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.

Following intended local government reorganisation, a future unitary council – whether it administers the whole of East Sussex or some other territory – will assume responsibility for the services currently performed by Hastings Borough Council (HBC): dealing with waste and recycling, street cleaning, housing, environmental health, planning, licensing etc. But what about the land, buildings and physical assets which the borough council owns?

As former HBC leader Peter Chowney points out in Our Town, Our Council on page 9, there are many industrial estates and retail parks owned by the council which bring in substantial income. On the other hand, current Deputy Leader Cllr Julia Hilton told the full meeting of councillors on 14 January that, whatever the future of the council, “one thing is clear that people really care about: what happens to local land assets, including community buildings, historic buildings, leisure centres, and our green spaces. Will these be a focus in a much larger and probably overstretched council to give true care and consideration to things like our parks and community spaces?”

Cllr Hilton went on to argue that the borough should protect its interest in these assets by taking steps to set up a town council that would survive the reorganisation. More sceptical onlookers might wonder how much care and consideration is currently being given by HBC to a number of these assets that seem to have been consigned to a deep freeze.

AZUR

The freehold of the Azur Marina Pavilion on St Leonards seafront is owned by HBC, with a long lease granted to Sea Change Sussex. Nearly £2 million of regeneration money was spent two decades ago building a restaurant and bar above the older sun lounge and café on the lower promenade, and turning the lounge into a conference centre and other function rooms. But three successive operating companies struggled to make it profitable, each failing to pay due rent to Sea Change. It was repossessed in January 2024, and has been left empty for the past two years.

Some needed roof repairs were carried out in 2024, and Sea Change reported in June of that year that up to 11 potential operators had expressed an interest in taking a fresh lease. At one point the agents instructed to market the premises, Fleurets, marked it on their website as “Sold subject to contract”. However, it emerged that there were more complex issues with the mains electrical supply which is shared with the wider Marina Foreshore complex administered by HBC, including the neighbouring sailing club, public toilets, workshop and car park. HBC agreed with UK Power Networks, the monopoly network operator, that the latter would lay a fresh cable under the street, and its spokesperson admits that it received the money to do this in March 2025. But it avoided undertaking excavation works “during the summer holidays season”, and although a new electrical kiosk was installed in October, enabling HBC to proceed with internal re-wiring, the new cable has still not been energised.

In the meantime, the fabric of the building is suffering from another winter of damp, rust and storm damage, both inside and out.

ST MARY IN THE CASTLE

The former church and arts venue has been empty since November 2022 when the previous leaseholder trust handed it back to HBC. Ambitious ideas to use Town Deal funds to develop it as a potential reception area to be linked with Hastings Castle by a lift or escalator were rejected. More recently, it has been added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register in the hope of attracting national rescue funding.

Two months ago – i.e. three years after it was vacated – HBC launched a formal Expression of Interest process “to identify a new partner, operator or consortium to take forward [its] revitalisation”.

Submissions closed on 15 December. It’s understood that one proposal is to turn the venue into a music resource centre with rehearsal and recording facilities. The council has not made any comment since then on what responses it has received in this process, though Deputy Leader Cllr Julia Hilton told the cabinet in January that the council would need to put money into a long-term strategy to save it.

THE OLD BATHING POOL, WEST ST LEONARDS

The site of the former bathing pool at West Marina, owned by HBC, was earmarked for a mix of housing and leisure use regeneration in the local plan of 2015. In October 2021 HBC granted a 250-year lease for this purpose to West Marina St Leonards Limited (WMSLL), a subsidiary of national developers County Gate Properties. Neither the council nor the developer has been willing to disclose the lease terms.

Following a lengthy period of ground surveys (assessing, among other things, the extent and quality of Southern Water tanks and pipes under the surface), WMSLL’s plans were exhibited as part of a pre-planning public consultation in April 2025. Detailed drawings and visual projections revealed their intention to build more than 150 new homes on the site. They have met vigorous opposition in the form of West St Leonards Neighbourhood Forum, local community activists who last year mounted a counter-exhibition proposing that the eastern end of the site be developed as a leisure destination with low buildings (if any), play and garden areas, and potential for a tidal pool or on-land lido.

No formal planning application has been forthcoming in the nine months since.

