Calls for ‘heritage fund’ to help keep Eastbourne’s iconic buildings in good repair

The call was following a debate at a full council meeting on Wednesday (February 23), in response to a motion submitted by Conservative opposition leader Robert Smart.

Cllr Smart’s motion called on the council to commit to ‘properly maintaining’ such buildings. This motion saw criticism from Liberal Democrats, however, who argued it was an opposition attempt to ‘create anger’ on the subject. 

As a result, an alternative motion was put forward by Lib Dem Helen Burton, which ‘confirmed’ the council was committed to both maintaining and renovating the buildings,  as well as calling on the government to establish a fund to help it do so.

Cllr Burton said: “In a period of austerity, where the government has removed the grant to local government, the council remains committed to doing all of this while fully maintaining its delivery of statutory and essential services. 

“We will continue to look for innovative ways of preserving all of Eastbourne’s heritage and aim to work with the resident groups in order to do so.”

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She added: “It is the nature of opposition that you have the luxury of headlines without accountability. Administration is a far more complex blend of delivering the many duties and priorities in ways that are affordable and sustainable. 

“Hopefully this [amendment] sets out the more broad context for what we are doing and why our aim is more than Cllr Smart’s motion for just maintenance for our heritage assets.”

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Cllr Burton’s amendment called on Eastbourne MP Caroline Ansell to help lobby the government for the establishment of the heritage fund. 

It also sought to highlight that Eastbourne Borough Council is responsible for a greater number of heritage buildings than other local authorities and argued that the cost of this managing this was difficult on its current income.

This saw criticism from Cllr Smart (and other Conservatives), who argued that the Liberal Democrat administration had neglected many of these buildings and allowed them to fall into disrepair. 

Cllr Smart said: “The issue is this is all about a lack of planning, a lack of asset review to enhance, upgrade or dispose. It is a piecemeal approach with, recently, a brutal short term budgetary process. 

“The lack of finance arises from a lack of planning, including disposals which can create capital receipts which can be used on the retained buildings. Of course we should also look elsewhere for finance at all appropriate times.”

He added: “We have never properly had a full asset review and some of the assets have fallen through the cracks.

“I also don’t believe that the council has to finance all of these assets, but we’ve got to have a plan for it. It may be that we can finance them from other sources, but we need a plan.”

Criticism had also been raised by local residents, in particular campaigners calling for investment in both Motcombe Swimming Baths and the town’s seafront bandstand.

Phil Hall, a campaigner for investment in Motcombe Pool, said: “The age of the building is irrelevant, it’s the level of investment that’s important. The Hippodrome was built in 1883, the Winter Gardens in 1875 yet both have received hundreds of thousands of pounds of investment. 

“The key difference is those sites are visitor attractions first, for local residents second. Motcombe is a community asset, first and foremost for local residents, for council taxpayers and their families. It is about time the needs of the local community were put first. ”

Earlier in the meeting, councillors agreed for up to £200,000 of match-funding to be made available for maintenance works at Motcombe Pool.  It is understood this funding would be made available to as-yet unfounded a Community Interest Company, which would be able to bid for further funding from elsewhere.

A £750,000 sum was also agreed for repairs to the bandstand. 

Both funding pots had come in for criticism from campaigners, who argued they would not be sufficient to cover the costs of the required repairs.

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