Pevensey Town Trust Response: The Journal is wholly inaccurate and misleading
A crisis is growing in Pevensey Town Trust, the organisation responsible for the upkeep of the Court House Gaol, and Museum in Pevensey, writes Simon Montgomery
The organisation took over ownership of the Cattle Market Car Park on behalf of the Court House and Museum in 2009.
The trust is known to have received at least £80,000 from the car park between 2009 and 2014, and it is believed that the figure now is significantly higher.
Ex chair of the Trust, Peter Evans is known to have commented to a number of local residents, “if you knew how much money we had in our bank account, you would be amazed”.
Peter Evans, who has now resigned told Bay Life in 2016, “I do not talk to the local press in case I might be misconstrued”.
Minutes from the Trust, now published describe the ‘healthy nature’ of their finances.
The constitution of the trust, states their objectives as being, ‘to maintain the assets of the Court House and Gaol & Museum and Car Park and Market Square, steeped in history, our aim is to refurbish and maintain these assets for the benefit of visitors from the UK, overseas and for future generations to enjoy and visit’.
The issue of the parking charge in the Cattle Market Car Park in Pevensey and failure to see that the money is disbursed to help the profile of the area appears to have reached breaking point.
Business owner Francesca Di Palma, at the Castle Cottage Tea Room wrote to the Trust three times before she received the courtesy of a reply.
She told the trust in her third letter “it is with regret, disappointment and intense frustration that I am compelled once again to write regarding parking charges in Pevensey. It would appear that despite your charitable status and the associated implication of a benevolence towards the local community, you are seemingly unable even to extend me the courtesy of acknowledging all previous correspondence”.
Local tourism officer, Jayne Howard, who has been resident in Pevensey for many years, told Bay Life (24 January) “as a Pevensey resident of nigh on 30 years, I do have sympathy with the proprietor of the Castle Cottage Tea Rooms, and indeed all businesses seeking to survive in the village.
“Pevensey seems to have several unelected and unaccountable bodies shaping village life and managing, without scrutiny or account, alarmingly large swathes of the locale. A glance at the Charities Commission returns reveals they are incredibly wealthy to boot.
“With local businesses reliant on tourism and central government controls becoming ever tighter on local Council budgets – and as a Tourism officer in a neighbouring Council – I should know, these organisations should be promoting and supporting the village as a whole be it pub, castle, walk or event and not simply involved in their own environs”.
Information provided to Bay Life suggests that the Trust has spent £2,500 in legal fees to change their status, aims and objectives, although the motives for these changes are not clear.
Pevensey residents are now being petitioned by a group of local people in the village detailing aspects of the work of the Trust that are causing alarm.
The petition suggests “the Pevensey Town Trust intend to change the existing trust into a charitable incorporated organisation and carry out alterations to the building without consulting the residents of Pevensey”.
In their defence the Pevensey Town Trust has circulated a leaflet in the village explaining that ‘you will see improvements starting this Winter and Spring’.
New heaters are being installed, the lower area and cells are being renovated and old plaster and paint are being replaced.
The Pevensey Town Trust is known to have had at least £64,000 in their bank account up until a recent point.
The Trust also says that they only meet every 8 or 9 weeks, that they are all volunteers and that they are all local people.
A volunteer explained to Bay Life “it would be good if you could help us and if you could do something because we are down to six volunteers now and we fear that the museum might close”.
“Did you know”, as one correspondent put it to us, “that the Trust takes up to £1,000 a week from the car park?”
The most precious civic asset in the community held in trust is The Court House, Museum and Gaol. The role of the trustees looks set to become the focus of a significant debate in the community.
On the most popular Facebook feed in the community, pevenseybayvillage, with 2,000 likes, the situation has created uproar.
The adminstrator of the page entered the debate questioning the parking charge at a time when the museum and gaol is closed.
“I’m parking on Eastbourne seafront for free this morning due to the time of year. Should the Town Trust change their policy and end parking charges in Pevensey during the winter months to support local businesses? Discuss,” they say. In response, a flurry of comment has been unleashed.
In defence of the parking charges, Barbara Molog says, “this is mischievous misinformation the top car park is free and all monies raised support the maintenance of the Heritage buildings”
Debby Fitton, the landlady of the well regarded community public house in Pevensey Village, the Royal Oak and Castle Inn, gives a measured response.
“I would like to clarify that there are 8 parking spaces and 2 disabled parking spaces around the market square when parked in correctly (and why is this being called the top car park?) parking was stopped on the market square some 6 +years ago.
“These spaces are used by local residents that cannot park outside their homes on the High Street and by the residents in the pub, limiting the ‘free’ space. Added to which all businesses in the village have staff that need to arrive in cars thus limiting ‘free’ space even more, when available”.
In the online debate the contributions show a mixture of scathing anger and disbelief aimed towards the Pevensey Town Trust.
There are only two contributions that attempt to show the trustees in a positive light.
Barbara Molog in suggesting there is mischievous information, forgets to add that she is the honorary secretary of the Trust.
Someone called “Robert Stevens Bassett” in the Facebook feed fails to identify the basis of his defence of the Pevensey Town Trust.
When volunteering once every 8 or 9 weeks on behalf of The Pevensey Town Trust, he is Robert Slater, the chairman of the Pevensey Town Trust.
A bigger picture is emerging about business, regeneration and the promotion of the precious assets that constitute Pevensey and Pevensey Bay.
The Localism Act of 2011 has changed the landscape for parishes across the land.
The question here might be whether or not a small group of trustees, meeting every 8 or 9 weeks who are volunteers, without any apparent prior experience of profiling a musuem, can possibly be an appropriate body to manage the local social and economic context of the situation.
This question may apply not just to their quest to see the trust become a CIO, (Charitable Incorporated Organisation) but also the basis of their charitable status.
It would appear, given the significant sums of money that come into the coffers of the organsation every day, that the view of this bigger question is unlikely to go away.
Pevensey Town Trust was invited to respond to this article prior to publication. Their response appears on our letters page.
Pevensey Town Trust Response: The Journal is wholly inaccurate and misleading
