Bandstand closure slammed as ‘atrocious’ and a ‘crying shame’

Eastbourne residents have raised further concerns over the temporary closure of the bandstand.
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Eastbourne residents have raised further concerns over the temporary closure of the bandstand.

On Thursday, February 17, residents, hoteliers and politicians attended a meeting at the Cumberland Hotel in Grand Parade to talk about the 2022 closure.

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At the meeting a spokesperson from the Eastbourne Society said, “There are a lot of hoteliers and people living down here who want that thing open.

Gaynor Sedgwick speaking at the bandstand meeting SUS-220222-095405001Gaynor Sedgwick speaking at the bandstand meeting SUS-220222-095405001
Gaynor Sedgwick speaking at the bandstand meeting SUS-220222-095405001

“What about Airbourne? Is it going to look like a construction site during Airbourne Eastbourne?

“That needs to be restored to its former glory. That has got to happen.

“As far as we are concerned, [in] Eastbourne the golden egg is this beautiful front.”

Eastbourne MP Caroline Ansell also attended the meeting.

Caroline Ansell speaking at the bandstand meeting SUS-220222-095343001Caroline Ansell speaking at the bandstand meeting SUS-220222-095343001
Caroline Ansell speaking at the bandstand meeting SUS-220222-095343001
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Mrs Ansell said the bandstand is not only important to the local tourism industry, but to residents as well.

Mrs Ansell said, “It is probably going to be the biggest, most significant project around sea defences in the United Kingdom.

“The bandstand has needed remedial work and restoration for many, many years.

Kshama Shore OBE speaking at the bandstand meeting SUS-220222-095443001Kshama Shore OBE speaking at the bandstand meeting SUS-220222-095443001
Kshama Shore OBE speaking at the bandstand meeting SUS-220222-095443001
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“I sat on the council back in 2019 and I was the chair of the scrutiny committee and the bandstand was flagging red then.

“The EA may be a reason now why certain plans and projects have to be considered in light of the potential works to come, but the bandstand is closed and that is just a crying shame and it should have never have come to this.”

{https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/business/millions-need-to-be-spent-on-popular-eastbourne-landmark-2445056

Mrs Ansell said, “At the time the work was scoped, there was talk of around £3 million being dedicated.

Gaynor Sedgwick speaking at the bandstand meeting SUS-220222-095432001Gaynor Sedgwick speaking at the bandstand meeting SUS-220222-095432001
Gaynor Sedgwick speaking at the bandstand meeting SUS-220222-095432001
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“That was just phase one. You were looking then at around £8 million, and of course with all the years that have passed and construction inflation, we are probably now more at 10-12 [million]. So it is getting ever-more out of reach, [and it] is one of my concerns.

“Our council was one of five that required a government bailout and the council will say that their tourism income has been hit, and it has, it most certainly has, there is no one here who is going to contest that, but there are many tourist towns around the coast and they are not in the same fragile, vulnerable financial position as we are.

“The bandstand is closed. We are going to have a silent summer season.

“I’m told that the 750 [thousand] should ensure that the bandstand will open next year to a limited audience. The hope is that the limited audience will be around 70-80 per cent capacity and [so] that can run for two-three years which gives them the headroom to weave in plans with the EA work.”

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Mrs Ansell said the EA is ‘very conscious’ of the level of community interest in the bandstand as well as its ‘heritage significance’.

In a statement from the EA, a spokesperson said the bandstand probably sits at the flood defence level of the existing shingle beach, which means it is currently at flood risk during a significant coastal storm.

The EA spokesperson said, “With the final business case submitted for the Pevensey Bay to Eastbourne coastal management scheme in 2025, this is the earliest possible date that any new construction activities can start and until then our flood works will continue under the current contract.”

The MP also raised the question of if the bandstand should be EBC’s responsibility.

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Mrs Ansell said, “I have asked the question whether a bandstand of such significance, national significance in actual fact, should it be within the purview of a local council?

“Should a beautiful bandstand such as ours here, should that not be recognised nationally?

“I do think it has really such great significance and it is so important to safeguard for the future.”

