Amenities are disappearing

This workhouse site of earlier times having been gifted to East County Council when Bexhill Council lost control of education.

Can it be predicted that the site will be then sold to a major supermarket chain or developer. Rother District will, as the planning authority, grant planning consent in return for a suitable payment of Council Infrastructure Levy, like M&S at Ravenside.

In the process, we will lose more of our civil amenities, which was the prime reason for creating local authorities under the Public Health Acts with the passing of the Manorial system.

What we have lost in this area of the town? Two public toilets and shelter, and a portion of the Down at the demise of the railway and creating King Offa Way.

The recently much-lauded Skill Centre has passed into history. It is much easier to teach boring theories than hands on skills.

The Drill Hall and Skate board facility (young persons amenity) will probably disappear when the Business Park is created. Another portion of the Down will be ‘lost’ to road adjustments as happened before. The previous loss of the Down was theoretically offset by creating a public open space at the Hollier’s Hill London Road Junction.

This new open space was soon lost by remodelling the junction and putting a new house in the area.

Thanks to some sharp-eyed person the sale of St Mary’s Wood, hopefully will be saved.

Being cynical, I could ask what do the local authorities actually do in terms of practically applied technics and skills? Building and maintaining of council houses has gone. All services have been sub-contracted.

All we are left with is a number of paper warriors, under euphemistic titles such as Support Officer, Team Leader, Project Manager etc.

I did notice that the county councillors complained about poorly maintained drains were upsetting road repairs.

They could do nothing, as there is no overseeing technical body to monitor the privatised drainage company’s performance.

Peter G Cole

Bexhill Road

Ninfield

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