Assets Beyond the Council’s Remit

In fairness to HBC, however, there are plenty of other community and heritage assets of the town where needed development has also stalled or seems to be moving at a glacial pace. What might a Town Council do about these?

FORMER DEBENHAMS BUILDING

The building which formerly accommodated Debenhams at 1-3 Robertson Street in the town centre was bought in January 2020 by Moxie Management Two, a company owned by two sisters, Bella Landen and Sophie Hubble. It was dilapidated when they took it over, and renovated with the aid of public funds from the Town Deal. Part (over three floors) was – and remains – let to Freedom Works as office space; the rest, notoriously, to the ill-fated and short-lived Owens entertainments venture. Following the Owens collapse in September 2023, Moxie Management has indicated that it plans to sub-divide that part of the premises to accommodate a variety of commercial activities which may include retail and/or restaurant uses. A recent licence application was granted for a sports bar. Earlier this month Ms Landen told HIP that they “are exploring/working on a couple of potential opportunities for the site”. It seems improbable that any activity will be up and running there in the immediate future.

SUSSEX EXCHANGE

The Sussex Exchange was developed with public funds by Sea Change Sussex as a restaurant, bar, conference centre and restaurant centre on a 1.6-acre site off Queensway. It opened in 2012. Situated near the junction with the Combe Valley link road to Bexhill, it was aimed to serve other prospective regeneration developments in this hinterland area, but few of these have come to fruition. In July 2024 the operating company went bust owing large amounts of tax and rent. After remaining empty for a year, it was announced that it had been sold “to a local manufacturing company” on long lease, but there has been no indication of any commercial activity being conducted at the site over the last six months. A spokesperson for Sea Change told HIP this month that the new leaseholder “is expanding and seeking additional premises for research, development, training and conferencing purposes,” but is still declining to identify itself.

CLIFTON COURT

The block of 53 flats owned by housing association Orbit at the top corner of Cornwallis Gardens remains vacant more than four years after its tenants began to be decanted for prospective redevelopment. In the summer of 2024, it was briefly occupied by campaigners in the name of Housing Rebellion protesting at its being kept empty. A spokesperson for Orbit stated in April last year that demolition and rebuilding options were being discussed “in a working partnership with Hastings Borough Council”. Earlier this month another spokesperson insisted that Orbit is “committed to continuing to deliver new affordable homes across the Borough” and that it is “continuing to engage with the local authority to ensure delivery of as many affordable homes as possible to meet local housing needs and support the local authority’s housing strategy.” The council has offered no comment save that it “hasn’t seen any plans.”

HASTINGS PIER

As is well-known, this historic landmark was refurbished a decade ago with £14 million-plus of Heritage Lottery funds and local shareholder contributions, winning the RIBA Stirling Prize for best new building of 2017 (notwithstanding its 1872 substructure). It went bust the following year and was sold off by insolvency administrators Smith & Williamson to Eastbourne entrepreneur Sheikh Gulzar for all of £60,000. By way of justification, the administrators stated that out of the bids received, including from the community group Friends of Hastings Pier (FoHP), Mr Gulzar had demonstrated the best immediate finance capability: “It is anticipated that significant cash for working capital and investment purposes, amounting to over a million pounds, would be required to make the pier sustainable.”

In the seven and a half years since, no substantial investment has been forthcoming. Basic retail sheds were installed with temporary planning permission that has expired along with gold-painted décor that had none. Events have been limited to outdoor hospitality in summer, regularly falling foul both of licensing conditions and inclement weather. Maintenance of the substructure appears to have been minimal, the original engineers having been swiftly (and unlawfully) disengaged.

The pier has been registered by FoHP as an asset of community value and, when Mr Gulzar gave notice last October that he intended to put it up for sale, this triggered a six-month moratorium. MP Helena Dollimore claimed three months ago to have organised a meeting with local councillors and community organisations – “We are all united in our goal of ensuring that the pier is a valuable community asset for generations to come.” – but there has been little indication so far of any attempt to rally fresh public enthusiasm or raise public funds. Asked for a comment earlier this month, a spokesperson for FoHP said: “We are continuing to explore options.”

Repair works “remain under way” at the Azur Marina Pavilion, according to head lessee Sea Change Sussex. Drainage problems are said to have been largely resolved through repairs to pipes; the restoration of mains power in conjunction with UK Power Networks has been “complicated by the involvement of cables serving several nearby properties”.

