Sponsored by
Demolition of restaurant
will cost £53k
THE CONTROVERSIAL decision to demolish the Wish Tower restaurant looks set to cost the tax payer upwards of £50,000, on top of the £38,000 handed out in compensation to the previous tenants.
The once-popular seafront eatery was closed last year when Eastbourne Borough Council terminated the existing lease – a move which cost the public purse almost £40,000 and was, at the time, defended as returning a prime location back into the hand’s of the local authority.
However, once council staff had a chance to fully assess the state of the iconic building, the authority soon realised it would cost a huge amount to bring it back into a state of repair – with some estimates hinting at a £400,000 outlay.
Demolition was therefore mooted as the best possibly solution and last week, members of the council’s cabinet confirmed that a sum of £53,000 would be earmarked to pay for the Wish Tower to be reduced to rubble.
Councillors also warned that the eventual cost could outstrip that initial budget because work would need to be carried out on the site itself in order to make it more attractive and landscaped.
One opposition councillor however questioned the sense in spending approaching to £100,000 snapping up and then smashing down the Wish Tower, without having at least carried out extensive surveys and explored all avenues first.
Conservative Cllr Tom Liddiard addressed the LibDem cabinet at Wednesday’s meeting, urging them to rethink their stance.
He said, “I have been informed that this [the £53,000] relates to the demolition of this magnificent landmark, even though a structural survey has not been completed.
“Full costings of refurbishment have not been sought; a full quote for the demolition has not even been sought.
“How can this administration allow this to continue?
“How can you make such important decisions without knowing all of the facts on the table?”
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Eastbourne
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South west
Comments
There are 13 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
EastbourneCan
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 11:45 AMShame that slashes don't work. Paragraph breaks don't work either! Anyway, we'd really like all of you to attend on 31st March - the direct link to register (it's free) is http:wishtower.eventbrite.co.uk, so hopefully that will post OK. Right now there are 15 spaces available for the morning and 9 in the afternoon. The day will be worth it if we can get a consensus about what could be built on the site. It won't raise the money for a new building, but sound proposals should make fundraising easier. The idea about putting flats on a second and third storey - as far as we know there are strict height limits on any new building (as there were on the old building), we'll check and confirm this. The architects coming on the day (all local firms) are running through what can and can't be built there, so that's worth hearing in itself.
EastbourneCan
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 11:37 AMHere we go again - just paste wishtower.eventbrite.co.uk into the address bar of whatever browser you're using (e.g. Internet Explorer) and you'll go straight to the registration page. Sorry for hogging this thread! All the best, EC
peter watts
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:01 AMEBC are unable to provide clear direction for this town, It is impossible to build a vibrant local economy on minimum wage jobs in shops hotels and nursing homes. Grant outline planning for the site for cafe and shop on ground floor, offices on first and flats on floors 2 & 3 offer the site for sale and trouser large amounts of cash in sale cost and buis rates. Its not rocket science. EBC can not run a buisness so why throw more of our money away trying? Einstein defined insanity as "continuing on the same course of action while expecting different results"
tbone
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 06:42 AMGreat shame really, I am surprised the place is not a listed building... surely this can be applied for though which will then stop the demise of this building...
Veracity
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 02:46 PMThe Herald software was obviously purchased on e-bay from a firm called Technocrap Carter. Not only does it not recognise the forward slash, but I'm very surprised you weren't 'moderated' over the word 'slash' because of it's urological connotations! I once used the word which means the residue from a blast furnace in it's proper context and got moderated because the daft software thought I was referring to a young lady of dubious morals!
Carter
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 09:47 PMSlashes not allowed then!
Carter
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 09:46 PMThe Eastbourne CAN page has a slash between com and wishtower, thus: http:eastbournecan.comwishtower
Carter
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 08:51 PMA sorry, sorry tale. That £38,000 payout to the tenants who wrecked it was an absolute stonker. An astonishing failure on so many levels.
Veracity
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 08:15 PMFlogging and dead horses come to mind here EastbourneCan. As long as you've got brainless plonkers in the Town Hall, things can only get worse, as another brainless plonker once almost said! Forget the long dead British Seaside Holiday and concentrate on what the 21st century population want!
EastbourneCan
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 07:58 PMYou're very welcome to attend our Wish Tower Restaurant Design Day on Sat 31st March. Tickets are free, details at http:eastbournecan.comwishtower. We'd like to explore all options for the site and you're very welcome to attend. Eastbourne Can is a group of local individuals and businesses who want to make Eastbourne a better place to live, visit and work in.
rattonian
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 05:59 PMWith the lack of brains and business sense it is surprising that so few of our councillors go bankrupt. They must look after their own money much better than they protect the public purse.
polegate
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 01:12 PMturn the land into a car park, the charges will soon bring in enough cash to rebuild
roneoron
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 11:46 AMMakes one wonder what sort of brainless oafs inhabit the Town Hall. This is mind boggling ineptitude, and those responsible should be shown the door. This site is, or at least should be, one of the very few jewels on the seafront. To allow it to get into such a state and then go into headless chicken mode and guess at repair costs could only happen in the public sector. Bit like those wonderful hundred grand a year chaps at the MOD who, having made our armed forces into a shadow of what we need, are taking huge bonuses for so doing. Is it the gravy train that attracts these idiots into public service or is it just that they are so stupid that no sane private sector employer would use them?
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.