Last chance for Tower Pavilion in Skegness?

The principle of Skegness Town Council continuing with plans to replace the 1870s Tower Pavilion in Tower Gardens with an alternative facility will be debated at tonight’s (Wednesday, November 1) full council meeting.

Proposals for the original community hub incorporating a museum, a cafe and a nursery followed a £50,000 grant awarded to Skegness Partnership in December last year by the Coastal Revival Fund. Back in March all had been looking encouraging when the plans successfully got through the initial stages with funders, the Coastal Communities Fund.

However, in April the partnership with the town council, which had spent months creating proposals estimated to have “cost the town £100,000”, were left struggling to understand the reason their bid had been rejected.

The council had even increased the precept for 2016-17 to generate £30,000 to kickstart the project when approved and East Lindsey District Council had also granted planning approval for the work to go ahead.

Following rejection by the Coastal Revival Fund, the town council has spent the summer looking for a way forward.

Town Clerk Steve Larner said: “During the meeting, councillors will debate whether to start consultation on the principle of the Town Council funding a replacement for the pavilion from the precept.

“The replacement would be single storey and, therefore, considerably smaller.

“The ambition is for it to be community focused, aimed at Skegness residents and perhaps for it to be more ‘pavilion’ like than the previous proposal.

“There is still the possibility of adding a Heritage Centre at a later stage, if external funding can be found.”

“The council will only take this forward if the local community show sufficient support for the idea.

“Realistically, this is the last chance for Skegness Town Council to be involved in the future of the site.”

Tonight’s meeting will be held at the Town Hall, starting at 7pm.