Old Pumping Station Skegness
News story review:
An excellently written article and very informative. Valuable information for Skegness historical research, telling us of the bid by the Skegness Civic Society and Councillor Harold Fainlight to save the old pumping station building on Richmond Drive Skegness.
Fainlight suggested turning the building into a community centre for the people of Skegness.
Source: Skegness Standard 6th July 2001
Photos: Paul Gooch
“Pumping station into hall?Could Skegness have its own community hall at the old pumping station at the Richmond Drive depot?
That is the question being posed by the Skegness [Civic] Society who were given a tour of the building on Thursday.
The society has been worried that the building, which it considers to be one of the most interesting old industrial buildings in the town, might be demolished to make way for the retail development proposed for Richmond Drive.
Now the society is lobbying for it to be kept for use by the community.
In a letter to East Lindsey District Council chief executive Mr Paul Haigh, society chairman Mr Harold Fainlight says: “After the visit all present agreed that the old pumping station had great potential for development and, with money spent on it, could not only be preserved but also used in all sorts of ways by Skegness citizens.
“It seems ironic that whilst Skegness has many facilities and venues for use by tourists, it lacks what every decent village has, almost as a matter of right – that is a community centre that can be used by its citizens for meetings and all of the other purposes so essential to maintain social identity and cohesion in a community,” says Mr Fainlight.
He says every effort should be made to investigate whether the pumping station can be used for this purpose.
But he adds that although the Skegness Civic Society has bright ideas it lacks clout and money.
It is therefore passing on its ideas to the town council and the local media “in the hope that enthusiasm is aroused and that support also comes from the citizens of Skegness”.”
THE OLD PUMPING STATION I used to pass it every day as I didn’t live too far away from this building. Cant say that I ever found it very attractive – looked more like an old school hall or classroom to me and didn’t seem to serve a great purpose, plus the old slaughter house was sited there as well before moving to the industrial estate. It used to stink, to be honest I am glad they got rid of all those building as I think it looks alot tidier now that tescos have come to Skegness.