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St Mary in the Castle

St Mary in the Castle

St Mary in the Castle Faces Management Crisis

St Mary in the Castle, the neo-classical architectural gem set in a crescent on the Hastings seafront,  faces a very uncertain future. The Council grasps on to its one remaining fig leaf,  the ongoing discussions with a prospective lessee,  which HOT understands to be reluctant to make a significant  contribution towards the general upkeep of this Grade II listed historic building. In the circumstances Councillor Robert Cooke was right to voice concerns about apparent absence of a plan B in case the Council can not agree a new lease, writes Christopher Cormack.

After a hastily convened tendering process which involved three relevant offers, Hastings Borough Council has failed to reach agreement on  the offer of a long term term lease for St Mary in the Castle, it was reported to the Council’s Cabinet this month. “Dialogue had been continued with a ‘preferred operator’, but further information was required before a final decision could be made”, said the report. Council Leader, Jeremy Birch, has pledged that the Council will manage the building itself and keep the building open for arts events, but concern grows that the management of this building will follow the old pattern of lurching from one short term crisis to the next.

For the time being this pledge is reportedly only valid for the rest of 2012,  and what is clear is that the management will be ad hoc and reactive, without measures to preserve the long term continuity of quality arts events that former lessee, Barbara Rogers had succeeded in attracting during her 3 year tenure.

Providing SMIC with an effective interim management will be a challenging and expensive task.  Quoting Barbara Rogers, the former lessee of SMIC,  “the workpeople who service the building – lift servicing, fire alarm repair (again), floodlight and clock maintenance, insurance checkers etc etc – have great difficulty getting access to do their work. There were also  major fire alarm emergencies resulting from a defective alarm system –  the fire brigade were called, and couldn’t get in because the Council hadn’t changed the keyholders”.

Ms Rogers has had other calls from the monitoring service (even though she should have been taken off the list, having no keys now). Ms Rogers says the Council is employing professional cleaners and paying overtime to its staff to work at the building. They pay scant attention to energy saving measures and will have to bear substantial extra costs previously borne by the lessee, including a likely increased insurance premium, electricity, gas and water, not to mention  the diversion of Council staff from other jobs when they are already overstretched.

HOT has contacted several past promoters of such events for their reactions to the news.  It is clear from the responses that promoters plan their events at least 12 months ahead, sometimes much more,  and they need certainty and a long term approach to marketing on the part of the venue manager in order for the promoters to invest with confidence in their events.

Mr Keith Stockman of Brandywine Music, a  regular user of SMIC over the last couple of years, stated his view:  “… The venue was being managed very well and very successfully by the incumbent lessee. We are not party to the Council’s reasons for wanting a change but, in our opinion, the whole process has been badly mismanaged by the Council. There should have been at least a year in which the changeover was managed to allow a smooth transition from one lessee to another. As to the future, our own position with regard to the use of the venue is under review. We will see what the outcome of the current negotiations are and how the facility is to be managed in the future. We do feel very disappointed and let down that such a beautiful venue should be left to languish simply because of poor management on the part of the Council.” Keith Stockman’s company, as with the others HOT canvassed, has not been approached by the Council with information as to future management of the facilties.

Pelham Place

Pelham Place

Mr Andrew Thornton, promoter of Hastings Philharmonic Choir concerts, regrets that  “the uncertainty about the future, and the absence of information about 2013 have forced the choir, as a contingency …… to plan to use other venues for the foreseeable future.” The choir are however investigating the possibility of staging their Christmas concert at SMIC as a test case for the present interim management.  Mr Thornton says “the chronic uncertainty about the future of SMIC as a concert venue, and the long time this has rumbled on, has undoubtedly put concert managers off and forced promoters to make plans elsewhere.”  He considers that the reputation of HBC as overseers is damaged beyond repair and once these customers are lost, it will take years to recover their confidence and their business.  Comment was also made on the “woefully shabby treatment” of the retiring management during this time rightly giving any new bidder doubts as to  the ability of HBC to behave as credible overseers.

The Council proved also incapable of retaining the interest of local benefactor David Kowitz in a lease on SMIC. As one of the initial tenders for SMIC his bid was discounted as the “level of financial support required exceeded the Council’s budget”.  Some interest had been expressed by Old Town entities with some experience in fundraising and  looking after historic buildings on a shoestring budget,  in working together with the Kowitz Foundation to reduce the financial burden to  the Council. However such initiatives have proved fruitless.

Through his family foundation, Mr Kowitz has proven generosity in patronising the arts in Hastings by sponsoring the Hastings Music Festival and its piano prize.  He and his wife  also promote high quality music events at his Fairlight Hall residence in favour of local charities.  Hastings Borough Council has been approached by Mr Kowitz’ Fairlight Arts Trust to  fund the provision of new public art in the Borough, starting with the commissioning of a new artwork on the site of the Pelham Roundabout on Hastings seafront at Breeds Place.  The  Council’s report on the subject concluded that proposed artwork on the Pelham Roundabout would “enhance the seafront and assist in promoting Hastings as a visitor destination…..(and the wider Kowitz initiative) as supporting the development of Hastings’ national and international reputation for arts and culture.”

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Posted 14:31 Monday, Sep 24, 2012 In: Campaigns

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