The venue has been closed since previous leaseholders departed in January, and although the agents Fleurets have marked it on their website as “Sold subject to contract”, Sea Change continues to deny that any offer has been accepted from a chosen operator.

Hastings Borough Council, though it owns the freehold of the property and has been involved in the repair work, has no active involvement in marketing the property and will not vet prospective buyers or tenants, leaving that process to Sea Change. A council spokesperson said it will require information that shows the underlessee is able to perform the financial and other obligations set out in the lease. 

The financial performance of previous underlessees suggests that process has not been robustly performed in the past: all three companies – Lightening Leisure Ltd, Azur Marina Ltd and Azur Events Ltd each controlled by David Thorpe-Tracey – successively collapsed into insolvency over a 13-year period.

The council could also have a more direct influence on the current behaviour of Sea Change by restoring a representative as director on the company’s board – a right they have under its constitution. Between 2011 and 2022 successive council leaders, Peter Chowney, Kim Forward and Paul Barnett took up this role. Cllr Barnett resigned in March 2022 without replacement. 

A motion to appoint Green Party councillor Darren Mackenzie to the Sea Change board as the council’s representative was due for discussion in cabinet this week.

The council could also affect future leasehold occupation by more rigorous licensing of the premises and active scrutiny of its effects. Local community groups benefited from Mr Thorpe-Tracey’s open door policy in recent years, but neighbouring residents have complained that, under his successive regimes, a high level of anti-social behaviour fuelled by alcohol and drug abuse by customers was tolerated. Will a new owner change Azur’s profile? 

Meanwhile a fresh lease of the Sussex Exchange hospitality centre on Queensway, which was trading as a cinema, conference centre and restaurant until its operators went bust in July, is now being actively negotiated. A spokesperson for Sea Change, also the head lessee of this property, announced last week that an offer had been accepted, though it has so far declined to identify the prospective new operator. 

Council Hacked

Hastings Borough Council has been hit by a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack resulting in its website becoming unavailable for a day. Deputy Leader of Hastings Borough Council, Cllr Glenn Haffenden said: “The council’s web team has worked with our web provider to restore use, and the website is now available again. No personal information was able to be accessed during this incident but we apologise for any inconvenience this outage has caused.” DDoS attacks cause disruption by preventing users from accessing online services by overloading the server. The council says they are relatively low in sophistication and impact. HBC was one of a number of councils affected.

Rock Lane Housing Approved

A 26-house development on a greenfield site at Rock Lane on the fringe of Ore has been unanimously approved by the planning committee of Hastings Borough Council. Meeting on 24 October, the committee heard that, although the land in question is within the High Weald AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), it was already zoned for housing. A previous proposal put forward by Chichester-based house builders Jerboa Homes Ltd to build 29 units was refused in 2020 because of environmental concerns, but Jerboa’s revised proposals, at a lower density and offering 10 of the units as ‘affordable’ housing, were regarded as acceptable.

Local objectors had stressed in written submissions that the site was a natural habitat for local wildlife including badgers, foxes, mice and a host of birds; that there were already serious traffic and drainage issues in Rock Lane which this development would exacerbate; and that Ore’s existing infrastructure is already overburdened, lacking doctors’ and dentists’ surgeries, school places and public transport. None of these objections were given any weight in the committee discussion as against the pressing needs of the borough to reach its overall house building target: 481 homes per year, and to increase the supply of those that are ‘affordable’.

The planning committee was chaired by Green councillor Tony Collins and included representatives of all four political parties with seats on the council – Green, Labour, the (ex-Labour) Independent Group and Conservative. 

Money Exchange

Sea Change Sussex has revealed it is seeking £1.2 million for the hospitality venue it developed on the outskirts of Hastings on the Queensway South link road. The previous tenants of The Sussex Exchange ran it as a restaurant, bar, conference centre and cinema but became insolvent and went into administration earlier this year. The owners describe it as a “striking, contemporary, eco-friendly building on a 1.6-acre site in a countryside setting with parking for 67 vehicles”. If you don’t have the readies to buy the 999 year lease, you could rent the space for £100,000 a year – all sums plus VAT, naturally.

