Decision due on granting permission for Eastbourne Bandstand repairs

On Monday (November 14), Eastbourne Borough Council’s planning committee is due to consider whether to grant listed building consent to carry out structural repair works to the stage, mortar, faience tiles, and roof at the Grade II-listed bandstand.

The application, which is recommended for approval, is going before the committee because it has been submitted by the council itself.

According to meeting papers, the repairs proposed are ‘essential’ and are required to bring the building back into use, something the council has previously said it aims to do in spring 2023.

The works are to be restricted to the bandstand itself, with no works proposed for the surrounding colonnade and associated structures at this stage. The largest part of these works will be the replacement of the bandstand’s stage with a new beam and block design, which would incorporate new drainage channels and door runners.

In a report to be considered by the committee, a council planning officer said: “The proposals will preserve the significance of this heritage asset and are supported in principle by officers and recommended to the planning committee for approval subject to conditions, including to confirm the exact material specifications and their finishes.

“This flexibility in the final specification is important given that investigative works may inform slight variations in these specification choices.”

While costs are not detailed in the application, the council has previously said it plans to spend £750,000 on the essential repairs programme. The full costs needed to restore the landmark are expected to be in excess of £12m, however.

The council has previously said it is unlikely to commit to this fuller restoration until further details come forward of the Environment Agency’s £100m coastal flood defence project for Eastbourne’s seafront.

Earlier this year a petition, which gained more than 2,000 signatures, called on EBC to ‘prioritise’ the venue above any other projects should appropriate funding arise and to set up a ‘planned, ongoing, increased and realistic annual maintenance budget’ for the seafront landmark.

For further information on the repairs see application reference 220770 on the Eastbourne Borough Council website.