Your letters - September 3

Dangerous A259

CLLR Martin Kenward is right to highlight the high accident rate on the A259. The section between Hastings and Eastbourne is officially the most dangerous road in Sussex.

Out of respect for the families involved, I shall not list them, but over the last 20 years there have been four fatal accidents along the half-mile section between the College Road junction and the Glyne Gap roundabout. A fifth took place just east of the roundabout near the Esso garage.

There have been countless other accidents over the years.

This is not in itself a bypass or link road issue. Although traffic is stationary or slow-moving for much of the day, De La Warr Road is a racetrack in the evenings and during the night when traffic is light.

Residents have to put up with excessive noise, especially from motorcycles travelling at high speed, and cars racing eastwards off the King Offa Way dual carriageway downhill from the Dorset Road lights to Glyne Gap.

The police recognise this and frequently conduct speed checks very late at night, and into the small hours.

I understand that motorists are regularly booked for driving at more than twice the speed limit (30 mph).

The current orthodoxy appears to be against new speed cameras, but the Highways Agency should consider other traffic calming measures, including installing more refuges in the middle of the road and changing the line markings to narrow the lanes.

Richard Madge

College Road

Bexhill-on-Sea

Great Bank Holiday

WHAT a great Bank Holiday in Bexhill.

With the Bexhill 100 and 75th anniversary of the De La Warr I would personally like to thank both organisations for providing two wonderful events, and underpinning the recent Halifax survey of Bexhill being the number one seaside resort.

Cllr Paul Lendon

Buxton Drive

Bexhill

Thanks to the kiosk

MY family went down to the DLWP yesterday to join in the 75th birthday celebrations and we took the opportunity of a long walk along the prom as it was such a lovely afternoon.

Later that evening we discovered my daughter had mislaid her mobile and when we rang it, the lady running the ice cream kiosk by the Sailing Club answered and told us it had been handed in that afternoon! I was amazed the kiosk was still open at 7pm when we picked it up! We would like to thank the lady at the kiosk for looking after it and to the person who handed it in - thank you so much, it is a brand new phone and we are very grateful.

Carolyn Turner and the Turner family

Mitten Road

Bexhill

Delighted with town

We are delighted, but not surprised that Bexhill has the best quality of life compared to the other 124 seaside towns included in the recent Halifax survey. Having recently moved here from the Penzance area, we are in a good position to compare the two seaside towns. Bexhill scores heavily in the areas of health, leisure facilities, town beaches and public transport.

Property prices in Bexhill are lower than in Penzance, and the cost of living here is less. Dining out in Bexhill is cheaper than in Penzance, and the variety of restaurants is greater. Bexhill's climate is much drier and sunnier and the promenade here (even during the renovation works) is vastly superior to the dour one in Penzance. Both towns have a wealth of small, independent shops. These help to give the towns a unique sense of identity; hopefully people will do as much as they can to support them during the coming years of austerity.

Penzance is set within the dramatic landscape of West Penwith, while the countryside around Bexhill is to our mind just as beautiful and more varied, considering the South Downs and Pevensey Levels are situated just to the west, the Romney Marsh to the east, and the High Weald to the north.

When we moved here we thought we would miss the warm openheartedness of the Cornish people, but instead we have found most Bexhill people very friendly. Our main disappointment has been with the number of Bexhill residents who complain about the town and the weather. Perhaps if they spent some time elsewhere in Britain they would appreciate that Bexhill really does offer a very high quality of life.

Steve Gardiner and Barrie Wright

Cooden Drive

Bexhill

Opposed to link road

I HAVE written to both the Prime Minister, David Cameron, and his deputy, Nick Clegg, to say that I was most concerned when I read the article "County fighting for link road approval" (Bexhill Observer, August 13).

I myself objected to the proposed construction of a Hastings-Bexhill link road and read out my reasons at the public inquiry held in November last year.

I feel it is unacceptable if East Sussex County Council and Hastings Borough Council are directly or indirectly bringing pressure to bear on those who are responsible for making the final decision on the link road after the independent inspector has submitted his recommendations to ministers.

Surely further lobbying of MPs at this stage is not admissible? Both councils and members of the public had ample opportunity to present their cases at the public inquiry.

NAME and ADDRESS SUPPLIED

Bexhill-on-Sea

Survey on Colonnade

THE street collection of your letters concerning the possible use of the Colonnade is going well.