No Exchange

Sea Change Sussex is having problems with another of its properties – the Azur Marina Pavilion on St Leonards seafront. Despite claims by property agents, it has not been sold nor has an operator been found. The agent Fleurets’ website says the Azur has been “sold subject to contract”, but according to the head lessees Sea Change Sussex, despite “a good level of interest” it has not been sold. 

One reason for the delay is believed to be serious maintenance issues at the premises – including dilapidated fabric and peeling decoration plus problems relating to drainage and power supply. These are being addressed by both Sea Change and by the estates department of Hastings Borough Council, who own the freehold and retain responsibility for the power generator in a room at the western end of the property. 

The council has no active involvement in the marketing of the property, though as freeholder it says it will “require information that shows the proposed underlessee is able to perform the obligations (financial etc) set out in the lease”. 

The pavilion closed in January after its former lessee and operator, Azur Events Ltd, ran into financial trouble.

Dry Powder?

The Powdermill Hotel in Battle has closed, its staff made redundant and its entire contents are due to be sold as new owners consider their options. Although the closure is said to be temporary, the company that bought the hotel in July, Powdermills Prop Co UK Ltd, says reopening will only occur “once we are confident the business can operate viably”.

A post on social media said people whose weddings were cancelled received no apologies. Simon Sinden posted “Thank you Powdermill’s new owners for cancelling my wedding and making it more stressful for us.” An application to alter the Grade ll listed building which dates from the 17th century has been received by Rother District Council.

Sea Change had approved an assignment of the lease to Azur Events in 2016 despite its sole director David Thorpe-Tracey presiding over two previous periods of tenure which each ended in company insolvency – of Lightening Leisure Limited in 2011, then Azur Marina Limited in 2016. 

By 2019 Azur Events, too, appeared in financial trouble, unable to pay the rent for the premises, which by that time had risen to £90,000 per year, or to comply with repairing covenants. There was roof damage and increasing dilapidation. But when Sea Change eventually brought a winding-up petition in the High Court, the leasehold company counterclaimed, alleging that there had been mis-accounting and that a potential insurance claim had been pursued inadequately by Sea Change and/or by the freeholder, Hastings Borough Council.

Eleven months after the first court hearing in this dispute, Sea Change have accepted a surrender of the lease and taken back possession of the building. Their spokesperson has said that they will commission surveys to assess its condition and to identify any works necessary. They will then put the venue on the market to seek a suitable operator “so it can be re-opened for the local community as soon as possible”.

 Yoga classes and other hirers of the premises won’t be able to use the building in the short term. Sea Change are holding open the prospect of their return, however, “as soon as possible”.

Wallace and Gromit may not have been in attendance at the Azur, St Leonards on Monday but that did not prevent 200 London school children from experiencing a truly Grand Day Out.

Instead, Charity patron Jane Torvill, Hastings Deputy Mayor Heather Bishop and Scooby Doo himself made appearances – just a few of the VIPs at this lively charitable event.

Deputy Mayor Heather Bishop said: “I’d like to acknowledge the fantastic benificence of the Albany taxi charity which Hastings so welcomes and salutes.”

Thanks to Hastings’ year-round fundraising, the 200 school children with special needs and learning disabilities are escorted in 50 gleaming and decorated hackney carriages to experience the delights of the sea, local attractions, song, dance and fish and chips in St Leonards – and Monday June 12 they hit the weather jackpot.

Jane Torvill said: “I’ve been to Hastings in all weathers, from pouring it down to sunshine but today is just beautiful.”

When asked what she enjoyed most about the event Ms Torvill said, “the looks on the children’s faces, it makes you feel so happy that they are, and of course they get to eat fish and chips!”

The Albany Taxi Charity was originally created by a group of cabbies based on Albany Road, London, simply wanting to do something to help. They decided on donating their time to take selected pupils for a day by the sea. The charity expanded quickly, with Hastings Friends of Albany Taxi Charity establishing itself in 1992.

Stella, one of the original Hastings committee members, is rightly proud of the event. She said, “The taxi drivers do this all for nothing, then when they arrive the children have so much fun. Most of them have never even seen the sea before.” 

