Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal: District Council to 'announce the opportunity for a community bid' for the Drill Hall

The District Council intends to market the Drill Hall:
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal: 'the redundant Drill Hall site remains a more straightforward and viable opportunity for redevelopment and reuse'

There are several well-researched campaigns to protect the building:
Sidmouth Drill Hall Research Site
Rescue Sidmouth Drill Hall

The 3Rs (Retain, Refurbish, Reuse) campaign has welcomed recent developments:
Revive Port Royal for all | a community initiative
Latest news | Revive Port Royal for all

The Sea Fest is very interested:
Sidmouth Sea Fest

And the Sidmouth Drill Hall CC Hub has just put together a new piece on its website:

Drill Hall at 31st January 2018

A quick update.

In 2011, EDDC announced that they were going to demolish the Drill Hall at Port Royal at the far eastern end of Sidmouth Esplanade and leave the space open to be used primarily as a boat park. There was no other proposal in place, and had their application for demolition been granted then the BagwelIs would have lost their fish shop, Sidmouth Trawlers, to the sea and storms over the winters that followed. It is and always has been protected by the Drill Hall. I staretd a campaign towards the end of 2011 and in April 2012 the Localism Act was passed that gave communities the right to create a bid over 3 years to purchase an asset of community value. It also provided the right for a community to bid to have an asset, or building, transferred free of charge to the community. In 2012 I started a campaign to save the Drill Hall and stop demolition and soon after due to a combination of the Localism Act, massive popular reaction against the demolition plans, and objections from the Conservation Officer and Hugo Swire MP the building was saved.

We are now in a position where, as you will no doubt now know

http://eastdevon.gov.uk/news/2018/01/new-future-for-drill-hall-site-proposed-following-sidmouth-port-royal-scoping-study-report/

where both Sidmouth Town Council and East Devon Council have withdrawn their initial proposal for a large residential development of 30 apartments at Port Royal, as is in the Local Plan, and announced that they will be putting the Drill Hall on the market to be, as we have always said it should be, a cafe, bar and/or restaurant. They will also announce the opportunity for a community bid. We are unsure exactly what they intend but that should mean that the community has a period of time to compile a community group or trust that supports a board that works, with the trust and a range of funding sources including private and public, to raise the required funds to initially restore then open and make use of the building for everyone in the community.

There will be a Town Council meeting on Monday 5th February at Sidmouth Methodist Church Hall

http://www.sidmouth.gov.uk/

And an EDDC Cabinet meeting in the main Council Chamber at Knowle on Wednesday 7th February.

http://eastdevon.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/committees-and-meetings/cabinet/cabinet-agendas/

http://eastdevon.gov.uk/media/2363163/070218combinedcabagendapublicvers.pdf

The Drill Hall situation will be discussed.

We strongly advise you, and ask you, to attend both of these meetings.

Drill Hall History

In the meantime, please have a look at Mary Walden-Till’s excellent website that shows the history and heritage of the Drill Hall, Port Royal and around Eastern Town.

http://drillhall.historic-sidmouth.uk/

Thank you

Matt Booth

All drawings (c) Alex Vick 2018