Long wait for new restaurant

From: Roy MorrisRowsley Road
Call the newsdesk on 01323 414488 or email eastbourne.herald@jpress.co.uk SUS-180130-143238001Call the newsdesk on 01323 414488 or email eastbourne.herald@jpress.co.uk SUS-180130-143238001
Call the newsdesk on 01323 414488 or email [email protected] SUS-180130-143238001

I read that Eastbourne Council will soon be considering a planning application from Bistrot Pierre for the development of the “new” landmark Wish Tower restaurant.

I think that this is fairly likely to be granted as the council have already selected Bistrot Pierre to operate the waterfront eatery!

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It’s about time something happened as over six years have passed since the old restaurant was demolished, how much longer until completion?

The current design by architects Levitt Bernstein is quite different to that proposed during the process when Eastbourne Council shortlisted Rick Stein, Mitchell Tonks & ANOther.

Levitt Bernstein and the council were very vexed when Mitch said that the original design wouldn’t work, and now there’s a new one!

Just how much has the council paid Levitt Bernstein and its associates over the last few years – and we still have no restaurant?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Rick and Mitch are committed to seafood – just what I, and supposedly our council, wanted to see at the Wish Tower and in our fabulous British seaside town.

David Tutt is now lauding Bistrot Pierre as a ‘perfect partner’ and boasting of the ‘Gallic influence’ it will bring!

The Western View’s much promoted ability to be moved elsewhere has now joined Eastbourne council’s other recent failures and problems – the Devonshire Quarter delay and dramatic overspend, Sovereign Centre delay and overspend, Buccaneer purchase and problems, the Old Pump House decontamination and much more to come with the purchase of the retail park, Victoria Mansions etc.

This all leaves me with some questions for the council:

1. How much of the £1.2m the council allocated for the Wish Tower restaurant is left?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

2. Does the answer to my first question take account of all payments to Levitt Bernstein and its associates and is the time and salaries of council employees involved costed?

3. How do you justify a non-seafood offering on this iconic seaside location?

4. Are we really still expected to believe Rick Stein dropped out due to Brexit as within months he opened new sites in Sandbanks, Barnes and Marlborough?

Is it more likely that the council’s inefficiency and reneging on the original tender period after this had finished, would have affected his decision?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

5. Since the council failed to sell our heritage on the Downs it seems the council has borrowed in excess of £70m – what interest rate/s are being paid and how does the council expect to pay this interest and repay the capital?