Local Action Plan rolls on

As as result, the deadline for questionnaires to be returned has been extended to Friday December 11 to ensure as many people as possible have a chance to contribute and have their say.

The three Have Your Say events to take place so far have all had a steady flow of interested attendees providing a host of views on a whole range of topics that affect day-to-day life in the town.

Three more of these events are scheduled: at St Stephens Church Hall on Sat Nov 21, St Barnabas Church in Sea Road on Sat Nov 28 and the rescheduled one at Manor Barn on Thursday December 3.

These are drop-by events and everyone is welcome, whether a local resident or from other parts of the town.

Questionnaires will be available to fill in on the day, or take away to complete.

Rother Voluntary Action, who are co-ordinating and running the programme have been working closely with Bexhill Youth Council to ensure that the voices of young people are also heard. The Youth Council have created a questionnaire specifically for this purpose and this will be circulated to the secondary schools and youth clubs in the town over the coming weeks.

Alongside these events, questionnaires will be going out to locals via businesses and many of the numerous community groups, clubs and local organisations in the town. It is important for as many people to be involved as possible. If you would like your group or club to be involved, please contact Ian Coleman of Rother Voluntary Action on 01424 217259 or mail him at [email protected].

Alternatively, you can leave your views on the Bexhill Local Action Plan blog (www.myloft.co.uk/bexhill), or on FaceBook (search for "Bexhill Local Action Plan").

The event at Little Common Community Centre was well attended by those keen to get their opinions across.

These included Mike and Pauline Rosner, of Hillborough Close, who both felt it important to be involved in the Local Action Plan.

Pauline said: "I think the main idea is there's no point complaining unless you are prepared to put the effort in and make changes."

Major local concerns for her included the negative effect on the Little Common community the arrival of a megastore might have, and changes made to Bexhill seafront that might be out of character with the traditional architecture and style.

Mike commented: "I think we have an obligation to our neighbourhood. There is no point always being negative...sometimes positive suggestions will encourage us to think of ways we can improve our village or our neighbourhood."

He highlighted traffic problems on the A259 on either side of the Little Common roundabout resulting in injuries as well as delays.

Also on the subject of traffic was Edwin Shelton, of Peartree Lane, who felt steps should be taken to stop commuter vehicles speeding through and felt the suggested Hastings-Bexhill linkroad would add to congestion rather than ease it away.

Another Little Common resident commented: "I think the major thing for me is the traffic on Peartree Lane where I live. We need speed restrictions like road bumps, traffic calming measures. Also we need a pedestrian crossing on Barnhorn Road by the Wheatsheaf - it was a major oversight in not putting something there."

He felt that if the landfill plan for Ashdown went ahead another road should be build from Ninfield Road for the use of heavy traffic heading to the site.