Pavilion Re-Powered, Azur Branding Dropped
HUGH SULLIVAN
Sea Change Sussex, leasehold owners of the former Azur Marina Pavilion, confirmed last week that a new power supply has finally been installed and connected by UK Power Networks to serve the premises. This will enable new electricity meters to be fitted at the St Leonards seafront venue plus essential testing of all the building’s electrical outlets and fittings.
Sea Change will also undertake external cleaning and graffiti removal over the coming weeks. They aim to put the property back on the market to attract a new operator “by the spring”, according to their spokesperson. It has been vacant since January 2024, and its fabric effectively unmaintained for a great while longer.
One change that has been expressly signalled is that it will no longer be styled the ‘Azur’, the name adopted by previous operators – it will be marketed simply as ‘the Marina Pavilion’.
Several potential parties had expressed interest before serious electrical problems had been identified. “These will be revisited,” say Sea Change, “to check if they are still interested.” In the meantime, anyone new to the bidding is invited to approach property agents Dyer & Hobbis, though no viewings will be conducted nor will the property details be shown on their website until all the outstanding works, including cleaning, are completed.
It is understood that Hastings Borough Council, which owns the freehold of the property, has covered most, if not all, of the costs of the electricity supply overhaul, although its commercial interest in the property must be regarded as extremely tenuous.
Sea Change’s lease from the council runs until 2042 (with an option to renew). Under its terms, the council is entitled to receive a turnover rent i.e. a potential share of the income received from the operator. But this only kicks in as a percentage of net rents and licences paid to Sea Change above £120,000 per annum. The rent applicable to the most recent underlease was £90,000, but not only was this never paid, analysis of accounts of the last three operating companies, all of which went into insolvent liquidation, suggests that only a very small proportion of due rents was ever collected from any of them. Both the council and Sea Change will be hoping for a radically different operator to emerge.
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