Fight to save pier is given a £75,000 boost
THE battle to save Hastings Pier has been given a major boost by a £75,000 grant.
The money comes from a Government investment pot called the Community Builders Fund, and will pay for a feasibility study into Hastings Pier and White Rock Trust (HPWRT) plans to restore the iconic structure to its former glory.
The once-popular attraction was closed on health and safety grounds in 2006 after council officials noticed parts of its structure were falling into the sea.
Since then owner Ravenclaw Investments Inc has effectively cut its losses and abandoned the pier to the elements. The trust hopes to convince the local council to carry out a compulsory purchase order – forcing Ravenclaw to sell up – and then hand over the day-to-day running to trust members.
Felix Robinson, chair of the trust, was delighted with the cash boost.
He said: "These are very exciting times. We feel that we have definitely turned the corner and are confident that, in partnership with the council, we will save the pier on behalf of the people of Hastings."
Trustee Laurence Bell, owner of the White Rock Hotel, said the group hopes to open the apron, the front section of the pier, in the next two years.
He said: "We want to see retail units and community activities on their again, going back to the bingo hall and including the atrium in the middle. That in itself is a huge amount of space."
The feasibility study includes expert examination of the trust's plans by engineers and business planning specialists.
Colman Architects and Leisure Development Partners has already begun work on the study, which, if positive, will give further credibility to the trust's redevelopment plans, and provide the basis for further funding applications.
Mr Bell said: "We are not saying that we think we can just go out there and restore the whole pier, but this means it's not just a bunch of local residents saying this is going to work, it will be the work of experts recognised in their field.
"It's a big step forward. Good news for us but more so for the people of Hastings.
"None of us wants a rotting hulk as a symbol of our town."
Councillor Matthew Lock, lead member for regeneration at Hastings Borough Council, said: "I am over the moon that the Hastings Pier and White Rock Trust has been successful with its bid. I hope this is the first step in securing the future of the pier."
Just last year 3,000 residents signed an online Observer petition urging the council to work more closely with the trust.
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Monday 13 February 2012
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