Electors respond to councillor's survey

That is how Cllr Martyn Forster described the response to his latest flier, Focus 2008.

The leaflet has been delivered by Martyn and his team throughout East Bexhill county council division over the past month.

On the back of the sheet people are invited to respond with 13 tick-boxes against statements and/or a personal comment of their own about Rother and East Sussex County Council services.

With more than 100 replies so far, Cllr Forster has prepared a graph of the tick-box results to gauge which issues are most in the public mind.

"I will write back to every person who has sent in a sheet" he pledged, adding that the letters would be individually written and might take some time to complete.

"If someone has asked something specific in their reply, I will try and respond to the questions personally."

The five leading issues from the graph so far are:

*The De La Warr - run as more of a 'Peoples' Pavilion'

*A Town Council for Bexhill

*More effective police patrols

*Properly maintained toilets

*Better recycling.

A Tourist Information Centre and a safer seafront for all users came next in the stakes.

Cllr Forster said: "I am hardly surprised by these results, because this is what people are telling us as we meet them in the street. During our continuing campaign, petitioning for a Town Council, many signatories are bringing up the seven leading issues above.

What is also in evidence is that many are becoming disillusioned with local politicians and doubt their ability to achieve anything for Bexhill-on-Sea.

"Sadly, comments like: 'they all want shooting' and 'you'll never get anywhere with that lot' are occasionally banded about. I fear we have some serious bridge-building to do to regain the confidence of some of the electorate."

Over 4,500 leaflets have been delivered in East Bexhill and Cllr Forster promised another in late summer, promising to 'keep in touch'.

Responses to the 13 tick-boxes numbered as follows:

The De La Warr - people's pavilion 79

Waste Water Treatment Plant 63

Town Council for Bexhill 77

More recycling facilities, card/glass 77

Traffic calming in key areas 55

More effective police patrols 79

More help for vulnerable people 63

Properly maintained toilets 77

Tourist Information Centre 70

People friendly regeneration 55

Safer, refurbished seafront for all 62

Progress the Countryside Park 57

Stop 'seafront studies' and do it. 74