At the meeting, which had an ‘overwhelming’ turnout, chairwoman of the Save Our Bandstand action group Gaynor Sedgwick raised her concerns.

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The chairwoman said, “We are fed up of the council just sticking plasters on the bandstand.”

Eastbourne Hospitality Association secretary Yvette Cowderoy also spoke about how important the bandstand is for the industry.

She said, “The bandstand is really important, not only to tourists, which obviously I am invested in, but also residents.

“We get an awful lot of guests come through the door year in, year out, coming to see the bands that play on the bandstand.

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“It is really quite short-sighted, from a personal point of view, that it is being shut this season.

“We just can’t wait. We need action now as much as we possibly can to be able to open for the summer season.”

Save Our Bandstand said its priority at the moment is asking the council to ‘step up and look after its asset’.

Ms Sedgwick said, “It’s a council asset and the council has neglected it, not just for the last one or two years, they have neglected it for many, many years and they need to start making the bandstand their priority, not other areas in the town.”

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Further concerns for the hospitality industry were raised by residents.

Eastbourne resident Anthony Patterson said, “We live quite close to the bandstand and throughout last summer we saw an awful lot of people going to concerts at the bandstand, all different ages.

“We went to a number of concerts ourselves and it seemed to me what a great asset it is for the town and encouragement for people who come here on holiday to have somewhere to go in the evening.

“The hope is with hoteliers etcetera in Eastbourne is that 2022 will be a good year for people coming on staycation to Eastbourne.

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“What are all these people going to be thinking of doing in the evening now there is no bandstand there?”

The Eastbourne resident asked if an alternative would be provided while the bandstand is closed.

Ms Sedgwick, who owns a B&B on the seafront, also spoke about the potential impact on the hospitality sector.

She said, “We know people book into our hotels and B&Bs and they enjoy coming to Eastbourne, but they book in based on what is on at the bandstand.

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“That is what they come for and then they use the town. They go to the restaurants and the cafes, they have a meal in the evening, they go for a drink, they pop down to the shop, they walk along the seafront.

“It is all economy into the town that has been completely lost.

“It is so short-sighted to close down something that was running so successfully, that was making money for the council, that was making money for the economy of the town.

“They seem to have shot themselves in the foot by actually closing it down.”

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At the meeting another resident questioned if the council is ‘embarrassed’ about the town’s Victorian heritage.

Paul Cookson said, “Do they see it as a bit old-fashioned to concentrate on that sort of thing? And are they trying too much to bring Eastbourne up to modern standards?

“Certainly there are bits of Eastbourne that need modernising, we need modern attractions, but it does need to be done alongside saving and restoring and enhancing our Victorian heritage.”

Despite a number of councillors being unable to attend the meeting due to prior commitments, Colin Belsey, Penny di Cara and Kshama Shore OBE were seen at the event.

Councillor Belsey said, “I think the bandstand is amazing.

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“It will be absolutely atrocious if this is left to go to waste.

“All these things are terribly important to the future of Eastbourne and I can assure you that you have our support with what you are trying to do to the bandstand and I just hope that something good comes out of this.”

Alongside the bandstand’s significance with hotels, Katerina Tutt from Qualisea Fish Restaurant on Terminus Road also spoke about how her business benefits from the landmark.

She said, “A massive revenue does come for the restaurants from the bandstand because on Friday nights, for us, people come in and eat with us, have a drink with us.

“There is a massive, lovely vibe that goes on.

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“I actually would be happy to sit back on what they are doing in Victoria Place and see money spent on the bandstand.”

An EBC spokesperson said, “The council is spending £750,000 on repairs to the bandstand over the coming months. The bandstand will reopen in 2023, ready for a new season of events.

“It is important to also keep in mind, the EA has launched a £100 million seafront flood defence project, but they do not yet know how the construction work will impact the area around the bandstand, so it would be reckless to spend millions of public money until the full scope of this essential scheme is known.

“The council is committed to maintaining the bandstand for many years to come. Any suggestions to the contrary are completely false.”

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