Taxi rank move fury

Simon Butler, 37, is getting up a petition against East Sussex County Council's proposal to re-site the Devonshire Square rank and move it into Endwell Road.

The county council says it welcomes comments from the public on its town improvement proposals.

Mr Butler, who set up his firm Lynx Taxis two years ago, says the Endwell Road site is too small, not on the main thoroughfare and out of sight of security cameras.

He wants the new site to be in busy Devonshire Road.

He said: "Taxi drivers need to be in a bustling part of town to attract shoppers and evening custom. It needs to be seen. Devonshire Road would be ideal. Nobody will see it in Endwell Road.

"We need the protection of the CCTV cameras in Devonshire Square. There are a lot of problems in the evenings especially from rowdy drinkers wanting a cab and the cameras give us protection."

Mr Butler said some independent drivers like himself would not survive the proposed smaller rank in Endwell Road.

"The competition will become very fierce if we cannot get onto the Endwell Road rank. Some drivers will not survive."

He said all the taxi drivers he had spoken to were moaning about the move. "I decided to do something about it so I am starting a petition against the move."

County area highways manager, Graham Furness, said: "Moving the rank to Endwell Road as part of the town centre road improvements is only a proposal and not a definite plan yet.

"We are consulting all local groups and would welcome suggestions from anyone concerned.

"We would like Mr Butler and anyone else with a view to send us their objections so these can be looked at to see the best way to proceed. The idea is to come up with the best plan for Bexhill as a whole."