The Beach Tavern public house is back up for auction, the news was announced by Clive Emson Auctioneers in a media release issued today—Bay Life, 2 March 2016
The future of the Beach Tavern public house in Pevensey Bay is to be decided at a public auction later this month
Auctioneers Clive Emson informed us today (March 2) that ‘at the Brighton auction on March 18, Pevensey Bay’s Beach Tavern will be coming back up for sale’.
The short statement from the largest regional land and property auctioneers in the country, confirms the news that had been widely rumoured in the community over the last month.
The future of the public house has been the subject of much controversy in the community since news was announced of the proposed sale by auction back in November last year.
The proposal was that the sale would come to auction on 15 December 2015 at the Brighton Metropole Hotel.
Bay Life discovered more about the proposed sale. It was known at the time that there was interest in the bidding process locally and also interest from outside the region.
At the time, a campaign group, the Friends of Pevensey Bay Library was founded. The campaign started because issues about the old library, yards away, in Richmond Road, seemed to have become mired in a legal dispute.
Pevensey Bay has been waiting for over a year for the library to return, whilst an issue about flooding is resolved.
At the time the Friends of Pevensey Bay Library (1 December 1 2015) sought to nominate the Beach Tavern as an asset of community value with Wealden Council.
At the time (December 3) Bay Life talked to the auctioneers responsible for the proposed sale. Sam Kinloch on behalf of Clive Emson Autioneers was open to hearing about matters of concern over the proposed sale but chose not to comment about the matter.
He told us, ‘we were not aware of the fact that an application to see the building nominated as a community asset has been lodged and obviously I can not say anything about the matter, but I will draw the attention of our client’s solicitor to this matter’.
Then proposed auction of the public house in the interim was removed from the auction to be held in Brighton on 15 December.
The nomination was unsuccessful, with news of the decision made by Wealden District Council published on their website on 22 January 2016.
The Friends of Peveney Bay Library is now focused on persuading East Sussex County Council of the need to see that whatever repairs are necessary at the old library site are now undertaken as a matter of urgency.
The early evidence shows today, given all the circumstances, that the proposed auction of the Beach Tavern Public House is being welcomed second time round.
Bay Life talked to a local business owner this morning and it was clear that there was support for the sale, whether this sentiment will be shared by the local business community and residents is to be seen, but there appears to be positive feedback with regard to the sale.
It has been interesting to see something of a buzz of activity around the Beach Tavern, with knots of people with what appears to be notebooks at hand standing outside the building and viewing the building from a number of perspectives.
Whilst it is not clear if these groups of people have taken an interest in the proposed sale, it seems likely that there may be a connection with the proposed sale, it being a little cold for local artists to be making sketches of character buildings in the locality this morning.
People may well still add a rider to their support. The particulars, it is worth noting, are the same with regard to the proposed sale.
BEACH TAVERN PARTICULARS—CLIVE EMSON SOLICITORS
A fabulous opportunity to acquire this detached public house situated in a prominent position in Pevensey Bay.
The pub has been in the same ownership for many years and offers off-road parking, a good size bar area with dance floor and two bedroom manager’s flat with sea views from the terrace.
Pevensey Bay is situated 7 miles west of Bexhill and 5.5 miles east of Eastbourne and is known as the landing place of William the Conqueror and his army in 1066. Pevensey Castle still stands today attracting many visitors each year.
Conveniently located close to local shops and amenities and with good road links to the A259/A27 the Beach Tavern has been previously let to provide a good income.
Now in need of some refurbishment and re-decoration the Beach Tavern is considered ideal for owner occupation or could again be let to provide a good income. Alternatively it is considered the site could be re-developed to provide residential accommodation or may be suitable for a supermarket chain or similar commercial space, subject to all necessary consents being obtainable.
Interested applicants are advised to make their own enquiries with the Local Planning Authority, the Wealden District Council. Tel: 01323 443322. Website: wealden.gov.uk.
