Batsford Pledges Cultural Future For St Mary
HUGH SULLIVAN
Three separate “expressions of interest” to take a leasehold interest in St Mary in the Castle were submitted last month to Dyer & Hobbis, agents for Hastings Borough Council (HBC). Each bidder, according to HBC cabinet portfolio holder for Culture, Cllr Andy Batsford, is committed to retaining the building as a cultural venue as well as to undertaking the obligations of a full repairing lease without subsidy.
Both councillors and council officers are now involved in a process to evaluate merits of the respective bids, including reviewing full business plans, with the aim of making a selection by the end of next month.
As previously reported, there is also an application being considered by HBC to register St Mary as an asset of cultural value. Its communications department declined to state on enquiry last week when this application will be determined, but it’s understood that a decision should be made by the middle of April.
Cllr Batsford told HIP last week: “I can assure you that we don’t see St Mary as just bricks and mortar. We feel very positive about its cultural future. But the council has to move from its past role as funder to becoming an enabler.”
“NARROWER FOCUS”
He went on to explain that HBC, having recently pulled out of 1066 Country Marketing, its promotional partnership for the area in conjunction with Rother District and Wealden District Councils, now intends to focus more narrowly upon its own cultural assets.
HBC’s annual spend on the 1066 partnership in the current year was £130,000, according to Cllr Batsford, taking into account the time of seconded officers. “This was a bigger contribution than our partners in Rother and Wealden. We think we need to spend that sum in a more focussed way on Hastings itself, which has been transformed over the past decade.”
In line with this apparent change of direction, which coincides with the imminent retirement of Marketing and Major Projects Manager Kevin Boorman (who remains popularly associated with the 1066 brand), Council leader Paul Barnett has announced a restructured team of council officers. It includes the appointment of a new Head of Commercial Services and Development. The new post holder, Cllr Barnett said, “will lead many of the crucial regeneration projects as well as supporting our town’s amazing cultural offer to become more financially sustainable. They will also have responsibility for the Hastings Museum & Art Gallery which, with its National Portfolio status, brings really exciting opportunities.”
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