Library row

Instead, new libraries are planned for Newhaven and Seaford.

Bexhill, the county's third largest town and with the county's best-used library, is scheduled for major refurbishment.

But although internal reorganisation is aimed at freeing-up more space for the public areas, Bexhill's library seems destined to remain in the former St Barnabas' Infants' School, converted for library use half a century ago.

Town MP Greg Barker summed-up the mood of a meeting last Friday with Valerie Wright, assistant head of services for the county library service.

Referring to the library's situation at the junction of Sackville Road and Western Road, he told her: "It's a Premier Division site with a Division Four building.

The meeting was held at the home of Bexhill Library Friends' secretary Beryl Gebbie. Also present were Friends' chairman Tony Dunn, Rother member Paul Lendon and Rother election candidate and Conservative colleague Bridget George.

Bexhill Library Friends was founded nearly four years ago as a means of attracting grant aid for the library.

At that time, the Friends and the MP were assured not only that a replacement building for the library was in the capital programme but that Bexhill was first priority.

Cllr Bob Tidy, lead member for libraries in the Conservative-led county council, had been invited to the meeting but was unable to attend.

Valerie Wright attended in his place.

She explained that the county planned to spend a substantial sum on refurbishment and modernisation of the library.

This would include a better access; wheeled shelving for the ground floor giving greater flexibility of use and internal reorganisation to enlarge the public areas.

But the campaigners made it clear that this would still leave Bexhill with a building which was more than a century old and severely restricted in space.

While welcoming the fact that the county planned to spend money on improvements Mr Barker was concerned lest this prejudices the chances of achieving a new building.

He believes it unrealistic to expect that the county will find the millions needed for a new library for Bexhill.

Instead he believes there is more scope if the library project is given a key place in the economic regeneration of the town.

He called for a top-level meeting with county leaders and regeneration agency Seaspace for this project to be given priority.

He said finding commercial partners in a joint project in which flats or other development would help fund the scheme offered the best way forward.

Valerie Wright, who had maintained throughout that the county was always willing to discuss ideas with funding partners, then revealed that the library service was currently talking to two developers interested in a Bexhill project.

The MP made it clear that the campaigners believe it essential that any new library should be sited within the town centre.

Mr Barker said later: "Bexhill deserves a far better library than the building it now occupies.

"Despite the commitment of local staff and the Friends of Bexhill Library, we really need something better.

"There has been too little progress towards that aim in the last couple of years and while a major refurbishment is welcome, my ambitions for the library go much further than that."

He said he was determined to achieve the goal of a new library for Bexhill.