The fear by the community that Pevensey Bay may be seeing a Tesco XPress or Sainsburys Local on the site seemed to have abated somewhat.
It is noteworthy that the particulars still include the possibility of the site being suitable for “a supermarket chain or similar commercial space”, but there seemed to be little concern amongst people today who we talked to locally of such an eventuality. “I would not think so’ was one comment from a business figure we talked to locally, as news got round today of the second auction.
What will happen? We are about to see something big happening in the Bay, which will certainly be new is the most that can be said, as the news broke.
Without question, the Beach Tavern occupies a pivotal position in the community. The history of the building is fascinating. As well as being ‘The Honey Pot Tea Rooms’, the building, we are reliably informed, was also the first publicly accessible place in the village for people to watch television, with the coronation of the Queen seen by people in the location in 1953.
Certainly, whoever buys the public house will be cognisant of the community held view that a supermarket chain would not be welcomed by a wide segment of the people living locally.
District Councillor, Dianne Dear, also publisher of Bay life, at the time (3 December 2015) said ““I’m concerned about who will buy especially as a big supermarket chain could take over and ruin Pevensey Bay”
The best possible scenario is perhaps that all the publicity over the proposed sale has increased a sense of the importance of the site to the community and the potential value to the community and new owners.
The Beach Tavern may or may not be a public house again.
Perhaps there is an opportunity here to see the location developed as something that will be of interest to both residents and as a part of a visitor destination experience. Without question, the profile of Pevensey Bay with regard to the economic and social regeneration of the area has seen a small, but marked increase in grant and lottery provision.
Local authorities such as Wealden Council have also played a full part in enabling the village and Pevensey to promote various events, such as the annual ‘Wealden Food and Wine Festival’, which this summer could well see 10,000 people in the area over a weekend. Much has been done to encourage local business activity. The seedcorn funding has been welcomed. The support for local economic and social initiatives has been noteworthy. Some of these projects look as if they may become sustainable features in the community.
The profiling of community based events has also seen an uptake in the last few years.
We will see what happens.
Has the publicity and controversy about the sale of the Beach Tavern benefited the profile of the community? Has all the publicity helped or hindered the potential sale of the property?
The community of course has no direct relationship with the sale or involvement in the sale, beyond finding out about a new owner and what is proposed.
Impossible to say, but do look carefully, a trace of the proposed sale on 15 December still survives on the net. The auctioneers, quite rightly, posted information that the proposed sale of the site had been withdrawn as soon a they were made aware of the wishes of the owners.
The particulars for the 15 December auction last year though, are still available through the Right Move site, the same particulars appear and the same guide price.
The new particulars for sale with Clive Emson Auctioneers are the same, but the guide price has seen a nudge. The Beach Tavern had a guideline price of £350,000 for the auction on 15 December 2015. The Beach Tavern now has a guideline price for the auction on 18 March 2016 of £350,000 + (note the plus sign).
The value of the property is without question. The public house occupies a ‘cornerstone’ position not just in the affections of the Bay, but centre stage for everyone coming in both directions into the Bay and within yards of the Beach.
With an increase in the profile of the Bay in all kinds of ways, what we are seeing with the Beach Tavern and potential new owners, whatever happens (hopefully with a community base of some description attached to the plan) is most certainly a challenge, but also a real opportunity.
The word character come to mind. The site really is in a key location. What we are seeing working in rural communities, are ‘destination service locations’ of all kinds of description. Those independent businesses that appear to work best are often, but not exclusively, inspired by local entrepreneurs seeing opportunities within communities that are already part of the heritage of those villages.
Without question, if we are to see new owners emerging at the Beach Tavern following a sale on March 18, there will need to be input and support of some kind from the community for the venture to work.
The auction on March 18 is to be held at the Metropole Hotel in Brighton commencing at 11:00am. The Beach Tavern Public House comprises Lot No. 85.
Links to the auction, and further details about the sale are available here.
Simon Montgomery
editor, Bay Life
