Owners of the iconic Hastings Pier will have to start work or face losing it after the council kick started more legal proceedings this week.
A Repairs Notice was tied to the pier gates on Tuesday and notices sent to Ravenclaw, calling on them to start work on preserving the structure or hand over the keys to Hastings Borough Council.
Councillor Peter Chowney, lead member for Regeneration, said: “This is the sort of New Year message the owners deserve. They have made no effort whatsoever to repair the pier and now they risk forfeiting it altogether. This is their last chance. The notice effectively means that unless work starts within two months then we will carry out a Compulsory Purchase Order and hand the pier over to the Hastings Pier and White Rock Trust (HPWRT). It’s taken a long time to get to this point but thanks to the commitment of Hastings Borough Council and the HPWRT, I am confident that we will soon see our pier renewed and restored.”
The Grade II-listed building was almost destroyed by fire in October, 2010 and faced an uncertain future. Councillors agreed to follow the route of a Compulsory Purchase Order while the HPWRT secured funding of £357, 400 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, to get a business plan in place.
Simon Opie, Chief Executive of the HPWRT, said: “The serving of this Repairs Notice and the agreement now in place with the HPWRT signal that the council intends to ensure proper steps are taken to restore the pier. This is a huge boost to the town and a great reward for the efforts of the trustees and everyone who has supported them. It is a Christmas present that they all thoroughly deserve for their courage and determination”
