Bright sparks

Guests attending last Thursday evening's switch-on ceremony at Bexhill Museum were able to see how low-energy bulbs installed in uplighters along the museum frontage, beneath the newly-refurbished Clock Tower and beneath the Colonnade have transformed them.

The Edwardian charm of Sackville Road has been enhanced by the replacement of out-of-keeping modern light fittings with period-style columns.

The Clock Tower's century-old clock mechanism has been given its first major refurbishment in 100 years. The four clock faces have been rebuilt and given weather-proof covers.

Colonnade detailing includes 24 LED lights inside each cupola which can be programmed to give a number of effects including subtle and attractive progressions through blue, mauve and green through to red.

As an example of the use of low-energy uplighters, those at the Museum cost only 18p to run for four hours.

As Rother leader Cllr Graham Gubby told the assembly, for Rother officers and members, completion of the scheme marked the culmination of two years of European work with French partners in the Coastal Treasures project.

"The collaboration between Hastings Borough Council, Seaspace and Rother District Council with our French partners on the Channel coast, has been one of the most successful projects in the current programme and has delivered some excellent results."

He said Coastal Architectural Audits for the English and French towns involved in the project could now be viewed on the http://www.coastaltreasures.eu/ website which was another product of the scheme.

"The architectural database provides a missing link in the historical development of the relevant seaside towns and is a useful tool to assist councillors, planners and the tourism industry in developing and promoting the Channel coasts."

The provided information on the architectural heritage, lighting trails and Anglo-French photographic competition which formed part of the project.

"The final promotional element will be a film relating to coastal architecture which is being completed by SMACOP (Somme) this summer and should be available by August for downloading into the website or on DVD.

"The project has also involved presentations at conferences, both in England and France - the SEEDA Design Champions Conference at the De La Warr Pavilion in May 2006; the English Influences on the Channel Coasts Urbanism, Architecture and Anglomania Conferences in June 2006 at Mers les Bains; the East England Development Agency conference A Focus On Coastal Regeneration in March 2007 at Walton on the Naze, Essex and we have been invited to give a presentation on the project at the Seaside Heritage Understanding The Past Shaping The Future conference organised by English Heritage on October 16-17 at Hastings.

"A very successful part of the project has been the international photographic competition as organised by the town of Hardelot."

International judge and deputy Rother leader Cllr Robin Patten was present as the leader added: "Over 200 entries were received overall and following the English judging in October, the international judging took place in Hardelot in January.

"Four winners were selected, one of which was from England who took second place.

"A touring exhibition comprising the top 40 photographs was exhibited at the SOCO Gallery in Hastings and the exhibition is now touring towns in France from Dunkirk to Hardelot until July."

Lighting projects in Bexhill and Hastings formed another strand of the Coastal Treasures project.

"I am sure that all those present will be impressed by the outcomes of this element of the project, and thanks are due to all members of the project team, both English and French, and of course the contractors who have turned ideas into reality."

Guests included Town Mayor Cllr Eric Armstrong, Rother chief executive Derek Stevens, director of services Tony Leonard, head of planning Frank Rallings and Richard Shoobridge who oversaw the technical side of the project.

The project team under Rother direction included contractors Hannington Gilbert, EAR Sheppard, DHP Associates and specialist clock-maker Thwaites and Reed. East Sussex County Council and EDF Energy Networks carried out the street lighting.

The scheme is the first phase of seafront improvements planned by Rother. Sufficient uplighters have been purchased to complete the museum frontage once the extension has been built.