Seafront scheme safety questioned

Jackie Bialeska, of Vox Pop, is concerned that children could run out into the road. This has been partly addressed by a temporary fence, but she claims this does not go far enough and is calling for a permanent wall or fence.

She also highlighted other worries which included dog fouling on play equipment, stones in the play area, and children running out under the wheels of cyclists on the promenade.

She is additionally querying the narrowness of the path between the parked cars and garden areas, and says there is not enough room for drivers to open car doors wide enough to let out disabled passengers, wheelchairs or pushchairs.

Jackie said: “Of course, say the council, one can drop off a wheelchair at the access points, but can one then desert the disabled, especially a child, while one searches for a parking spot and returns?

“This whole Next Wave scheme has been badly planned from the start.”

Rother District Council chief executive Derek Stevens responded: “The council takess the matter of public safety very seriously indeed and, of course, we wouldn’t allow play equipment that was going to be unsuitable or dangerous in any way.

“The new pieces of play equipment and their locations have been thoroughly checked and approved by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA).

“A hedge has been planted to provide cover from the road, but a ‘back fence’ will remain in place until this hedge has reached maturity.

“It’s also worth noting that there were no barriers between the grassed areas and the road previously on West Parade.

“One of the key elements of Next Wave is that it is inclusive and can be used by people of all ages - that’s why the council was delighted to include play equipment and we are confident that it will be perfectly safe to use.”

On the matter of dropped kerbs Mr Stevens added: “There seems to be a level of misunderstanding here.

“When the Next Wave project is finished it will have an increased number of dropped kerbs when compared to how the road was previously - so it will actually be better for wheelchair and buggy users.

“The current, full height kerbs have only been re-installed as a precautionary measure while we work with our colleagues at East Sussex County Council to find a solution that meets with their safety requirements.”