Chain is pulled on restaurant plans for disused Hastings toilets

Hastings Borough Council’s cabinet committee met on Monday (March 5) to discuss a proposal to possibly turn the block into a restaurant.

However councillors on the authority’s cabinet learned that it had not been possible for the council to complete the necessary legal arrangements with the preferred bidder to operate the site as a restaurant.

It was therefore recommended that the council’s cabinet approve the demolition of the existing building.

In February last year, the council decided to shut the facilities in Harold Place in order to make savings in its budget.

When the proposals to close them were unveiled, petitions by angry residents were set up, with scores of people signing them.

The facilities finally closed last April.

At Monday’s meeting, an amendment was proposed by Conservative councillor, Rob Lee, and seconded by Councillor Andy Patmore, calling for the toilets to be reopened and fully refurbished.

They said that a full refurbishment and reinstatement of the facility would cost up to £150,000 which could be met from the council’s capital reserve budget. They also recommended that the upkeep cost of the toilets be offset by the introduction of a turnstile which they said would produce roughly £14,600 in revenue.

However the amendment was lost by two votes for, to five votes against. Council leader Peter Chowney proposed the recommendation of demolishing the toilets, seconded by Councillor Dawn Poole.