Residents’ voice still ignored as bathing pool site plans advance

Hastings Borough Council is pushing ahead with its plans for a large housing development on the former bathing pool site in West St Leonards, unmoved by the continuing efforts of local residents to have a say in what happens in their neck of the woods. Residents are asked to object to the council’s planned disposal of the site and attend the Cabinet meeting next Monday when their petition will be presented. Nick Terdre reports.

The West Marina residents group is calling for people to oppose the council’s move to dispose of the old bathing pool site in West St Leonards, which it owns. Disposal of the site – to the preferred developer, County Gate/Sunley – will open the way for negotiations with Carter Jonas, HBC’s agent, on heads of terms – an agreement in principle – for a long-term lease and development.

Carter Jonas is itself the developer which drew up a previous plan for the site which was discussed at a public consultation. Only the outline of CountyGate/Sunley’s proposal has been revealed, as the council has claimed copyright matters prevent it from revealing the details.

In a first phase County Gate/Sunley will be given a five-year lease while they familiarise themselves with the site and prepare specific development plans, Virginia Vilela, acting chair of the West Marina group, told HOT, citing information provided by Cllr Andy Batsford, lead member for housing and leisure, at a meeting of the St Leonards Town Team this week.

Eventually this would lead on to a long lease – 250 years or so – during which time the developer would pay the council annual rent of £100,000 plus a share of profits from other commercial activities on the site.

Ample support for petition

Meanwhile the West Marina group has gained ample support for an e-petition on the council website which will give Ms Vilela the right to address the Cabinet meeting on Monday 4 March for five minutes on residents’ concerns about the proposed development and the way they consider they are being sidelined from having any say.

This petition received 211 signatures, and a further 137 when posted on the West Marina group website for people having trouble signing the HBC one  – so a total of more than 300 signatures even allowing for some double signings.

Some light was thrown on the County Gate/Sunley plan to turn the old bathing pool site into a “vibrant destination zone”, as the council likes to call  it, by Cllr Batsford at a public meeting convened by the West Marina group in January.

As currently envisaged, the scheme includes 152 dwellings as well as other amenities including glamping huts, artist’s studios and galleries, children’s play areas, a cafe, water sports facilities and a slipway.

The meeting, which was attended by more than 35 local residents and four councillors – West St Leonards ward councillors Karl Beaney and Matthew Beaver, and Cllrs Judy Rogers and Sue Beaney – in addition to Cllr Batsford, was given assurances of on-going consultation – but so far there has been none, Ms Vilela told HOT.

No reply

Nor has there been any reply from council leader Peter Chowney to concerns raised by Ms Vilela in response to a previous email from Cllr Chowney. These included car parking and access, how the Ministry of Defence and StamCo sites which border the west end of the site would be incorporated into the development when they become available, and the developer’s lack of experience in leisure and recreation projects.

Residents have long expressed their anger at having their voice excluded from the preparation of plans for the site. By the time their views are invited – the heads of terms will include a requirement for the developer to liaise with them – they fear too much will already be set in stone, according to Ms Vilela.

Even the terms of consultation are being questioned – in her reply to Cllr Chowney Ms Vilela wrote, “We are concerned [the consulation] could be quite perfunctory. Perhaps you can assure us that there will be (legally enforceable) in-depth engagement – as promised by Andy Batsford?”

Residents are not opposed to development in itself, Ms Vilela stressed, but given the drawbacks of the site, notably ground conditions, including the remains of the former Lido, the age and position of underground services, the presence of Southern Water overspill tanks, and flood risk, they consider the plans as they are known to be unrealistic and over-ambitious.

Residents have proposed setting up a neighbourhood plan which would allow them to cooperate with the council on a holistic approach to the development of the area, but although they held a meeting to discuss this proposal with Cllr Kim Forward and a planning officer last August, the council now claims to know nothing about it, Ms Vilela said.

Council motives

The council is driven by two strong motives: income generation and the need to improve its housebuilding record. The proposal to the Cabinet meeting comes from Peter Grace, chief finance officer, and recommends, “having taken account of the objections received,” that the Cabinet “enter into a long lease with County Gate/Sunley…”

Discussion of the matter by the Cabinet – whose eight members include Cllrs Batsford, Sue Beaney and Rogers – will be in two parts: the public will be excluded from the second which will consider financial and other confidential information.

In a previous briefing paper officers made clear that they consider that the potential benefits of the proposed development far outweight any drawbacks. “Seaside Road [which runs to the north of the site] is one of the few remaining significant re-development sites on the Hastings/St Leonards seafront,” it says.

“It presents an opportunity to create a high quality development which can help regenerate the area and act as a destination in its own right…The site is capable of accommodating both apartments and family housing. The site, given its size and location, will be expected to support a varied housing mix and affordable housing.”

It is also “suitable for leisure and recreational uses, particularly those associated with the water. The site could also accommodate small scale kiosk style retail uses normally found at the seaside, a cafeteria and a public house/restaurant.”

Unpopularity growing

As attested to by the number of signatories to the petition, the scheme is proving ever more unpopular among local people. Following the discussion between Ms Vilela and Cllr Batsford at the St Leonards Town Team meeting, the Town Team emailed all its members asking them to oppose the scheme.

The message has been taken to other forums, including the Hastings and St Leonards Society, and a dedicated Facebook page – Save Our Bathing Site – has been set up  by a local resident.

“There is a huge amount of opposition now,” said Ms Vilela. “We hope the contractors will take notice of that and the many problems associated with the site.”

 

 

Disposal notice Anyone wishing to register an objection should send an email to the chief legal officer Christine Barkshire-Jones under the reference HM/001082, to arrive no later than noon on Friday 1 March. The council points out that objections must “relate to the loss of open space rather than any specific development proposals which may subsequently be forthcoming.”

Cabinet meeting Muriel Matters House, Breeds Place, Hastings TN34 3UY, 6pm, Monday 4 March. ‘Site at West Marina’ is currently agenda item 6, but when many members of the public have come to hear the discussion on a particular item, it is sometimes moved up the agenda. Members of the public may not address the meeting but can display placards to express their views.

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