Bandstand renovation decision deferred

By Huw Oxburgh, BBC-funded Local Democracy Reporter

Councillors have put off a decision on plans relating to Eastbourne bandstand until after heritage body Historic England have visited the site.

Eastbourne Borough Council’s planning committee had been due last night (Tuesday, 16 September) to discuss a pair of applications seeking permission for “essential safety and improvement work” intended to lead to the reopening of the Grade II-listed seafront building.

Part of these works are expected to involve the demolition of “structurally unsafe elements” of the bandstand, including degraded columns, beams, and slabs on the lower, middle, and upper promenade levels.

This element was controversial: several organisations, including the Meads Community Association, the Eastbourne Society and The Twentieth Century Society, have raised concerns about whether enough has been done to explore alternatives to demolition.

Despite these concerns, officers had recommended the works, proposed by the council itself, be granted both planning permission and listed building consent subject to "no substantive objections" after consultation.

But the day before the meeting officers asked councillors to defer their discussion until a formal response from heritage body Historic England was received.

Head of planning Neil Collins said the item had been put before councillors this month in a bid to return the bandstand to use as soon as possible while awaiting the response.

“What the addendum does is confirm we don’t have that response yet, that we have liaised with Historic England and we have a date in the diary for a site visit for Historic England to look at the building in detail and to liaise with them and await a formal written response,” he told councillors.

This updated recommendation for the matter to go before a future planning meeting was supported by committee chairman Hugh Parker (Lib Dem).

Cllr Parker said “I think it is very important that this particular situation is thoroughly discussed and that people have an opportunity to put their views forward in a co-ordinated and sensible manner.

“We cannot discuss properly, in my view, something which has incomplete information. I think we need that final comment or set of comments from Historic England to put their perspective on the whole consideration.

“So this isn’t shutting down any kind of discussion, this is simply saying we can have the discussion — full, open, frank and the correct democratic approach — on another day.”

A deferral was unanimously agreed by the committee when put to the vote.

Before the vote, Conservative councillor Jane Lamb (Meads) asked officers whether they would use the deferral to also undertake further consultation with The Twentieth Century Society about the proposals.

Mr Collins confirmed this would take place.

For further information, see applications 250412 and 250413 on the Eastbourne Borough Council website.

:: The Local Democracy Reporting Service is funded by the BBC in response to the decline in news coverage of local authorities’ activities. Credible media outlets governed by a regulator’s code of ethics can join the scheme and use these reports. The Eastbourne Reporter is governed by independent press regulator Impress and is a member of the scheme.