Former Convent site

The Former Convent site is privately owned. Hastings Borough Council does not own the site. The owners / Receivers are responsible for managing and securing the site and for progressing appropriate site safety, asbestos, security, perimeter and building-related works.

The council is not the owner of the site, but is continuing to monitor the situation closely, engage with the Receivers and their contractors, and use appropriate statutory routes where necessary.

The council is involved because the site presents a live public safety risk. There have been repeated incidents of unauthorised access, ongoing damage and serious concerns about the condition of the buildings.

The site is unsafe because the buildings are in a dangerous condition and should not be entered. The site also contains hazardous materials, including asbestos.

No. The site is unsafe and must not be entered. Unauthorised access puts people at serious risk of injury and may also place emergency responders at risk.

No. The council is not seeking to take over the site. The council’s involvement is a public safety response to a dangerous situation and is focused on reducing risk and ensuring that the owner and other responsible parties take appropriate action.

The council is:

• monitoring the site position closely;
• pressing those responsible for the site to progress security, asbestos management, perimeter protection, debris clearance and appropriate handling of the fire-damaged building;
• liaising with the police, fire service, HSE, Environmental Health and Historic England as required;
• keeping enforcement and urgent works options under review;
• and ensuring public communications are updated when there is confirmed information to share.

Specialist contractors are carrying out site management activity following the July fire. This includes dampening / dust suppression linked to post-fire asbestos management, security arrangements, CCTV and ongoing assessment of the fire-damaged building.

The site remains privately owned and is being managed by the owners / Receivers through their appointed specialist contractors. The council continues to monitor the position and press those responsible for the site to progress the necessary safety, asbestos, perimeter and heritage-related actions.

The activity being described as “spraying” is dampening / dust suppression. This is part of the post-fire asbestos and site safety management arrangements.

Dampening is used to help control asbestos-containing debris and reduce the risk of dust or fibres being disturbed while further survey, management and clearance arrangements are progressed by specialist contractors on behalf of the owners / Receivers.

The immediate security position has improved. Security arrangements are now in place through the Receiver-side arrangements, CCTV towers are in place, and recent police feedback has not identified recent recorded incidents of unauthorised access.

The council will continue to monitor the position and will continue to press those responsible for the site to maintain appropriate security and perimeter protection.

The building most directly affected by the fire is not understood to be separately Grade II listed in its own right.

However, the Former Convent site contains listed buildings and potentially curtilage-listed structures. This means that any works affecting historic fabric would still need to be considered carefully through the relevant structural, asbestos, heritage and legal processes.

No final decision has been made on the future of the fire-damaged building.

Any decision about demolition, controlled removal, stabilisation or retention would need to be informed by suitably qualified structural and heritage engineering advice, alongside asbestos, safety, heritage and legal considerations.

If any works are proposed that affect listed or potentially curtilage-listed buildings or historic fabric, they would need to be considered through the appropriate heritage and legal processes.

The council is keeping the interface with nearby public open space and events under review. Any fencing or site management arrangements need to balance public access and event requirements with the need to maintain site security and public safety.

Where any practical issue is identified, the council will work with the relevant site managers, event organisers and council services to manage it.