"Nothing new" in tourism strategy

Consultants Locum had produced a destination management strategy for 1066 Country.

But Monday's cabinet meeting was not impressed. Members said the strategy had said nothing new about attracting tourists to Rother and Hastings.

Worse, Hastings dominated, reference to Bexhill was confined to the De La Warr Pavilion and Battle and Rye rated only a few lines.

Locum were commissioned by regeneration agency SeaSpace to produced the strategy.

A steering group including Rother, Hastings, SeaSpace, Tourism South East and private sector representatives oversaw its production.

Cllr Deirdre Williams said: "Personally, I was disappointed in this. I thought it was very dull.

"There is really nothing new in it that we have not seen many times before...

"It is not Rother. It is all about Hastings. I know Hastings is the key member but we do have something different."

Cllr Brian Kentfield had even more reservations. He proposed demoting the strategy from "approved" to "noted."

Battle member Cllr bob White said Bodiam was overlooked and in emphasising the Battle of Hastings the strategy ignored the fact that the Battle of Senlac was fought at Battle.

Marsham member Cllr Robin Patten said Rother's coastline was a major asset. The De La Warr Pavilion was mentioned but without local hotels it was of much less value to tourism than it could and should be.

Battle rated five lines, Camber four.

"Rye get seven lines - they are lucky!"