LEWES B&B GROUP ANGERED BY 'NO ROOMS' NOTICE

RED-faced tourism bosses have admitted they got it wrong when they put up a sign which told visitors there was no accommodation available in Lewes.
By The Newsroom
Published 24th Jul 2001, 12:05 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 22:52 BST

Local bed-and-breakfast owner Tere Tammar saw the sign on Saturday evening as she passed the window of the Lewes Tourist Information Centre.

It read: No Accommodation In Lewes Tonight.

Of course, there may have been no accommodation in Lewes that night. I was fully booked, she said.

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But whoever placed the notice could not possibly have known that.

There are at least nine B-and-B owners in the town in the rebel group, any of whom may have had a room to spare.

The rebels are those who were left out of Lewes District Council s accommodation brochure because they declined to take part in a costly nationally-organised inspection scheme.

They now have their own brochure.

Added Mrs Tammar: The effect of such a

notice is to turn visitors away from the town and thus do us all a great disservice.

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At a time when tourism has suffered, due to foot-and-mouth precautions, and when many traders are only just re-establishing themselves after the floods, it seems very ill-advised to discourage potential overnight visitors in this way.

It may be right that the tourist office should wish to promote only those who have paid the necessary fees to be registered with them, but when all the registered accommodation is full, surely it is sensible at least to give a contact number for the alternative group.

A bit of co-operation here can hurt nobody and could benefit us all.

The council this week said the sign in the TIC window should have read: No Known Accommodation In Lewes Tonight.

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A spokesman said: Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

It was certainly a mistake and we are making sure that all the signs are changed to ensure that the correct wording is used in the future.

Said local B and B owner, Angela Wigglesworth: I didn t have a room available on Saturday night but others of us might have.

I would like to make it clear that we declined to be in the council brochure because, in total, it would have cost us more than 300 each to do so.

For the record, we have all been inspected by an independent inspector.

Published: 7.6.01 Sussex Newspapers Ltd