Your letters - August 28

A bin problem

CONCERNING the bins and boxes council has imposed on the public and households of Rother '“ first there is a problem that all these councils have not thought about.

When everybody had a dustbin they went out and bought it and stored it on their property, as this belongs to them and was covered by the building's insurance.

Now we have all been told we are to get boxes and wheelie bins, which we all have, and also we are told what household waste is to go into what box and bin. The problem is that these items do not belong to us, they are the property of the council and therefore are not covered by our property insurance.

This is to say when removing it from your property, and you have an accident with these items, you are not covered by your insurance and you are not covered by the council insurance.

Also when keeping these on your property, they belong to the council '“ therefore who is paying the household's rent for keeping council property on our land?

Someone in the powers-that-be has not looked at this situation. Every household in the country is keeping council property on their land and not being paid rent.

Also, if the council does not pay rental and the household are to place bins outside the property then it's a problem for the council and the highways department, as then council property is blocking the highways.

This has only come to light as council tax charges for removal of household waste '“ then there is recycling of garden waste, paper, cans and bottles.

The question now lies with the council '“ what to do with their property on your land now that you are not covered by insurance for the property.

Ian Blake

Reginald Road

Bexhill

Crossing is a danger

I HAVE been working in a shop opposite the zebra crossing on Sea Road. So I have a day-to-day experience of watching people getting nearly run over all the time trying to pass on this crossing.

It is more a black and white path of death. Car owners regularly don't acknowledge the zebra crossing or the people on it. They don't even notice their near-fatal accident with the pedestrian '“ driving on merrily as ever!

The location of this crossing is ridiculous. Drivers are trying to turn on to Sea Road from Endwell Road, which is right next to the crossing.

They jump into the road at any opportunity, nearly killing whoever is crossing. My friend today nearly got run over. She was missed only by a centimetre by a car going straight over the crossing. The driver did not even acknowledge her existence afterwards.

It was only two years ago that we saw an old man get hit by a car in the same way '“ he was thrown flying into the road. What did the council do? They repainted the crossing '“ how effective.

The crossing needs repositioning further down Sea Road. Cameras should be in place to catch these terrible drivers. And there should be speed bumps on the road near the crossing to remind drivers that Sea Road is not a race track.

Surely it is worth doing financially for the council. It has got to be cheaper than the amount of money spent on surgery and six months of physiotherapy to get the old man to walk again after he was hit on the crossing.

MIKE BURR

Sea Road

Bexhill

Chicanes are worse

THANKS to the powers-that-be who rearranged the road on part of Gunters Lane '“ you have turned a straight piece of road used for speeding into one that is much more fun with the chicanes thrown in.

The speedsters now feel they are on a proper race track and from the sounds I hear regularly are thoroughly enjoying themselves.

I can't wait for a pit lane to be introduced and maybe a man with a chequered flag.

There's more chance of an accident now than there ever was.

All that money wasted when all it needed was working speed cameras or even humps.

Was this a serious attempt to calm traffic or just a sop to fob of those who objected to the new school on traffic grounds?

Had anyone from East Sussex County Council seen the results of their labours, then they would have to agree that the pinch points are not deep enough to slow up traffic.

The only time the system works is when parents park their cars almost in the pinch point, thus creating a blockage when collecting their kids from school.

P Adams

Hornbeam Avenue

Bexhill

Think big on roads

Copy of a letter to MP Greg Barker and Nick Bingham, chairman of the Hastings Alliance for Sustainable Transport:

ON July 17 I attended a meeting arranged by Mr Greg Barker MP, and Councillor Paul Lendon also attended.

Mr Barker later asked for letters concerning local issues and I wished Mr Barker to accept that Bexhill was in a decline and that this predated the current recession.

Further, that the Rother authority was to blame in not initiating sufficient parking arrangements.

I then proposed that Mr Barker should use his influence to restore Devonshire Square to its former state for parking and pilot schemes where appropriate should proceed for cars to park in chevron strips or ranks.

I also suggested a feasibility study to resite taxi ranks with strategically placed freephones for their hire and the possibility of their plying for hire.

I regard the length of some bus stops as excessive and said so.

