Corsica Hall's mystery buyer

NEWLANDS School has failed in its bid to buy Seaford's Corsica Hall.

The hall's owner, East Sussex County Council, confirmed this week a deal had been struck with a rival bidder. It refused to say who the historic seafront building had been sold to or what it would be used for, citing on-going negotiations as the reason.

The handover is due to take place on June 1.

Newlands headmaster Oliver Price was told his offer had been unsuccessful by the Sussex Express. He was angry he had not heard from the council directly.

He said: 'It is a major tragedy for the town. I will be interested to see how the council proposes to provide the facilities the town needs and deserves if it is not through a public-private partnership.

'It seems a great shame they have not had the good manners to tell us what they intend to do.'

Since the sale was announced there have been fears in Seaford that developers would buy the site for housing. It is estimated to be worth up to 2 million.

Newlands planned to use the hall to house 60 boarding students and create facilities for performance arts and ecological studies pupils. Community groups would have been able to use its amenities and a caf would have been created.

The county council decided to sell the Grade II listed building because it was 'surplus to requirements' and under used.

For more than three years community group Seaford Wide campaigned for the building to be revamped with swimming pool, conference facilities and accommodation for students on residential courses.

Its chairman, Jon Freeman, said: 'The sad thing is that it is an asset and piece of Seaford's heritage which will be lost and there will be no direct benefit to the people of Seaford.'

All cash from the sale of Corsica Hall will go into a central county council pot and will not be specifically used in Seaford.

Leader of the county council Peter Jones said: 'I have absolutely no qualms about selling the building and freeing up money which could pay for a new school or social services.'