Eastbourne bandstand campaigners ‘feeling fobbed off’ by funding gap

That was the message from campaigners calling on Eastbourne council leaders to commit to funding major repairs at the town’s iconic bandstand.

The comments came at a meeting on Wednesday (February 9), where Eastbourne Borough Council’s cabinet discussed its budget proposals for the coming financial year.

Within those proposals, which are set to go to a full council vote later this month, are plans to invest £750,000 in repairs to the bandstand’s stage and main structure.

While a sizeable amount of money, the council had previously earmarked a £3m budget for what were described as ‘urgent repairs’ at the landmark venue.

The gap between these two figures has seen criticism from campaigners, who attended the meeting and called on the council to be more transparent in how it is approaching the project.

Speaking at the meeting, Gaynor Sedgwick, chairwoman of the Save Our Bandstand action group, said: “We are getting the feeling you are fobbing us off. 

“I have asked councillors several times now why the bandstand has been neglected for many years, to the point now where you have been forced to close due to health and safety reasons. I have not had an answer. 

“I have been told you love the bandstand as much as we do, yet you have not looked after it. You are responsible for this iconic, historic, listed, much-treasured bandstand, which not only brings joy to all those who visit but generates income for the council and the local authority.

“It is simply not good enough and we are holding you to account.”

Ms Sedgwick went on to ask whether the £750,000 would be sufficient to address the repairs most needed at the venue, given the previous figure of £3m. 

Lib Dem council leader David Tutt told campaigners that the council was committed to reopening the bandstand, but that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the authority’s finances meant not all of the works could be completed in a single year.

Cllr Tutt said: “The council genuinely shares the love of the bandstand and wish to see it restored to its former glory. 

“Prior to the covid pandemic, you are correct, we earmarked £3m in order to address that. The capital budget though is not money we have in the bank. It is money, rather like a mortgage on a house, that we borrow in order to conduct major works and which we repay with interest from our revenue account over a period of years.

“It is worth noting that the council only receives a total of £9.1m a year in council tax, so you will understand why it is necessary to borrow in order for those works to be done.

“At the time we placed this in our capital programme, our income was such we would have been able to make those repayments. But the covid lockdowns had a major impact on our income and as a result we are unable to schedule all the works in one year. 

“We therefore plan to spend £750,000 this year in order to repair the stage and conduct urgent health and safety work. 

“To do this, it is of course necessary for the bandstand to be closed, but once it is complete it will be reopened and it will welcome back audiences.

Cllr Tutt went on to say that a wider programme of works in the area had been put on hold in light of Environment Agency proposals to enhance sea defences in the town.

He said the area around the bandstand was likely to be affected by this project and as a result it would be ‘prudent’ to wait until further details were available. 

However, this argument came in for criticism from Conservative group leader Robert Smart who described the restoration project as ‘a story of neglect, incompetence and excuses’.

Cllr Smart said: “Over the last two years we have had lockdowns, inactivity and excuses from the administration on this subject. Construction work did continue through lockdown, particularly on open air sites.

“Last week the council issued a press release stating ‘we prioritised the support for the most vulnerable in Eastbourne’, but that could have been accomplished at the same time as repairing the bandstand.  There was no conflict between the two in either financial or human resources.”

He added: “The leader of the council is now hedging his bets between spurious financial limitations and the Environment Agency’s work on coastal defences. He and I agreed that this project should be based on protecting assets such as the bandstand and designing defence works around it.

“The Environment Agency themselves have [said] their proposals should not be an impediment and in any case nothing concrete — sorry if that is a pun — may happen for years.

“The bandstand cannot wait. It is a profitable venture for the council, with 83,000 customers in 2019/20, its last full year of operation. It is essential to our hospitality industry and is a unique central attraction.”

He went on to say that all the works should be carried out at once, to minimise the time the venue was closed.

Cllr Smart’s comments met with a challenge from the council leader, who called on his political opponent to show how the £3m could be found, when the authority meets to vote on its budget proposals on February 23.

Cllr Tutt said: “In a short period of time we will have the budget at the council. You can move an amendment, which would say ‘spend that money now’.

“In doing so you would have to say how it is going to be financed and you will have to say what it is we won’t do in order to complete those works. 

“That is the reality of the decisions that every local authority is facing on a day-to-day basis.”