Council 'must listen' on regeneration

Opposition deputy leader Cllr Stuart Wood told fellow members of the overview and scrutiny committee Rother had acted 'backwards' in submitting a planning application for the Next Wave plans before holding their public consultation.

But Cllr Wood and other members were told by head of regeneration Graham Burgess, a full consultation with the public and discussions with the market place have always been planned for as part of the process.

The controversial scheme would see retail space created at the Colonnade aimed at the evening economy.

Councillors resolved, in an amended version of suggestions made by Cllr Michael Ensor, a seafront strategy working group would report back with the findings of a marketing exercise and will examine feedback from the public consultation to see if changes to the proposal need to be considered.

Cllr Wood said: "I think this is one of the faults that we always have with these plans over the years. We do not consult with the electorate first and then put the plan through.

"We do not take the public and the electorate along with us and we must get the priority right that they come first. They vote us in and we must listen to them otherwise I find this council would be cheating the electorate.

"We must take the public on board and consult with them and stop doing things backwards."

Cllr Charles Clark said: "I don't think the press have helped us in some ways and haven't been particularly accurate in some of their reporting. I think this (the consultation) will set the ship on the right path again. There are a lot of very articulate people in Bexhill who have a lot to offer us with their own ideas and visions for the seafront."

Speaking at the start of the debate, Mr Burgess said: "It has never been my intention to put forward a proposal to members that was not backed up by evidence of interest without having first tested the market and that is what I have been authorised to do by cabinet and we propose to take the project to the market place following the award of planning permission."

Members were told the Colonnade requires significant investment regardless of the plans to keep it watertight.

Initial estimates come in at over 300,000.

Cllr Martin Kenward said: "I don't want to call them (the units) retail outlets, because they would be cafes, bars and bistros. When you look at the cost of repairs anyway, I think we would be foolish not to go ahead."