Other Eastbourne landmark buildings need serious attention

From: Brian HigginsDarley Road, Eastbourne
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On last week’s Herald rightly draws attention to the steadily deteriorating state of the Bandstand and seafront shelters, but an examination of other council-owned buildings reveals a similar story.

To restore these buildings will require significant expenditure, and it is doubtful whether the council can add additional borrowing to its already crippling debt, as a recent bailout emphasised.

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The plan, started in Ron Cussons’ time, to lease seafront shelters to cafes and coffee shops etc. has proved a success, and provided lease conditions are maintained will continue.

Eastbourne bandstand SUS-200916-130538001Eastbourne bandstand SUS-200916-130538001
Eastbourne bandstand SUS-200916-130538001

The situation with the Wish Tower Café was different, a long lease having been granted to the occupant many years before its closure, and no rigorous enforcement of the lease conditions was carried out over the years, so that when the Conservatives were in control there was little choice but to end the lease and close the café, due to the poor state of repair of the building.

It has now been successfully transformed with the investment made by Bistrot Pierre.

Painful choices or radical solutions will be needed if all or only some of the buildings can be saved or restored.

There is an asset register of council buildings etc. and this will now need careful examination and decisions made.