At this moment Cllr Lendon pointed out that the county council pedestrianised Devonshire Square not Rother and he did not agree Bexhill was in decline '“ we have Iceland in place of Woolworths, furthermore Mr Barker was here to discuss national matters.

Leaving aside these aspirations I replied the agenda I had specifically allowed for local matters to be raised, which Mr Barker confirmed.

Moving I request a rethink on the link road to Hastings '“ as an option, think of the Lyder Lee, the causeways that connect the Florida Keys, the Mulberry Harbour.

The link road could easily go out to sea '“ between Pevensey and the De La Warr, the route A259 is often close to the sea.

The miles of shingle would make concrete to be replaced by beautiful sand. The resulting marina and seapool would provide a regeneration that Rother could only dream of.

I am aware that in a manner of speaking this country sends a pantechnicon of cash to the EU, much of which funds the Kinnock family et al.

The benefits return on a Ford Transit.

Need I say more? Yes I do, whatever the merits of Rother tarting up the seafront, it is typical of the supine cherry-picking that for me denotes Rother.

I urge Rother to dream a little more than wake up and do it '“ it's called inspiration.

JG Moss

Hawthorn Avenue

Little Common

Village looks lovely

AS A long time resident of Little Common I would just like to say that the village has never looked better. The newly-painted Wheatsheaf is ablaze with colourful baskets.

The horticultural society has put troughs of brightly coloured flowers on the roundabout and the local business association has put hanging baskets on the lampposts and large troughs on the railings on the pavement around the roundabout.

The latter are simply quite magnificent and this is due in large measure to Keith Waters, whose daily care with water, plant food and dead-heading has made them as spectacular as they are; it is a pleasure to walk through the village.

Thank you Keith and all the people who care for these beautiful flowers.

Joanne Lawrence

Shipley Lane

Bexhill

Thanks for honesty

I WOULD like to thank the very kind and honest person who found my handbag in the Cooden Tavern on the night of Thursday, August 13; whether it was a customer or a member of staff I do not know, but I was so relieved when I returned to the Tavern the next day and found it safely deposited at the reception of the hotel.

It is good to know that there are still many honest people around.

Alison Jenks

The Gorses

Cooden

Why we did it

I READ with great interest the letter from Martin McKee ("You must see this film", Observer, July 31). It is good to get some positive feedback on the screening of The Age of Stupid in St Mary Magdalene's Hall on July 7.

May I be permitted to answer some of the questions asked by Mr McKee? The opportunity to view this outstanding film starring Pete Postlethwaite was provided by members of the Bexhill and Hastings World Development Movement group.

Together with my husband Denis, chairman of the WDM group, I had had the good fortune to see the film at its launch in Brighton in May, when all 250 seats were sold in advance, to the great disappointment of many turning up on the day.

We were so impressed by the film .We left the cinema feeling that everyone should see it and that we should play our part in bringing this about. So it was thas we took a leap of faith, estimated the number of tickets we might sell, and increased that by one third (being eternal optimists!), chose a date and venue, booked the hall and went online www.ageofstupid.net to purchase our licence. It was all very straightforward. We were quoted a price, bought the licence and mobilised members to sell tickets.

Personalised posters were readily available for download. Thanks to the great efforts of all concerned we found ourselves in the same position as the Duke of York's Picturehouse in Brighton '“ all tickets sold out in advance, the hall full to capacity and many latecomers disappointed.

The profit we made enabled us both to support WDM campaigns and send a sizeable contribution to help fund the global premiere of the film on September 21/22.

Why would we do that? This will be the biggest simultaneous film event the world has ever seen with 700+ screenings in more than 40 countries and, the whole project is independently funded. The aim is to show the film to 250 billion people worldwide before the crucial talks at Copenhagen in December. I hope this will encourage others to get involved.

Christina Lucey

Willowbank

Maple Walk

Bexhill

OAPs are here to stay

REFERRING to Paul Minter's letter (Observer, August 14): you are in the wrong town!

Bexhill has the highest ratio of elderly people in the south east. My advice is, live with it or move. Or are you so intolerant you can't '“ because we won't go away, just get bigger?

But, in fact, thankfully the DVLA has the last word. We should be more worried about younger, aggressive drivers who constantly ignore the 30 and 40 mph speed limits, and drive at 60 mph, through Cooden and Catsfield, for example.

