Your letters September 24 - seafront shelters

What price innovation?

WE are all familiar with the word innovative; it is the word often used to persuade a reluctant audience to accept the crass, by suggesting they are Philistines if they do not.

So far we have had the innovative concrete balls, the innovative bandstand which won an award but sees little use, the innovative displays in the De la Warr Pavilion, the innovative design and planting of the new beds on the seafront, and finally the innovative design of the new windtunnels- sorry shelters- for the seafront offering little protection for the feet and legs and the rest of the body for that matter.

How refreshing to see that Cllr Winterbourne disapproves of the design and is willing to speak out.

As Dee Wilson-Perry said in her letter last week: "we need councillors who reflect the wishes of local people".

Eastbourne with its award-winning art gallery and beautiful seafront must be so glad that the members of the council in charge of of their affairs are perceptive and forward-looking rather than innovative.

What price innovation in Bexhill?

CAROLE WOODLAND

Cooden Drive

Bexhill

The garden sheds...

HAVING seen the photos of the new seafront shelter, I'm amazed they had to have a competition to design one.

Surely it would have been better (and cheaper) to go to one of our local garden shed/garage manufacturers (there's one on the way to Hastings) and they do a very good job.

Or is it a case yet again like the balls (up) in Devonshire Square - another memorial to egos.

HR Lloyd-Jones

Upper Sea Road

Bexhill.

Absolute disbelief

I AM sitting looking at the front page of last week's Observer in absolute disbelief.

The two pictures in no way depict a shelter. For a start they will neither shield or act as any sort of barrier against the winds and rain thrown at us during the winter months.

Look at them - they dont have one proper sheltering wall between them, great gaping gaps allowing all our elements like wind and rain to go hurtling through.

Also who wants to sit and enjoy? There's a joke on a bench with nothing to rest one's back on.

I ask you, who are these faceless people that think these enhance the seafront?

As for Sarah Gaventa's comments about Bexhill's tradition of hosting innovative and contemporary architecture, what planet is she on?

These people need to get a grip and stop the politicians from frittering our money away.

If they are so intent on completely ruining our seafront perhaps they would like to fund it themselves.

Don't even get me started on the inappropiate seafront and what that is going to cost us... enough already!

J CAMDEN-FIELD

Marina Court

Bexhill

Guilty of vandalism

HOW dare Rother District Council use our money in such a cavalier manner at a time of such economic gloom.

The new seafront shelters are unfit for purpose and, architecturally, a travesty of design unacceptable for an industrial estate let alone what was, until Next Wave arrived, an attractive Edwardian seaside town with an iconic pavilion.

I appeal to the Bexhill Observer to tell us how much these new shelters are costing each household and I, as a Rother council tax payer, will then withhold that much money from my council tax payments.

I urge any others opposed to these appalling "shelters" to do the same.

Yes, I know that failing to pay council tax is illegal but so is vandalism. And vandalism is what Rother District Council is guilty of.

Chris Lee

Pett Level Road

Fairlight

EDITOR'S NOTE: On making enquiries with Rother District Council, the Observer was told the funds for the seafront shelters are coming out of Rother's capital and should have no bearing on future council tax payments.

Expensive ghost town

I MOVED to Bexhill two years ago. There were several things that attracted me to this part of the south coast, including the Edwardian shelters along the promenade and the putting green. Sadly, these have gone, at far greater cost than the tender loving care they required.

I am horrified to see that, at a huge cost to the residents of Bexhill, we are to have some ugly edifices that will not shelter us from the elements.

Will our local council be scratching their heads wondering why Bexhill has become an expensive ghost town when there is a vast exodus from the resort?

I have to ask if the lunatics have taken over the asylum?

DAVID BARRY

Terminus Road

Bexhill-on-Sea

Protection wanted

ANY specification for seafront shelters should include protection from wind, rain and sun, with the proviso that it be bright and airy with comfortable seating.

It is inconceivable that these requirements were not included in the specification approved by councillors and council staff.

The shelters shown in last week' Observer do not meet these basic requirements.

These requirements were met not only by the previous shelters but are also currently met by shelters in Hastings, Eastbourne,and Brighton. I understand that the contract to build the shelters has been let without many members of the Cabinet or councillors having the opportunity to view the final design.

Surely it is not too late for councillors to insist on a re-design?

S A BOYD

Newlands Avenue,

Bexhill-on-Sea

Is this design a joke?

PLEASE, please tell me that this is all a monstrous joke and that the ridiculous "shelters" shown on your front page of September 17 are only on approval and will be returned to IKEA. They are clearly unfit for purpose, being more of a wind tunnel than a protection from the elements and not in keeping with the Edwardian style of the town which was recently being encouraged.

VAL KEMM

Collington Lane East

Bexhill-on-Sea

"Art Depot" style

SO, once again, Bexhill with its new seafront shelters will continue its hosting of innovative and contemporary architecture, in what I believe will shortly become known as the "Art Depot" style.

Derek Duly

Newlands Avenue

Bexhill-on-Sea

Waste of money

MY wife and I took a walk along the seafront on Wednesday September 15. There were three workmen (loose term) in attendance. For 5.1 million we would have expected at least four. Two were having a chat and 1 was, actually I am not sure what he was doing. As for the front, what a mess! Concrete blocks just right for the graffiti hooligans, Low steps just right for dogs to just walk straight across, a lamp post right at the entrance to what I assume will be an access point, and two to three grey metal cabinets for what purpose I do not know. We then saw the so-called shelters in Friday's Bexhill Observer. Oh my God, the barbarians are truly at the gates of Bexhill. The whole area is/will become a total wasteland, with unwanted concrete, useless flower beds and absolutely no character what so ever. If there has ever been a greater waste of money I have yet to see it and this includes "Gubby's Balls". People of Bexhill our rates have paid for this please remember when the next elections come around.

DAVID BARNES, The Briary, Bexhill