So far the consultation on my trolley has shown that 96 per cent of respondents want either a simple cafe like we had before, and/or a family-type ordinary seafront restaurant. Only four per cent want a high-class restaurant. This is thought to be neither suitable nor financially viable.

The trolley survey continues from 9.15am-3.15pm daily at either the old Somerfield (now Co-Op) or near the old cinema in Western Road, depending on the weather.

In addition a few people who have written letters have voted for nothing to be changed. However, as the council has now appointed a company to do the work and is determined to go ahead all we can do is to demonstrate what the people who pay for the work, the ratepayers, want on the Colonnade. Of course it is understood that the rowing club is part of the Colonnade plans. This is a separate issue and we heartily support it as I think most people in Bexhill do.

Keep writing to the council. They cannot totally ignore you.

Jackie Bialeska

Chair of Vox Pop, seafront pressure group

Anger over pensions

I AM an ex-serviceman living in Bexhill, having completed 28 years in the Royal Navy as a submariner and as bomb and mine warfare chief diver.

My duties took me around the world, including a tour of Iraq in 2004 to clear munitions from occupied areas to reduce the danger of unexploded ordnance and the possibility of horrific injuries to the Iraqi townspeople.

I read with utter disgust that the government has decided to change the pension rules from April 2011 by switching from Retail Price Index (RPI) to Consumer Price Index (CPI) when calculating annual increases.

This change does not take into account the cost of utility bills and the average cost of living, so from 2011 it effectively means ex-servicemen and women being subjected to a stealth collection of monies from their annual pensions.

Someone having retired from the services at 40, and with an average life expectancy of 86, can expect to lose 225,222 over the intervening years. Anyone with the rank of major or equivalent will lose around 338,895.

How can the government be so insensitive and crass towards its military pensioners, especially after the current high profile comments regarding the government doing all it can to support its Armed Forces?

Like many before me, I paid for kit, put up with the bad conditions of service and the gut-wrenching fact that I even paid for my own dog tags to go to war with in case I got killed!

I now feel that I am having to pay the government back for my time in the Royal Navy. Is this my reward for 28 years of devoted service to Queen and country?

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED

Don't feed the cats

WHILST I think it very kind of FE Pearce (Letters, August 20) to feed the cat in her garden I must advise against it. The fact that the cat chooses to sit in their garden does not mean it is living rough. If it wears a collar and is well fed then it is just visiting because it likes their garden. We have a large cat who is on a very strict diet and medication and we guess he is now being fed by someone in our locality as he is not coming home for days on end, and this means we cannot monitor his diet or give him his medication. He is a very friendly and talkative neutered black-and-white tom, no collar, 13 years old and has never wandered before. Please, if a cat visits you do NOT encourage it to stay by feeding it. If left hungry they will always find their way home.

J JACKSON

The Gorses

Cooden

Suggestions, please

Students of the genealogy of the Next Wave who mourned the untimely passing of Twenty Metre Boulevard will be consoled by the news that his genes live on! We learned last week that before his unfortunate early demise he fathered a lusty son. Suggestions of names for this squalling infant are now invited. Mine is Five Metre Service Road. Are there any more?

John Hodson

Cooden Sea Road

Bexhill-on-Sea

Thoughts on carnival

I WISH to briefly respond to the letter from Chris Cox (Bexhill Observer, August 13), on behalf of the Carnival Committee.

It is uncertain whether anything more can be done to revive interest and active participation in the carnival procession. Perhaps it has run its course, even in a town like Bexhill that tries to cling to all things traditional.

In view of the substantial loss on the Party in the Park concert, presumably the carnival day collection and Polegrove entry money will have to be utilised towards the shortfall rather than given to good causes.

My suggestion to the committee would be that they focus entirely on carnival day itself, rather than attempt to organise a week of speculative events beforehand.

P J WATSON

Cooden Sea Road

Bexhill-on-Sea

Rowing club's 70k funding plea

AS president of Bexhill Rowing Club I write in response to the front page article of last weeks Observer and the rowing club's quest to raise 70,000 to fit out the new boathouse.

Considering this huge sum of money, it is important that the residents of Bexhill are aware of the way in which the club operates.

The club is a not-for-profit organisation, but strives by various means to provide for its members a facility within which it is possible to train, either on land or on the water.

This includes the provision of premises wherewith to operate from, with changing and shower facilities plus land training equipment.

For members to take part in all Coast Amateur Rowing Assoc (CARA) controlled events, the club has to register each member with that organisation were there is, of course, a fee to pay.