Yvonne Lightfoot-St John

Nazareth Close

Bexhill

Let me know about benches

WORK to redesign the Bexhill seafront and West Promenade areas will start next year.

This project, known as Next Wave, will improve the hard landscaping (walls, surfacing materials etc) and soft landscaping (plant areas) between the Colonnade and the public conveniences at the end of West Parade.

At the end of July I wrote to all 46 donors of memorial benches situated on the De La Warr and West Parades and to date have received 22 replies.

Many of these seats were donated up to 15 years ago and naturally some of these donors may have changed address in that time.

We are keen to locate all donors of these seats and so I would appreciate your support in taking this opportunity to appeal to any donors of seats on the De La Warr or West Parade to contact me via the details below by September 4, 2009.

I realise that these seats have significant personal value and want to be able to inform people of the arrangements we will make for the future of these seats and how the scheme will accommodate memorials and seating as soon as further details are known.

Only benches situated on the De La Warr and West Parades will be affected by the scheme.

If you are a donor of one of these memorial benches and have not yet contacted myself, please do so.

My details are Mr Ian Roadnight, telephone 01424 787536, e-mail [email protected] or write to me at Rother District Council, 14 Beeching Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, TN39 3LG.

Ian Roadnight

Clerical officer

Rother District Council

We will have our say

WE, the protesters against the management of the western seafront 'Next Wave' scheme, have persuaded the council officers to mount an exhibition of the latest seafront plans for the landscaping, Colonnade, putting green, etc. It will be open to all, held soon, with details to be released shortly. So come along and you will be able to express your views to the architects and designers.

An exhibition of ten shelter designs will be shown some time later and you will have a choice. More publicity will follow. Some power, we hope, is to be returned to the people of Bexhill. We are people who like to have our say.

Now something must be done about the centre of this town. Though it has some brilliant shops and cafes the council officers have been ignoring the maintenance of it. The toilets are an absolute disgrace, the trees are often stunted and too few. Also buildings are being neglected by estate agents when they could be put to good temporary use when they are empty.

The council officers, busy with their grandiose project, must be brought back to earth and made to use the powers they have. Other towns do it.

And, most of all, we must get some of our share of Seaspace's money. It is a scandal that so much public money, many millions, has been spent in Hastings while we have to raid our own coffers for money to finance our council's fancy schemes.

We must get our share of the money, and soon. Meanwhile, come to the exhibition.

Jackie Bialeska

Chairman, Vox Pop

Don't lose touching heritage

DUE to our holiday in the Isle of Wight / Solent area we were unable to attend the silent protest concerning the proposal to remove the sea front memorial benches as part of the Next Wave development.

The places we visited were of England's finest: Newton, Tennyson Down, Buckler's Hard, Itchenor and Portsmouth.

Each offered the foot-weary travellers places to rest, reflect and relax on memorial benches. Reading their touching inscriptions prompted this letter.

Bexhill's memorial benches are part of our town's heritage.

They were provided for the public in good faith by organisations, friends and families as tokens of appreciation for good services and treasured memories of deceased loved ones who had connections with this town. The idea of replace them with anonymous, soul-less stainless steel structures is unworthy and insulting.

Lois Crone

Woodville Road

Bexhill

Let's have trees, not concrete

HAVING just downloaded and viewed the Next Wave pdf from the council website, I am concerned as a new local resident and council tax payer, that the character of the seaside town is in danger of being lost and at a lot of expense too.

Surely the architects/planners or consultants can be more creative than concrete and slabs?

There must be an easier and more cost-effective option that would please most residents and tourists alike.

One idea could be to tree line the beach front, making it more carbon neutral, with extra seating areas in between and mixed with sculpture to represent the glorious past and hopefully future of the town?

Mike McCrory

Midhurst Court

Barnhorn Close

Bexhill

We need independent shops

WHAT'S happening to Bexhill?

All the shops are closing to be replaced by cafs and charity shops.

Whilst I feel extremely sorry for Wards I can see the reason why they have quit.

Supermarkets selling complete school uniforms for a tenner '“ they can't compete. Price wins over quality, especially in the recession.

But please don't allow another caf to open in its place. I think that nearly every charity in Britain has a presence in Bexhill.

