Funding boost for tourism and improvements schemes

This week Rother District Council approved a proposal from its Bexhill Town Centre Steering Group to set aside £27,500 from developer section 106 contributions to fund a series of schemes designed to improve the town. In the past section 106 contributions have been used to fund schemes such as the town centre cycle racks and improvements to Marina Court Gardens According to the council, £20,000 of the money will be used to ensure street furniture, fixtures and fittings are installed to the high standard throughout the town centre. The remaining money will fund posters promoting visitor events in the town at London railway stations and a public relations campaign aimed at generating national media coverage. Cllr Ian Hollidge, Rother District Council cabinet member for Bexhill Town Centre, said: “Recent investment has really started to make a difference to the presentation of the town centre and it is important we continue to make further improvements. “This funding will enable us to ensure features in the town centre are well-maintained, neat and tidy, and that any new street furniture required is installed to the highest standard.” The poster campaign, designed to a ‘modern vintage’ theme, will promote high-profile events such as Festival of the Sea, Motofest, Roaring 20s and the 1066 Cycling Festival. The posters will direct potential visitors to a website with full listings of events in the district. The tourism campaign has previously run as part of a series of initiatives to promote the town including a postcard campaign – the latest batch of 30,000 postcards has just been distributed around the south east and within Rother and 1066 Country. De La Warr Pavilion director Stewart Drew, who is also a member of the town centre steering group behind the tourism campaign,said: “We received feedback from local businesses that there was a real sense of local pride in the rail campaign and that Bexhill’s profile was starting to grow for events, shopping and accommodation, as well as the De La Warr Pavilion. “The rail posters were seen by hundreds of thousands of commuters per day across the rail network.”