Stella will be stepping back from her organising role this year, but the Friends will continue to fundraise throughout the year to ensure the event continues. As well as food, live entertainment and A-list celebrities like Scooby Doo, the children round off the day with a goody bag filled with toys, books and party items to take home. All of this is achieved through donations and the hard work of volunteers.

As an observer I was struck by the impressive sight of rows of gleaming black cabs, the sheer joy on the faces of the children, the palpable excitement in the Azur, and the unbelievable dedication and generosity of the people behind it all.

A Grand Day Out indeed.

In that year, Hastings and Bexhill Renaissance Limited (trading as Sea Space) obtained planning permission from Hastings Borough Council in that year to redevelop the site by building a single-storey structure above it on the upper promenade. This scheme added a restaurant and ancillary kitchen at the higher level. At the same time the lounge was refurbished to provide a conference centre and other function rooms.

Permission was granted against considerable opposition from English Heritage and local conservationists, concerned at the visual impact on the nearby listed buildings of Burton St Leonards.

Sea Space took a long lease from Hastings Borough Council, which is the freehold owner, and financed the redevelopment with public ‘regeneration’ funds reported as totalling over £1.946m – £1.713m from SEEDA (the South-East England Development Agency) plus £233,000 from the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund). 

First and second underleases

In 2008 Sea Space underlet the premises to a company Lightening Leisure Limited (LLL) under the direction of co-shareholders David Thorpe-Tracey and Allison Luzar, who introduced the Azur branding. Within a year Mr Thorpe-Tracey bought a majority shareholding in LLL, and he became sole director from December 2009. In 2012 the company was dissolved owing £345,000 to Sea Space plus approximately £280,000 to HMRC in unpaid PAYE, NIC and VAT.

A fresh company Azur Marina Limited formed by Mr Thorpe-Tracey and his new partner Dean Williamson was offered a replacement underlease by Sea Space with a term of 65 years from May 2011. Their new company accepted full repairing obligations and liability to pay an initial rent of £50,000 per annum, raised on review to £60,000. 

Once again Mr Thorpe-Tracey was appointed as sole director and in 2012/13 he largely bought out Mr Williamson’s shares. In October 2014 the superior lease was passed from Sea Space to a freshly formed ‘regeneration’ company East Sussex Energy Infrastructure and Development Limited (trading as Sea Change, later Sea Change Sussex) at a price of £500,000. 

By 2016, however, Azur Marina too was hopelessly insolvent. Its winding up in July of that year left unsecured creditors owed £312,500, including £132,000 to British Gas and £112,500 to Sea Change.

Third time round

It might be imagined that by this time the management of Sea Change would steer away from further dealings with any company owned or directed by Mr Thorpe-Tracey. But, no, a third company of which Mr Thorpe-Tracey was (or would shortly become) sole director and majority shareholder, Azur Events Limited, was approved by Sea Change to take over the lease. 

The eventual final report of the liquidation of Azur Marina referred to “an investigation into the conduct of the Company’s Director” and to a resulting “confidential” report submitted by the joint liquidators to the Insolvency Service in September 2016, which has never been revealed. But Azur Events, under Mr Thorpe-Tracey’s direction, has continued to have full charge of the business, though not, according to Sea Change’s spokesperson (see page 1), making full rent payments nor, from casual observation, maintaining its obligations to repair and decorate.

The balance sheet of the last filed company accounts of Azur Events shows net liabilities as a little under £42,000.

Sea Change has not disclosed the amount of debt on which its winding-up petition for hearing on 1 March is based nor whether there are any other creditors who may be seeking joinder.

Read about the Azur’s precarious future here.

The future of the Azur Marina Pavilion on St Leonards seafront will be at stake next Wednesday 1 March in the High Court in London. The company which owns and manages it, Azur Events Limited, faces a winding-up order on a petition brought by the freehold owner Sea Change Sussex (the trading name of East Sussex Energy Infrastructure and Development Limited) for rent arrears under its lease. 

According to a spokesperson for Sea Change, Azur Events has been given “additional time” and rent reductions both pre- and post-Covid, but “has failed to keep up with payments due under the lease, and the amount we’re owed has continued to grow throughout much of the lease term”.

The issue of the petition is described on behalf of Sea Change as “a last resort action on our part – not a decision we’ve taken lightly. We’ll see what the court decides at the hearing on 1 March and hope the matter gets resolved swiftly so the property can continue to be of benefit to the local community for years to come.”

