LETTER: Hotel comments are beyond belief

On reading your report '˜B&B Owner Plans To Sell Up' I cannot say I was surprised by the tone of the reactionary comments from members of the Egerton Road Action Group, when asked for their views on the proposed hotel.
Keyboard SUS-160615-124004001Keyboard SUS-160615-124004001
Keyboard SUS-160615-124004001

One of course was the usual reply to any new building project – good idea but build it away from me, irritating to read but not unexpected.

The others however, to anyone looking towards a prosperous future for our town, are beyond belief – ‘people do not come to Bexhill to stay’, ‘where is the study for the need for such a hotel’, ‘the proposed hotel would never be financially viable, ‘the Sackville closed down because of lack of usage – these plans represent a complete change from what we came here for 28 years ago’ and the classic ‘Bexhill is a retirement town, not a hotel town’. As the saying goes – you could not make them up

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Let us be clear, people do retire to Bexhill but that fact does not make it ‘a retirement town’. Bexhill was created as a visitor town with a visitor led economy which is now being re-developed for the 21st century.

We have, with the DLWP one of the finest cultural attractions in the country, drawing in some 400,000 visitors annually.

There are plans for a major expansion to Bexhill Museum while throughout the year, events such as the Roaring 20s, attract an ever growing number of visitors.

In addition there is a business need as several major local employers require hotel accommodation for their employees.

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Visitor numbers to 1066 Country, of which Bexhill is an important element, are increasing year by year. For 2014, the latest figures available, 879,000 staying nights in serviced accommodation were recorded, with a total spend of £84,315,000.

‘People do not come to Bexhill to stay’, ‘not a hotel town’, ‘we do not need a new hotel and it would never be financially viable’. Really!

JOHN BETTS

Eden Drive

Bexhill

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