Unique Eastbourne Bandstand must be saved

Some towns are fortunate enough to have been gifted with architectural treasures such as the De la Warr Pavilion, the Saltdean Lido and the Royal Pavilion.

These are iconic buildings that identify with the town in which they are built.

I can’t think of another structure that identifies more with Eastbourne than its bandstand.

Some will say the pier is equally worthy of note, but compared to other similar structures the pier is not so unique as the town’s bandstand. It was built in 1935 and is 86 years old now, it was given Grade II listed status in 1998 and has featured in numerous television programmes.

It is a mistake for any of these towns to let such elegant structures be left to allow the elements do their worst. Travel to other European countries and you would be hard pressed to find such neglected classic buildings.

The ‘busiest bandstand on the planet’ is a must-go for the town’s visitors. It can’t reflect well on the town when they see the scaffolding, cracks in stonework and tiles with weeds growing out and exploratory works leaving the rusty structure exposed.

We have been neglectful to allocate any resources to maintain this structure and the longer left the greater the expense to return the building to a presentable state.

This could be a ‘wow’ structure if restored properly.

As a follow up to the letter by Mr Perry on the same subject in the June 18 edition of the paper, I wholeheartedly support his views.