Eastbourne bandstand closure is poor management

The latest news that the Bandstand is to be closed temporarily (?) is the latest in a saga of total mismanagement by the Liberal Democrat controlled Council since they won overall control in 2007.

They allowed the Wish Tower Restaurant to fall into disrepair and demolished it despite the fact that it was a gift to the people of Eastbourne from the Foyle family to remember those that died in WW2.

Two local businessmen applied to take on the lease and do all the necessary remedial work themselves but the council would only give them a short lease which would not allow them to recover their costs.

The council demolished it and built a modern restaurant which is now leased out and is a French bistro. Nothing against the present tenants but it is hardly a memorial as originally pledged by the Foyle family.

They then decided to develop the Devonshire Park Tennis and Theatre complex with an initial budget of £44m. The latest costs are over £58m with an estimated £4.5 m to complete. An overspend of over £18m.

If in my career I had overspent by 42 per cent I would have been sacked due to gross mismanagement.

However this council carries on and even had to apply for a loan of £12m from the Government to stop going into receivership and keep them in power.

This is only a loan and all the ratepayers of Eastbourne will have to contribute to its repayment via higher rates.

Now they are closing the Bandstand for at least this year due to allowing it to fall into disrepair. The bandstand and events held there are a major attraction to tourists as well as residents and is another nail in the coffin for Eastbourne.

More letters:

Come on council, come clean on plans for Eastbourne bandstand!

We’re not so lucky with potholes in Meads!

Please protect important, historic part of Eastbourne