Seafront scheme safety questioned

Jackie Bialeska, of Vox Pop, is concerned that children could run out into the road. This has been partly addressed by a temporary fence, but she claims this does not go far enough and is calling for a permanent wall or fence.

She also highlighted other worries which included dog fouling on play equipment, stones in the play area, and children running out under the wheels of cyclists on the promenade.

She is additionally querying the narrowness of the path between the parked cars and garden areas, and says there is not enough room for drivers to open car doors wide enough to let out disabled passengers, wheelchairs or pushchairs.

Jackie said: “Of course, say the council, one can drop off a wheelchair at the access points, but can one then desert the disabled, especially a child, while one searches for a parking spot and returns?

“This whole Next Wave scheme has been badly planned from the start.”

Rother District Council chief executive Derek Stevens responded: “The council takess the matter of public safety very seriously indeed and, of course, we wouldn’t allow play equipment that was going to be unsuitable or dangerous in any way.