Go-ahead for compulsory pier purchase

The government has given the green light for the council to go ahead with the compulsory purchase of Hastings pier, an important element in the restoration process headed by the Hastings Pier and White Rock Trust writes HOT journalist Nick Terdre.

“This is excellent news, and a major step forward in returning Hastings Pier to its rightful place as a major attraction on our seafront,” said council leader Jeremy Birch. “I know that a huge amount of work has gone into getting this result, and I would like to thank everyone involved, especially, of course, the Hastings Pier and White Rock Trust.”

“Today is a very important day in the history of Hastings Pier,” said trustee Jess Steele. “These things do take time, but this makes all of the work which has been going on behind the scenes worth it. We know that there is still a lot of hard work ahead and we’ll need the ongoing support of local people and businesses.”

The next red-letter day for HPWRT comes in mid November, when the Heritage Lottery Fund will announce whether the trust’s application for so-called Round 2 funding – some £11 million, which will be the bulk of the money needed to implement the restoration project – has been successful. The application was submitted on schedule in August, HPWRT chief executive Simon Opie told HOT.

The council will not immediately take over the ownership of the pier, though it will issue statutory notices on the owner giving a six-week challenge period. Transfer of ownership will take place when the trust has the funding in hand and is ready to move ahead with the project, sometime next year.

An update on the project is available on HPWRT’s website.

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