Earlier today I visited the White Rock Hotel, where Hastings Borough
Council exhibited a public display of the plans and images of the
proposed improvements to the White Rock promenade, providing an “attractive
link” from the end of Robertson Street at the America Ground, to
the pier itself. The Council are seeking feedback, which they will accept until Friday next week (19th June).
The first new feature you will reach on leaving Robertson Street (on
the other side of the road, on the promenade, of course!) will be a
raised decked area with a kiosk. This will be situated before you
reach the old White Rock Baths (I've previously blogged about it
becoming a BMX park etc), which itself will have its entrance
building and walls repainted.
After passings the baths, the existing water feature will be
“revitalised”, a small stage area added for licenced buskers,
with a new water cascading feature below the stage. After the Boer
War Memorial, another new decked area will be added, providing space
for “pop-up” trading and food stalls, before reaching the
rebuilt People's Pier.
The new features will be made of sustainable hardwood timber,
railings will be repainted, up to 10 mature trees grown in timber
planters will be added to the scheme, the existing tarmac surface
will be repaired and covered with a resin bound material, and East
Sussex County Council have provided assurance that all the street
lighting columns will have been replaced in time for the completion. Further details can be found at the Council website.
The
project will be jointly financed by a central government Coastal
Communities Fund grant, the Foreshore Trust and Hastings Borough
Council. The architect is
Neil Choudhury (website), who was also at the presentation.