Let's encourage smaller independent shops, support them if you can. Bexhill is beautiful, let's keep it that way.

That old saying comes in again '“ use it or lose it.

Stephanie Beale

Ninfield Road

Bexhill

A sorry farewell to Wards...

CAN I write about the sadness we read that without some outside help another old established store, Wards, will disappear from our streets?

The Wards main store in Hastings could close too. Not only would we lose a quality clothing outlet, the restaurant, food, and service from the whole workforce has to be put in the highest class and quality.

Have you ever tried the jacket potatoes or scones?

Good luck in finding a new owner.

I also help run a small family business and know how difficult it is these days trying to keep our heads above water.

Robert E Morgan

The Ridge

Hastings

... but here's one to visit

I WOULD just like to say congratulations to The Reel Deal in Sackville Road (formerly Old 'n' Gold) in selecting their new name and involving their customers in the process.

This is a wonderful little shop and I wish it every success in the future.

For anyone who hasn't been there yet, you really should take a look.

It sells DVDs, CDs and books of a quality I've never seen before in a secondhand shop (although it does sell new ones too), great value and such an amazing selection.

The staff are lovely and nothing is too much trouble which in this day and age is very refreshing to find on the high street.

We are very lucky in Bexhill to have so many independent stores and we really should support our local shops

The Reel Deal definitely gets mine.

Janice Moore

Cooden Drive

Bexhill

Why is our will ignored?

MUCH has been said and written about Bexhill's regeneration.

This ought to mean the commercial enrichment of the area. More incoming money is the key. This means successful manufacturing which underpins thriving services. Since our road and rail routes to London and beyond are so illdeveloped this will not come. Of course improved east/west routes are needed, but I would not describe the miniscule one-lane proposed Hastings to Bexhill link road as little more than the idea of parochial insularity.

It seems that consultations are made, opinions widely sought and in the end what I perceive to be the local will is ignored. Newcastle Council has a "You Gov" scheme which is much more representative of the democratic will, and this is but one example of other schemes involving local wishes more widely.

The local power-mongers who make decisions on our behalf are taking us in directions which we do not wish to take. The proposed dispersal of funds on the Next Wave to say nothing of the scheme that proposes to shift traffic jams to another location with immense damage to our beautiful environment, need to be re-thought.

Where funds for renewal are available they should be used for the repair and replacement of our lovely paving stones. The ever wider use of tarmac maybe cheaper but it is not cheerful. Wider construction of public lavatories would also be welcome. How about greater effort made to control yobbism and vandalism. More bobbies on the beat, CCTV or even private security guards about the streets if our police force is not able to do more.

What about Devonshire Square? Well yes. What is the point of an empty space? Maybe we did need more disabled parking, though often several of these stand vacant, but if our shops are to have any chance of survival we need visitors, who need parking.

Why not return Devonshire Square to short-term parking to serve both Post Office and shops? At the same time why not beautify it with several trees? That way we would serve both the planet and the shops. The council could underline this by finding ways to attract and establish new businesses.

Come on Bexhill! Let us not sit idly by while our town sinks ever downwards!

LEONARD STERLING

Magdalen Road

Bexhill

Keep the pavilion open later

ON the best evening of the year so far, we walked along the prom after a nice meal in That's Amore and fancied a drink or maybe a coffee on the terrace of the Pavilion.

Surprise, surprise, not only was the bar closed, the whole Pavilion was closed.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but August is the height of the holiday season.

Bexhill is a seaside town, the De La Warr terrace looks out over the sea, so what on earth is the management of the Pavilion doing by having it closed at 7.45 in the evening?

Roger Hayes

Broadoak Lane

Bexhill

Olympians all did well

CONGRATULATIONS and well done to the Westerleigh Judo Club (Kwai) on its outstanding performance at the recent Special Olympics, held in Leicester.

To return home with six gold, six silver and four bronze medals is an achievement that warrants recognition.

Special thanks are due to Mr Paul Everest and his dedicated team of coaches.

Well done all of you.

E. MILLINGTON

Eastbourne

Thank you for the flowers

WE would like to thank everyone who planted and displayed the flower baskets round Little Common roundabout. They have been beautiful, not forgetting the gentleman who kept them watered with his large tank of water.

Well done.

VI & DON TOWN

Little Common