Welcome to the Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust Website
We want to see a community-owned 21st century pier serving residents and visitors with a year-round offer of leisure & pleasure, education & entertainment, arts, business & job opportunities.
Hastings Pier needs your help right now.
Closed since June 2006, and abandoned by its off-shore owners, the pier will continue to deteriorate unless we bring it into community ownership and get on with the restoration. This can be done with just £4 million – the same as the cost of demolition – but all the funders have said we must have a ‘prospect of ownership’.
The Council can do this through a Compulsory Purchase and a back-to-back agreement to pass the pier straight over to the Trust. Help us get a commitment from the Council to start the compulsory purchase process right now.
The pier is at the heart of the vibrant seaside towns of Hastings and St Leonards, and appears on practically every photo.
We need to show how strong the feeling is. Here is your chance to help save the pier.
7th December 2009 – Open Meeting Heralds New Era for Pier & Hastings
The Pier Pledge
Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust invited the candidates from the 3 main political parties represented in the St Helens By-Election to attend an open meeting to present our plans for the Pier, discuss, and seek their support in signing the Pier Pledge to compulsorily purchase the pier for handover to the Trust as soon as possible.
All candidates signed the pledge, joining all the other political candidates for the St Helens By-election in their agreement to support the approval to compulsorily purchase the Pier.
25th November 2009 – Devastation of Withdrawn Grant
Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust have just learned of the withdrawal of a previously awarded £4000 Campaign grant as a result of the Minister for Third Sector’s decision to reallocate funds that had already been promised to small community/voluntary groups elsewhere. This is a bitter blow to our campaigning funds. We are currently appealing the decision.
Hastings Borough Council released a Press Release confirming the end of Private Investor interest in the Pier. Read press release here. We respond:
“We have always said that expecting a private sector solution was like waiting for a fairy godmother …. Our approach is very different …. we don’t need to make a profit for shareholders…. We hope, at last, the Council will engage properly with the Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust – it really is the only solution left.”
Listen to the BBC Radio Sussex Interview using controls below.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
16th November 2009 – Margaret Hodge MP Gives Support to the Pier Trust
Margaret Hodge, Government Minister for Culture & Tourism, visited the Pier Trust on Monday with Michael Foster MP for Hastings to discuss strategies for compulsory purchase of the pier with a back-to-back agreement to handover the Pier to the Trust. Starting the compulsory purchase process would allow the Trust to make progress with external funding bids – at the moment without ‘prospect of ownership’ funders can’t look at the Trust’s plans. She has already told Hastings Borough Council that the Government sees no barrier to the Council undertaking Compulsory Purchase and she plans to write to them to encourage a more integrated approach to the seafront
Hastings St Helens Ward By-Election 10th December 2009
We are asking candidates to take the Pier Pledge and promise that they will:
Work to get a Cabinet/ Council vote on the future ownership of the pier.
Vote for Compulsory Purchase to take the pier from the owners who have abandoned it and transfer it to the Hastings Pier and White Rock Trust.
Support any external funding applications the Trust might make to save council taxpayers’ money.
Download the Pier By-Election Posters & Leaflets (PDF):
Every small action counts. We cannot afford for the pier to decline any more: business, tourism and families are losing out. There is a lot more you can do to make this the People’s Pier: get involved and bring back the joy of walking on the waves.
Saving The Pier – Watch the video
HPWRT: a Trust for the People’s Pier
The Hastings Pier and White Rock Trust (HPWRT) is working to save the pier, restore it to a thriving, sustainable pier and support regeneration in the surrounding White Rock area. Read more about us here.
The Trust has talked to professional experts, the public, plus potential funders and have produced a bold, exciting proposal, which is continually under review. See here for details.
Sign up for our newsletter here.
Please enter your email to keep up to date with HPWRT news.
Welcome to the Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust Website
We want to see a community-owned 21st century pier serving residents and visitors with a year-round offer of leisure & pleasure, education & entertainment, arts, business & job opportunities.
Hastings Pier needs your help right now.
Closed since June 2006, and abandoned by its off-shore owners, the pier will continue to deteriorate unless we bring it into community ownership and get on with the restoration. This can be done with just £4 million – the same as the cost of demolition – but all the funders have said we must have a ‘prospect of ownership’.
