South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)

Next Steps Announced for Regeneration of Bexhill-on-Sea

22nd November 2004

The latest developments in proposals to regenerate Bexhill-on-Sea are being announced at the Bexhill Town Forum public meeting at 6.30pm on Tuesday 30th November at Bexhill High School, Down Road.

Jonathan Smales, the Director of consultants Beyond Green who has facilitated a series of 'Community Enquiry' workshops over the autumn, will summarise the progress made by the broad cross-section of participating community representatives. He will explain how the group achieved a consensus on the urgent need to regenerate the town.

Councillor Graham Gubby, Leader of Rother District Council, will then explain how the work of the Community Enquiry and other relevant parties will be taken forward.

In tandem with the Community Enquiry process and in the light of local feedback, Sea Space - the regeneration company set up by the Hastings & Bexhill Task Force – has been undertaking a detailed re-evaluation of several potential development sites in Bexhill-on-Sea. Sea Space has concluded, reflecting a broad consensus from the Community Enquiry group, that the town’s existing ‘Sainsbury’s site’ and the sea front offer the strongest potential for the scale and type of development that would have a positive regeneration effect. At the south and north end of the town centre respectively, the two sites could work together to increase the flow of people through the town centre, helping to boost its retail trade.

The Sainsbury's site is being considered as a longer-term project because of the complexities surrounding its development. The sea front has been identified as a prime location where developments could be initiated fairly quickly, with a significant positive impact on the town. A primary factor in the analysis of the sea front has been the way developments could also be designed to complement the town's existing architectural landmark: the De La Warr Pavilion.

Aware of the sensitivity needed for developments on the sea front, Sea Space has been working with ABK Architects to review its earlier ideas. The team has looked at ways to revise initial designs, including reducing the scale of development next to the De La Warr Pavilion and distributing elements of the scheme along the whole sea front strip. Illustrations of the revised proposals have been produced by ABK.

It is anticipated that the revised proposals will be turned into planning applications in 2005, after taking community and stakeholder views into account.

Councillor Graham Gubby comments: "We've been delighted with the constructive spirit in which a wide range of community members have got involved in the Enquiry process. As a result, we've now reached a crucial stage in our regeneration plans. There's clearly a broad consensus that change is needed as a matter of urgency if we're to make the most of the assets of Bexhill-on-Sea and reverse its economic decline. Now is the time to take proposals forward in a positive and decisive way in the interests of the community, and I am looking to local people to support us as we do this."

Rother District Council will be distributing information packs - summarising the progress so far and next steps – to representatives of local groups attending Tuesday's Town Forum meeting. The information pack will also be published on the Council's web site at www.rother.gov.uk and available in printed form from the Community Help Point in Amherst Road, the Bexhill Library in Western Road, the Tourist Information Centre in Marina and other local information points. Posters and leaflets will be distributed throughout the town to publicise the availability of this information and to encourage the community to find out more.

Anyone who wishes to submit views on the latest developments can do so by post to Rother District Council, Regeneration Division, Town Hall, Bexhill-on-Sea, TN39 3JX; or by email to bexhilltomorrow@rother.gov.uk