The Government has this afternoon confirmed that the compulsory purchase order (CPO) of Hastings Pier can go ahead. Statutory notices will now be served, with a six weeks challenge period.

This gives the Council and the Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust the green light to go ahead with the purchase of the pier as soon as the Trust's funding is in place.

Council Leader Jeremy Birch was very pleased with the announcement, saying:

"This is excellent news, and a major step forward in returning Hastings Pier to its rightful place as a major attraction on our seafront. I know that a huge amount of work has gone into getting this result, and I would like to thank everyone involved, especially, of course, the Hastings Pier and White Rock Trust."

Jess Steele, one of the founding trustees, added:

"This is brilliant, and a real cause for celebration. Today is a very important day in the history of Hastings Pier. These things do take time, but this makes all of the work which has been going on behind the scenes worth it. We know that there is still a lot of hard work ahead and we'll need the ongoing support of local people and businesses. We are now eagerly awaiting the announcement from the Heritage Lottery Fund, expected in November, which we hope will allow us to take ownership of the pier and get on with bringing it back to life."