Tourism comes under scrutiny at De La Warr

Rother District Council (RDC) owns the Pavilion, but gives around 550,000 of taxpayers' money each year for a charitable trust to run the building at arm's length.

On Monday, Pavilion director Alan Haydon set out his team's achievements over the past year to members of RDC scrutiny committee, who then quizzed him on tourism, opening times and the threat of arts council funding cuts.

Avoiding the temptation to rely on statistics, Mr Haydon used his report to concentrate on the "value of the arts beyond figures", and cited examples of local residents who have benefited from the Pavilion's education programme.

Highlights mentioned were the 57,000 visitors to the Beuys Is Here exhibition last autumn, and sell-out performances from Nanci Griffith, Vampire Weekend, Bat for Lashes and comedian Sean Lock, among others.

Almost 6,000 people saw shows by local troupes including the Bexhill Light Operatic and Dramatic Society (BLODS) and the Bexhill Amateur Theatrical Society (BATS).

Cllr Paul Lendon praised the Pavilion for a successful year, but questioned why a tourist information centre could not be installed in the Pavilion, saying: "As the premier tourist attraction in Bexhill, I would have thought you would be fighting the corner for a TIC."

Emma Morris, deputy director, said: "We do provide a lot of information to tourists. I see no need to go to the extent of offering further information than we are currently doing."

Cllr David Vereker accepted this, but added that the Tourism Working Group had recently classed the DLWP as an "unutilised asset", adding: "your view seems to be at some odds with the view of the populus."

Cllr Brian Kentfield agreed: "It would be a real opportunity for the De La Warr to do wonderful things for it's own PR if it would accommodate a TIC."

Regular evening openings were ruled out in response to councillor's questions, with Mr Haydon saying: "We are first and foremost a centre for the arts, not a restaurant and pub. We use those aspects to underpin the arts.

"If we thought the opportunity was there we would be the first to open those doors. As much as we would like to be a part of the evening economy, we cannot afford a loss leader."

And former chairman of the council Cllr Martin Mooney followed his praise of the staff's work in their best trading year since re-opening in 2005 by questioning the buildings "dire" ability to make a profit.

Chief executive Derek Stevens reminded those present of the work gone into what is now a nationally recognised arts venue, and said Bexhill had chosen well to pump money into the building, so avoiding an art-deco branch of Wetherspoons.