure is “as important as anything else” on the seafront.

“I have come here since I was a little girl, about 50 years ago, with my family and the bandstand has always been just a really happy, joyful place to visit.

“It's been there for so long and everybody knows it.

“I think it's a shame that it has been allowed to deteriorate.

“We can't allow that beautiful piece of architecture to disappear.

“There's no way that building will last another 100 years.

“It may only be part of it that's got the problem, but the rest will deteriorate if it's not fixed.

“The council needs to make it a priority.”

Cllr Harvey claims if her party had not lost its majority at the last election finding funding to refurbish the bandstand would have been a priority.

CCC spokesman Robert Davies noted that the failure of the levelling up bid was “very disappointing”.

He added: “Restoration work at Herne Bay bandstand was one of the key projects in our bid.

“We do want to bring the empty second retail unit back into use as soon as we can and are looking at the work that is needed for this and how it can be paid for at the moment.

“We hope to have news on a possible timescale for this in due course.

“However, regrettably, the bandstand requires extensive structural work to be able to bring the whole site, including the event space and stage, back into use.

“This will be very expensive and there is no money available for this at the current time.

“But, we are ready and committed to applying to future government funding streams that would contribute to the levelling up of Herne Bay, as well as drawing up plans for cabinet to consider in due course on other opportunities for Herne Bay in the short, medium and longer term.”

Herne Bay bandstand has a rich history, and has gone through various changes in the last century.

Margaret Burns, of Herne Bay Historical Society, explained: “It started as a collecting place with a flagpole, where people would sit and listen to live music.

“This was during the Edwardian period, when there was a boom of visitors.

“So there was this sort of area where military bands played.

“The council at the time thought rather than have these people just sit around, let's build a bandstand.”

The original design stuck out into the sea, but coastal changes have meant sand and shingle have stacked up right underneath the overhang.

The 83-year-old historian continued: “The bandstand was built in two stages.

“The first stage was in 1924. It was originally just a semicircle, then in 1930 they enclosed the whole thing.”

In the 1990s, lottery funding was awarded to rejuvenate the structure.

“The state that it was in then was not quite as bad as it is now, but it was a lot of money spent.

“Of course nothing has really been spent on it since 1996.”

A free event to celebrate the bandstand's 100th birthday is being held on April 27.

Running from 11am until 3pm, it will have a 1920s theme, with flapper dancers and a jazz singer.