The next Hastings & St. Leonards Society Open Meeting is on Monday 25 February, 6 pm start. The venue is the White Rock Hotel, seafront meeting room (ground floor).

The main topic on the agenda is the future of St. Leonard’s Church and surrounding area:

“St Leonards Church is a key architectural landmark within Burtons’ St Leonards and for the whole Town. Sadly it is now physically unsound and closed for religious use. West of the Church are St Leonards Steps, a main pedestrian route from the West Hill Road area to Marina. Unfortunately the steps are gradually slipping down the cliff and also in danger of closure. East of the Church and below the Burton Family graveyard there is a weedy wasteland and a long-neglected development site. A sorry picture. Secure uses and a future for this Listed Gilbert-Scott Church and its surrounds can and must be found so that this becomes a seafront destination that the Town can be proud of.

© Google

Join Chris Lewcock, a town planner and latterly Chair of the Hastings Urban Design Group, as he leads a review of the problems of the area. Help to identify the potential of the Church and its surroundings. Discuss what can be done to (re)create this area as a ‘pearl’ on the promenade.”

The Complete Agenda

1. Welcome from the Chair, and any apologies.
2. Update on the UNESCO World Heritage Site status proposal
(Julia Hilton)
3. Report from the West Marina Partnership group on the work for
a Neighbourhood Plan for the former bathing pool site (Virginia
Vilela)
4. Short presentation by Colin Booth on his ‘Diving Tower’ project
5. Main topic: The Future of the St. Leonard’s Church building and
surrounding area (presentation by Chris Lewcock, followed by
general discussion)

All welcome, but please advise in advance to hstlsoc@gmail.com if you are attending so that we have an idea of numbers. Drinks purchased at the bar may be brought in to the meeting.

Hastings & St. Leonards Society committee