No doubt, Sea Change’s reference to the local community stems from its role – and that of its predecessor Sea Space – in managing public sector ‘regeneration’ funds in East Sussex over the past two decades. More particularly, it must be mindful of its record of financial losses in relation to the Azur premises for almost the whole of that period. For a full history, see page 3: Azur Time Goes By.

Future prospects

Sea Change has not disclosed at this stage what debt is due. It may be that, notwithstanding the two previous insolvencies of the successive lessee companies managed by sole director David Thorpe-Tracey (see his statement below), Azur Events is able to persuade the court that it has a reasonable prospect of paying off the debt or otherwise persuading its creditors to allow it to continue trading. It seems to be continuing to take bookings (and perhaps deposits) for future events such as weddings. 

However, there are other indications at the premises that the company’s finances are geared to the shorter term and that repair and decoration provisions in the lease are being disregarded. A sign posted on the window of the premises last weekend (next to one advertising Christmas parties which has yet to be removed) states that customers’ payments are being accepted on a cash-only basis. On casual observation the windows are filthy with loose metal panels. The roof also appears in poor condition with a patchwork of repairs. It is difficult to see how the business can be revived without a large injection of fresh capital. 

So why hasn’t Sea Change taken steps to forfeit the lease and begin again? That’s not a conversation which anyone representing that company seems willing to enter into. 

Stop the Press!

On Monday afternoon, as our news pages were going to press, David Thorpe-Tracey provided a statement on behalf of Azur Events. In it he alleges that Sea Change and Hastings Borough Council have together prevaricated on an intended purchase by his company of the head lease, and that Sea Change has increased the annual rent from £60,000 to £90,000 despite the Covid-19 lockdown, while being itself responsible for major building defects at the premises including a “substandard” roof, an “inadequate Victorian drainage system”, and incorrect installation of heating and air conditioning units. The statement also challenges the amount of the debt claimed in the winding-up process.

“For the past 15 years,” Mr Thorpe-Tracey says, “Azur has been a hub for the community, supporting local businesses, community groups and charities, providing award-winning customer service to thousands of local residents and visitors from outside the area who have chosen to hold some of the most important days of their lives at Azur such as weddings, anniversary celebrations, birthdays and, sadly, end of life services”.

He asks: “What is going to happen to the 45-plus functions that are already booked to take place in 2023/24, and what will happen to safeguarding the deposits from those 45 events, as well as the safeguarding of the St. Leonards Studio and Babilicious, regular and repeat businesses that are only able to use Azur due to its location and its square footage?” 

Who’s responsible?

And what about Hastings Borough Council (HBC)? As the freehold owner of the site, it is Sea Change’s ultimate landlord at the site with  powers to oversee Sea Change’s tenure by enforcing obligations under its superior lease.

It is also registered on the Companies House file as being a “person with significant control” of Sea Change, which should mean that it holds more than 25% of the voting rights in the company – Rother District Council and East Sussex County Council likewise.  However, the Articles of Association adopted at the outset of the company in 2011 gave the three councils only a combined vote of 19.9%. The director appointed by Rother, Cllr Kevin Dixon, resigned from the board in February 2022, citing “lack of progress on key projects” and “constant disagreements with the three local authorities”, and informing his council in an open meeting that “the reputational damage to myself and to the Council of being associated with Sea Change is just too great”.  HBC’s leader, Cllr Paul Barnett, followed suit in March 2022, and has taken no steps to appoint any successor on the board.

In short, HBC seems intent on avoiding any responsibility for the conduct of Sea Change, though whether this avoidance is in the best interest of its citizens may come under fresh scrutiny in present circumstances.

There may (or may not) be fresh disclosures at, or as a result of, the hearing on 1 March.

Read about the Azur’s chequered past here.

There’s always been a sense of occasion, often with hot drinks and food provided by generous individuals or groups and sometimes live music, with a real sense of community spirit that seems to pop up out of nowhere. 

I hesitated this year, put off by the dull weather and not wishing to hurry the big family breakfast we have on Christmas morning – currently a four-generation get-together – but was eventually persuaded as my wife, daughter and two grandchildren were leaving the house. And I’m so glad I went.

