Group renews calls for Bexhill Town Council ahead of election

A group which has led the fight for a town council for Bexhill is urging like-minded people to step up and stand as candidates in May’s local elections.
D4B supporters outside Bexhill town hall SUS-171115-104109001D4B supporters outside Bexhill town hall SUS-171115-104109001
D4B supporters outside Bexhill town hall SUS-171115-104109001

Democracy4Bexhill says it is encouraging candidates ‘with new ideas and enthusiasm’ to stand in the Bexhill wards in the forthcoming Rother District Council elections.

D4B says it hopes this will help the group to achieve its goal of giving Bexhillians ‘more of a voice’ and, ultimately, lead to the creation of a town council.

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In 2017 Rother held a consultation on whether to improve local governance.

Over nine thousand Bexhill residents, 93.5 percent of those who responded, called for Rother to allow a town council to be set up.

But Rother District Council refused, with 18 councillors voting to leave things as they are. 11 voted against and there were five abstention.

Doug Oliver, chair of D4B, who is also a serving Rother District Councillor, said: “We were staggered at the decision, it seemed they did not really care what the residents of Bexhill wanted.

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“People have been taking a closer look at how Rother treats Bexhill and how they run things, and they are not impressed.

“So we decided to encourage new candidates to stand against the existing councillors, people who would listen, bring in some new ideas and enthusiasm to Bexhill, and give the residents more of a voice.

“If they get in, we would be one step nearer to getting a Bexhill Town Council too”.

D4B is encouraging candidates from all parties to say on their publicity material whether they support the idea of a town council, and display the D4B promise of “If elected, I will support the creation of a Bexhill Town Council.”

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The group says that having a town council would enable the town to make improvements and offer services that its residents want.

A special D4B newsletter has just been produced and will be distributed to every household in Bexhill by an army of volunteers in the next weeks.

The newsletter reminds residents which councillors voted against the idea and gives details of some of the concerns that it says the public have about Rother.

Democracy4Bexhill is an all-party/independent community group with no political affiliation.