Local Democracy Reporting Service

These reports are from the BBC-funded Local Democracy Reporting Service. The Eastbourne Reporter is eligible to receive them as a regulated website with high journalistic standards.

Kings Drive Eastbourne flats plan

SPOTLIGHT: Developer bids to replace one house with 20 flats

By Huw Oxburgh, BBC-funded Local Democracy Reporting Service A developer has submitted plans for an apartment building in Eastbourne to replace a large detached house. In an application submitted to Eastbourne Borough Council, a developer is seeking outline planning permission to demolish the home at 273 Kings Drive and replace it with a building containing […]

Read More
Mornings Mill Farm sign Eastbourne

SPOTLIGHT: Council paid developers more than £750,000

By Huw Oxburgh, BBC-funded Local Democracy Reporter Wealden District Council has paid out more than three-quarters of a million pounds in appeal costs since January 2021. The single largest payout resulted from the council’s decision to refuse the 700-home Mornings Mill development on farmland at Willingdon, Eastbourne, which was approved on appeal. One Labour councillor […]

Read More
The Shires, Gorringe Road, Eastbourne

SPOTLIGHT: Planning inspector approves care home conversion

By Huw Oxburgh, BBC-funded Local Democracy Reporting Service Controversial plans to convert a former Eastbourne care home have been approved on appeal. A planning inspector has approved retrospective proposals for an 11-bedroom property at 13 Gorringe Road — a building which had formed part of a care home known as The Shires. Eastbourne planners had refused […]

Read More
Jonathan Kent PCC candidate

SPOTLIGHT: Green police and crime commissioner candidate

By Sarah Booker-Lewis, BBC-funded Local Democracy Reporter Below are the responses from Green candidate Jonathan Kent, a former BBC journalist who tweets as @jolph. He is pictured above. What difference will you make if you are elected? For years we’ve had a Conservative police and crime commissioner under a Tory government bent on cutting public […]

Read More
Katy Bourne PCC candidate

SPOTLIGHT: Conservative police and crime commissioner candidate

By Sarah Booker-Lewis, BBC-funded Local Democracy Reporter Below are the responses from Conservative candidate Katy Bourne, who tweets as @KatyBourne. She is pictured above. What difference will you make if you are elected? Continue cutting crime – neighbourhood crime already down 23 per cent, residential burglary down 33 per cent, fighting drugs gangs (585 disrupted […]

Read More
Jamie Bennett PCC candidate

SPOTLIGHT: Liberal Democrat police and crime commissioner candidate

By Sarah Booker-Lewis, BBC-funded Local Democracy Reporter Below are the responses from Liberal Democrat candidate Jamie Bennett, 34, a hotel manager who tweets as @JamieBen120689. He is pictured above. What difference will you make if you are elected? Liberal Democrats believe the post of PCC should be abolished but, until we are in a position […]

Read More
East Sussex potholes

SPOTLIGHT: East Sussex pothole reports double

Reports by residents of potholes in East Sussex more than doubled last year.   In figures released in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, East Sussex County Council said it received 26,309 reports of potholes and other carriageway defects in 2022/23.   This was more than double the previous financial year (2021/22), which […]

Read More
Eastbourne Town Hall

SPOTLIGHT: Top East Sussex council pay packets revealed 

The latest Town Hall Rich List has been published, showing how many council employees received more than £100,000 in 2022/23.  Collated by The TaxPayers’ Alliance, the figures showed that 73 employees of councils across East and West Sussex – not including Brighton & Hove – took home more than £100,000 in salary, pension and other expenses.   […]

Read More