CREDIT: Kathy Bor

It was very different this year. Probably spurred on by limited opportunities to get together over the last couple of years, the beach was full of people, some swimming, some about to swim and some chatting in lively groups, experiencing the exhilaration of the cold water, either in person or vicariously. It reminded me of the fantasy scenes played out in films and on TV – or perhaps just in A Christmas Carol – where people spontaneously gather outside on Christmas Day in ‘a happy throng’, all rosy cheeks and smiling faces. 

Experiencing a sense of togetherness on a cold beach in the depths of winter seems to work wonders. Long may it continue.

• For those who like sea swimming all year round see  Facebook groups Hastings and St Leonards Azur Swimmers
or the St Leonards Blue Tits. 

Hastings will celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) on Sunday 10 March by way of a special free event organised by Hastings Women’s Voice.  Following a short march from the pier, the event itself will take place at the Azur Marina Pavilion and will run from 2 – 4pm.  All are welcome to attend this afternoon, which will feature music, theatre, discussion and taster sessions.

International Women’s Day in Hastings 2018
PICTURE: Hastings Women’s Voice

Started in the early 1900s by suffragettes from a number of countries, the first officially named IWD event was held in 1911. Ever since then the day continues to be a powerful global platform that unifies a drive for gender parity, whilst at the same time celebrating the social, cultural, economic and political achievements of women.

Ann Kramer the chair of Hastings Women’s Voice says: “This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is ‘Balance for Better’, and this reflects our continuing commitment to equality for all women.”  The IWD website says of this theme – “Let’s build a gender-balanced world. Balance is not a women’s issue, it’s a business issue. The race is on for the gender-balanced boardroom, a gender-balanced government, gender-balanced media coverage, a gender-balance of employees, more gender-balance in wealth, gender-balanced sports coverage … Gender balance is essential for economies and communities to thrive.” 

Hastings Women’s Voice have been active since 2006, were officially constituted in 2010, and gained charitable status in 2016. Their overall aim is to promote women’s empowerment and to support equality for women locally, nationally and internationally. Moreover they aim to bring together women from different backgrounds to raise awareness and understanding of their respective lives. Ann Kramer tells me that the group’s long term goal is to establish a thriving women’s centre in the town. 

The community group will also use this occasion of this year’s IWD to launch a new project ‘Finding Our Voice’, which will be run throughout the coming year.  This initiative has several strands which will ultimately combine to establish a much needed women’s peer support network in Hastings and St Leonards. Working to form such a powerful yet informal network is so important after years of austerity and cuts have eroded resource levels and particularly disadvantaged low income women. 

There will be a creative aspect to the project which will enable women to develop practical creative skills in a number of workshops. Alongside this there will be opportunities to be involved in cooking and physical fitness activities. ‘Speakers Corner’ will enable participants to develop public speaking skills and to become more empowered in conversation. There will be free taster sessions for the different strands of ‘Finding Our Voice’ at Sunday’s event.

The ‘Finding Our Voice’ project has been made possible after Hastings Women’s Voice were awarded money from the Tampon Tax Fund (TTF). What is the TTF? Tampons and other sanitary protection products are currently classed as ‘luxury’, ‘non-essential’ products. Whilst the government has committed to ending the 5% VAT still paid on these items, they claim it is a complicated process to do this under current EU legislation. Until such time as this clearly discriminatory added cost is stopped, the government has pledged that the £15m raised by the levy annually will be dispersed to support women’s health and support charities. This year one of the benefactors is Hastings Women’s Voice.

Ann Kramer, who is a local writer, historian and activist with over 50 books to her name, is also collaborating with Ashley McCormick, the Head of Learning & Participation at the De La Warr Pavilion to give an interactive talk called ‘Turbulent Spinsters and Badass Sisters’ at 2pm on Friday 8th March at the De La Warr Pavilion. This talk will focus on stories about local women’s fight for suffrage and celebrate the power of sisterhood. It will involve an exhibition walk-through and discussion around suffrage, resistance strategies, feminist discourse and social justice.

• All those who want to take part in the march and subsequent events to celebrate IWD are invited to assemble outside the pier at 1.00pm on Sunday. Doors will be open from 1.45pm. Children are welcome, and tea and coffee
will be provided.