FOI request (FOIR-718471695)

Lease and Disposal of The Old Bathing Pool Site, St Leonards-on-Sea

Requested Thu 29 May 2025
Responded Wed 25 June 2025

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am writing to request the following information regarding the lease and intended development of The Old Bathing Pool Site (also known as Seaside Road site) in St Leonards-on-Sea:

1. A copy of the lease agreement(s) between Hastings Borough Council and the Generator Group and/or County Gate Properties (or any company formed of the two) relating to the Old Bathing Pool Site.

2. Details of any Heads of Terms, conditional clauses (for example, planning permission requirements), resale or assignment clauses within the lease(s).

3. All valuation reports or land assessments used to determine market value prior to lease or disposal.

4. Minutes, reports, or decisions from any council meetings (including Cabinet or asset disposal committees) at which the lease or disposal of the site was discussed or approved.

5. Records of any public consultation undertaken specifically about the lease or future development of this site.

6. All correspondence between Hastings Borough Council and the Generator Group or County Gate Properties concerning the future development of this site, from January 2021 to present.

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Response

1. The lease is publicly available from Land Registry:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/land-registry

2. This can be ascertained from the lease.

3. NOTICE OF REFUSAL

Under Environmental Information Regulations the information requested above is exempt under Section 12(5)(e) ‘Confidentiality of commercial or industrial information where such confidentiality is provided by law to protect a legitimate economic interest’.

We have considered the following:

· Is the information commercial or industrial?

· Is the information subject to confidentiality provided by law?

· Is the confidentiality protecting a legitimate economic interest?

· Would disclosure adversely affect the confidentiality?

Factors for disclosure:

- Transparency and accountability.

Factors against disclosure:

- Maintaining commercial confidence.

- The requested information is commercially sensitive and confidential.

4. This information is publicly available on our website:

Cabinet 2 November 2015 https://hastings.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=130&MId=1634&Ver=4

Cabinet 3 September 2018 https://hastings.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=130&MId=3062&Ver=4

Cabinet 4 February 2019 https://hastings.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=130&MId=3067&Ver=4

Cabinet 4 March 2019 https://hastings.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=130&MId=3069&Ver=4

Full Council 16 December 2020 https://hastings.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=168&MId=4135&Ver=4

5. No information held.

6. NOTICE OF REFUSAL

Under Environmental Information Regulations the information requested above is exempt under Section 12(5)(e) ‘Confidentiality of commercial or industrial information where such confidentiality is provided by law to protect a legitimate economic interest’.

We have considered the following:

· Is the information commercial or industrial?

· Is the information subject to confidentiality provided by law?

· Is the confidentiality protecting a legitimate economic interest?

· Would disclosure adversely affect the confidentiality?

Factors for disclosure:

- Transparency and accountability.

Factors against disclosure:

- Maintaining commercial confidence.

- The requested information is commercially sensitive and confidential.