The Council can do this through a Compulsory Purchase and a back-to-back agreement to pass the pier straight over to the Trust. Help us get a commitment from the Council to start the compulsory purchase process right now.
The pier is at the heart of the vibrant seaside towns of Hastings and St Leonards, and appears on practically every photo.
We need to show how strong the feeling is. Here is your chance to help save the pier.
Download (PDF) 2008 Proposals for the Redevelopment of Hastings Pier. Soon to be updated with 2010 Proposals.
NEWS AND EVENTS
13th December 2009 – NEW Save the Pier Video
The Battle for Hastings Pier Video
10th December 2009 – HPWRT Congratulate New St Helens Elected Representative
Press Release
7th December 2009 – Open Meeting Heralds New Era for Pier & Hastings
The Pier Pledge
Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust invited the candidates from the 3 main political parties represented in the St Helens By-Election to attend an open meeting to present our plans for the Pier, discuss, and seek their support in signing the Pier Pledge to compulsorily purchase the pier for handover to the Trust as soon as possible.
Read the Press Release here (pdf format)
All candidates signed the pledge, joining all the other political candidates for the St Helens By-election in their agreement to support the approval to compulsorily purchase the Pier.
All photos courtesy of Adam Piggott.
View other images of the meeting here
25th November 2009 – Devastation of Withdrawn Grant
Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust have just learned of the withdrawal of a previously awarded £4000 Campaign grant as a result of the Minister for Third Sector’s decision to reallocate funds that had already been promised to small community/voluntary groups elsewhere. This is a bitter blow to our campaigning funds. We are currently appealing the decision.
Read the articles printed 23 November in Regeneration & Renewal here. Sign the Petition to appeal the decision here.
18th November 2009 – Press Release
Hastings Borough Council released a Press Release confirming the end of Private Investor interest in the Pier. Read press release here. We respond:
“We have always said that expecting a private sector solution was like waiting for a fairy godmother …. Our approach is very different …. we don’t need to make a profit for shareholders…. We hope, at last, the Council will engage properly with the Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust – it really is the only solution left.”
Read the full Pier Trust’s response to today’s Hastings Borough Council Press Release.
The Pier Trust also spoke with BBC South East News who reported the Press Release.
See the BBC news report here.
Listen to the BBC Radio Sussex Interview using controls below.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
16th November 2009 – Margaret Hodge MP Gives Support to the Pier Trust
Margaret Hodge, Government Minister for Culture & Tourism, visited the Pier Trust on Monday with Michael Foster MP for Hastings to discuss strategies for compulsory purchase of the pier with a back-to-back agreement to handover the Pier to the Trust. Starting the compulsory purchase process would allow the Trust to make progress with external funding bids – at the moment without ‘prospect of ownership’ funders can’t look at the Trust’s plans. She has already told Hastings Borough Council that the Government sees no barrier to the Council undertaking Compulsory Purchase and she plans to write to them to encourage a more integrated approach to the seafront
Hastings St Helens Ward By-Election 10th December 2009
We are asking candidates to take the Pier Pledge and promise that they will:
Download the Pier By-Election Posters & Leaflets (PDF):
Vote for the Pier! Ask Your Candidate – 5 Facts
The Pier is a Political Decision Carry On & Vote Pier!
Vote Pier Obama Style View Pier Block Style
Find Out More Information About the Pier Campaign
Understand the pier campaign.
Join the campaign.
Click here to sign the petition!
Join our supporter list!
Become a member!
Put a poster in your window!
Write to the Council!
Help with fundraising.
Every small action counts. We cannot afford for the pier to decline any more: business, tourism and families are losing out. There is a lot more you can do to make this the People’s Pier: get involved and bring back the joy of walking on the waves.
Saving The Pier – Watch the video
HPWRT: a Trust for the People’s Pier
The Hastings Pier and White Rock Trust (HPWRT) is working to save the pier, restore it to a thriving, sustainable pier and support regeneration in the surrounding White Rock area. Read more about us here.
The Trust has talked to professional experts, the public, plus potential funders and have produced a bold, exciting proposal, which is continually under review. See here for details.
Sign up for our newsletter here.
Please enter your email to keep up to date with HPWRT news.