The Heritage Lottery Fund’s board received an update on the situation regarding Hastings Pier when it met yesterday (Tuesday May 22) a spokesman for the organisation confirmed this morning.

Meanwhile a spokesman for Smith and Williamson, the administrators of Hastings Pier told Hastings In Focus he did not expect “to release any commentary on Hastings this week.”

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According to is website the Heritage Lottery Fund is due to have a ‘strategic’ meeting today (Tuesday May 22) and thought to be high on the agenda is the future of Hastings Pier.

Could the pier have a new owner by the end of the day? It’s entirely possible.

The last two months have seen frantic activity by Friends of Hastings Pier. The group has staged a public meeting, written a business plan, revised that business plan, set up a Crowdfunding campaign and engaged a world leading expert in events and entertainment to create a vision that describes in detail what could happen on top of the pier given the right leadership and the right investment.

Although no one will admit as much the Crowdfunding campaign has failed to catch the public’s imagination. The fundraising campaign must achieve its goal of raising £500,000 by May 31st, the appeal page says: “This project will only be funded if at least £500,000 is pledged by 9pm 31st May 2018.” To achieve that the appeal would need to bring in just under £48,000 per day and on average so far it has achieved only around £3,000 per day on average.

The decision on the future of the pier rest in the hands of the administrators a company called Smith and Williamson but the views of the Heritage Lottery Fund, the public body that funded so much of the cost of rebuilding Hastings Pier after the devastating fire of 2010, will play a large part in the decision making process.

With losses currently running at what is thought to be around £50,000 per month the administrators simply cannot let thing go indefinitely they need to find a buyer who can take over responsibility for the running costs of the pier and for the future development of what is clearly a much loved Hastings landmark.

We’ve been looking back over what has been a relatively short period of time and if you want to refresh your memory here are a selection of the key stories that we have brought you on what we dubbed “The new battle of Hastings”…

The biggest job’s already done – now it’s time to make the pier earn its keep

It’s now or never! D-day dawns for the Friends of Hastings Pier

A Roman Forum for the 21st century – eat drink and be merry is the recipe for future of the pier

In words AND pictures – the 21st century vision for Hastings Pier

Crowdfunder… making it easier for you to help save Hastings Pier

https://hastingsinfocus.co.uk/2018/05/08/unequal-race-puts-community-ownership-of-pier-in-jeopardy-says-friends-as-another-deadline-looms/

Pier architects put their money where their mouth is!

The people’s pier project… has anyone asked the people what they want?

There is a plan for Hastings Pier… and here it is

The new Battle of Hastings? The fight continues for control of the pier

And the link to the Crowdfunding page

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/fohp2018/