Eastbourne Bandstand: Petition debate U-turn

Campaign group Save Eastbourne Bandstand (SEB) is delighted its petition will be debated on Wednesday (May 18).

The petition, which has more than 2,300 signatures, calls for the structure to be restored and properly maintained. SEB wants the council to prioritise the immediate needs of the bandstand and set a planned maintenance budget for the attraction.

The petition was handed over to council leader David Tutt in April but it was thought it wouldn’t be discussed until July.

Full story: Petition handover

However, Eastbourne Borough Council will now discuss the petition this week.

Gaynor Sedgwick, chair of SEB, said, “We were really disappointed to hear initially that our petition to ensure that priority was given to the bandstand for appropriate grant-funding and regular maintenance was not going to be put on the council’s agenda until July.

“We, and the 2,300 people who signed the petition, think it’s really important to get the bandstand repaired and re-opened as soon as possible. We are really grateful that Councillor Robert Smart intervened and persuaded the council to take a U-turn. We thank him for his support.

“We hope the council agree that the bandstand is worth prioritising and saving for generations to come.”

Cllr Smart said, “The restoration of the bandstand is of crucial importance and is an urgent matter. Eastbourne Borough Council only has four full council meetings each year and it would have been shameful to delay consideration of this urgent democratic process."

Members of the public can attend the meeting on Wednesday at 6pm in Eastbourne Town Hall.

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