Plans to relocate Hastings Register Office have been approved. As well ceremonies and civil partnerships, registering Rye’s births, marriages and deaths will also be moved.
On Monday 10 November, Councillor Claire Dowling, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for transport and environment, approved proposals to move the service from its current premises at the Town Hall in Queens Road to Hastings Library in Claremont.
The proposals had seen criticism from Hastings county councillor Julia Hilton (Green), who raised concerns around the potential loss of ceremony space as a result of the changes.
Councillor Hilton said, “Having a little tiny pokey room that can house 10 people at the top of the library is not really a substitute for what is a fantastic civic background. As much as I love the library, it is a beautiful building, you are still going to have to climb up 64 stairs to a room that was actually designed for education.”
“Apart from anything else, you’ve done absolutely no consultation … I would at least ask you to do a proper consultation before you make this decision.”
The Town Hall — a building the county council leases from Hastings Borough Council — currently has three ceremony rooms. According to the service’s website, the smallest of these three rooms has space for 15 people, while the largest has space for up to 60 people.
The service’s website notes how these capacity figures include everyone except the ceremony registrars, so a wedding held in the smallest of the three rooms — the Mayor’s Parlour — would have space for a couple plus “up to 13 guests”.
In their report to Councillor Dowling, officers said Hastings Library would only have a single full-time ceremony room if the service is relocated.
The report said this space would have a maximum capacity of 10 people, but notes how this figure would include two ceremony registrars. In effect this would mean a wedding held in the library would only have space for the couple plus six guests.
A larger ceremony space would be available on the building’s ground floor, but the report says this venue would only be available when the library is closed (on Sundays and Wednesday afternoons). This space could have capacity for up to 60 people, the report says.
Councillor Hilton’s concerns were not shared by division councillor Godfrey Daniel (Lab).
Councillor Daniel said, “I think people who seem to be campaigning against this have lost the fact that making this decision doesn’t mean to say the Mayor’s Parlour and Council Chamber disappear. The borough council already manages wedding ceremonies [at the museum]. It is not like the Town Hall is going to be closed forever.”
Officers said the borough council and county councillors had been informed ahead of time. They also said the relocation of the service to an alternative building — noted to be less than 500 metres away from its current location — did not meet the threshold for public consultation.
While approved, the relocation will require planning permission for a change of use of the existing library building to move ahead. The council may also need to secure listed building consent.
Councillors were told the move could save £100,000 a year after spending £125,000 to fund the relocation.
Image Credits: Google Maps .
Reading this, it sounds like another disaster by the Hastings councillors to do some thing even if it makes no sense. They seem to be trying to destroy the little Hastings has to offer, and ignore what we the people of Hastings think, its about time they all resigned
Hastings residents may wish to consider marrying at Rye Town Hall – with capacity for up to 75 guests – instead!
(Plus, of course, they will have the services of a certain Town Crier to announce their wedding!) 🙂
Another stich up ! So it will be on the top floor of the Library ? Up 64 stairs ? So pray tell how Dissabled people and wheelchair users are supposed to attend their ? No thought, no consultation, no care for the local people once again !