Busy Eastbourne road next to fire-ravaged hotel could be open before ‘lockdown is lifted’

In a statement from Eastbourne Borough Council today (Friday, April 3), officials said the contractors working on the Claremont Hotel have been contacted to clear the remaining debris as long as social distancing is adhered to. The statement said, “Eastbourne council has issued a letter to the contractors stating that their work to clear the debris from the Claremont is considered essential and urgent. “This allows the work to continue providing social distancing rules are followed. We are therefore hoping the road will reopen before the lockdown is lifted.” The Claremont Hotel was all but destroyed in a devastating fire which broke out on November 22, 2019. Due to the architectural significance of the building, Listed Building consent was required to fully demolish it. This was given on February 7 and demolition began on February 10, which later stopped due to the coronavirus pandemic. A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton: Thank you for reading this story on our website. But I also have an urgent plea to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality local news on this free-to-read site and in print, please purchase a copy of our newspaper as well. With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on our town centres and many of our valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you buying a copy. Our journalists are highly trained by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards anywhere in the world. Our content is universally trusted - as all independent research proves. As Baroness Barran said in a House of Lords debate this week on the importance of journalists: “Not only are they a trusted source of facts, but they will have a role to play in rallying communities and getting the message across about how we can keep ourselves and our families safe, and protect our NHS. Undoubtedly, they have a critical role.” But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis. In return we will continue to forensically cover the local news - not only the impact of the virus but all the positive and uplifting news happening in these dark days. In addition, please write to your MP urging the Government to provide some additional financial support for local newspapers and their websites like this one and ensuring that supermarkets continue to stock them. I cannot stress enough how important such an intervention would be. We thank all our readers and advertisers for their understanding and support - and we wish YOU all the best in the coming weeks. Keep safe, and follow the Government advice. Thank you.