Belle Toute Trust Says Nay
By Sue Clark on Jan 8, 2008 in News 
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Sadly, the Belle Toute Trust will not be seeking to buy the lighthouse in Sussex at this time. Like so many of our lighthouse preservation groups, the support is there, but only verbally. Not monetarily. A small donation of only one pound from enough people would have given them enough to go ahead, but alas, it wasn’t going to happen. Below is the complete press release from Rob Wassell. For those readers in the UK, Mr. Wassell will be giving a live interview on the South Counties Radio Sussex Breakfast Show with Neil Pringle at approximately 07:40 on Wednesday 9 January.
It has come to the Trust’s attention that the Belle Toute Lighthouse has come up for sale once again at the dramatically reduced price of £595,000.
The Trustees invested a great deal of time, effort and money into this venture in 2007 only to be “pipped at the post” a few days before going live to the nation on the BBC’s The One Show by someone who had the money and could pay for the lighthouse outright.
The public seemed to be behind us one hundred percent although whilst they may have supported our aims we actually received very little money by way of donation. It is due to this that we fear we may repeat our effort only to be once again overtaken at the last hurdle.
I wish to thank everyone who helped us with their support and money as it enabled us to make some excellent progress; obtaining planning permission for the bed & breakfast was a major landmark under heavy opposition for example. In the end it wasn’t quite enough although it did represent the best possible intentions for opening up the lighthouse to the public and caring for its preservation for the future.
The trust has been approached a number of times over the last few months enquiring on the lighthouse being run as a profit-making venture and whilst the trustees are currently considering “winding things up” we do make one last request.
The Belle Toute Lighthouse is a unique and fascinating building which has commanded attention the world over, we firmly believe that it could be a successful tourist attraction and that it would generate profit. Whilst some of this profit would need to be re-invested back into the lighthouse to maintain and preserve it, this represents the two key aims of the Trust.
- To preserve and protect a unique and important part of our history and
- To open it to the public as an attraction and bed & breakfast for which permission has been granted.
We would welcome approach by any business, organisation or person that would be willing to invest in our future heritage and whether it is run as a charity or a profit-making business as long as the aims are met then the objective is accomplished.
Please submit any serious enquiry to venture@belletoute.org.uk
Thank you for your support.
Regards,
Rob Wassell
Chairman
A side note: There is still time. Perhaps a benefactor will step forward, or perhaps enough people will feel moved to visit their website and contribute £1 (GBP). That’s less than $2 (USD).
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