Seafront Objections

They are angry not only at the large amount of taxpayers' money which the proposals are to cost but also because the Council are not listening to them. Rural residents should also be concerned. I know that other communities within Rother District have had applications for funding by Rother District refused.

In my own village of Etchingham requests for a grant from Rother to support the village shop have been turned down and the Parish Council raised the money through the precept for traffic calming measures. I was pleased to see that there were rural residents in Bexhill on Saturday to see what is going on.

Bexhill residents' anger was very obvious at the exhibition on Saturday at the Bexhill Museum which did nothing to improve the situation.

Firstly, the exhibition was held in a room much too small for the occasion. This resulted in a queue trailing outside the building on what became a very windy and at times wet day. Many of those wishing to see the display were elderly and unable to stand in the 15 to 20 minutes long queue.

Secondly the exhibition itself told people little more than they already knew. The displays were merely artist's impressions which bore no resemblance to either the Bexhill we see today or even what it is likely to look like after this costly update. While I was there, there was little evidence of councillors in high profile. The staff who were there, mostly consultancy staff, were unable to answer the real questions people wanted to ask. I understand that the Leader of the Council was present later in the day to hear comments.

This exhibition was a typical 'tick box' exercise used by the District Council to justify to a planning inspector that they had consulted with the residents. But it is highly unlikely that a planning inspector will ever get to judge on this matter. I wonder how many people realise that it will be the planning committee of Rother District Council which will give the necessary consent to Rother District Council for the proposed works which will be paid for out of Rother District Council's reserves.

I hope that those who visited the exhibition and did not like what they saw will therefore be writing to that planning committee once the application is published. Democracy is currently failing the people of Bexhill. As far as I can see, an objection to planning will be the last opportunity for Rother residents to make their voices heard over the 'Next Wave' proposals.