Already in production

So the council is already in the process of building the new seafront '˜shelters' in spite of the, at least, 4,000 letters sent by the public condemning the design. Even before the designs were publicised the Rother District Citizens' Panel Newsletter stated 'the council was not consulting on whether or not the project should happen, the decision was already taken'.

Whatever happened to democracy? Whatever happened to councillors representing their area? Whatever happened to “trust, integrity and mutual respect” - the backbone of the council’s consultation charter?

Council leader Carl Maynard actually laughed and sneered at the vocal protestors at the last town forum. How dare he? He did that because he is in league with the great Panjandrum that is CABE, the government quango, and this is who has really been in control of this whole debacle over the shelters. The council seemed to do well in getting a £1million grant but with it came grievous conditions, not least control over the shelters.

Not only have the public, the providers of the money, been ignored and derided but so have many councillors. They, like their constituents, were also kept in the dark until the final designs were published. By then it was already too late. We had been kept going all along with official promises like the architect’s comment “the scheme has undergone a radical transformation”. Well, you could have fooled me! If the councillors can ever have a proper say in these large projects and are not just controlled by the leader as the largest party is, I would advise them to remember this adage - not change for change’s sake, but change for the better. That’s what wonderful Bexhill needs.

Jackie Bialeska

Vox Pop