SPOTLIGHT: Housing allocation set to be halved
Several potential development sites involving hundreds of homes are set to be removed from the Eastbourne Local Plan after Cabinet Minister Michael Gove indicated there would not be sanctions for doing so. Eastbourne Borough Council says it is likely to scrap plans to develop Fisherman’s Green on the seafront, low-lying sites, Sovereign Harbour and University […]
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SPOTLIGHT: Revamp for bandstand seats
More than 800 teak folding chairs are being sanded and varnished by offenders ready for the re-opening of the bandstand in the spring. A group working unpaid as part of the community payback scheme are painstakingly sanding and painting each chair behind the bandstand. A spokesman for Eastbourne Borough Council said: “It’s not actually costing […]
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SPOTLIGHT: Cycling by the sea still a distant prospect
NO solution to the decades-long quest for a safe cycle route along Eastbourne seafront appears imminent, despite an urgent need to offer viable alternatives to car use. East Sussex County Council (ESCC), which is the highways authority, said it is “committed to delivering a continuous cycle route” but that it “cannot be delivered in the […]
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SPOTLIGHT: Who goes sea swimming in January?
AS THE cold snap persists and daytime temperatures barely edge above zero, most of us wrap up in thermal layers to take a few lungfuls of cold air before scuttling back to central heating. But there are people, who can be glimpsed on the beach, who take a very different view. The members of Eastbourne […]
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SPOTLIGHT: Everyday life in the past unearthed
IF YOU are annoyed by litter, food prices and unfounded anti-vaxxer theories, you will have a surprising amount in common with previous generations in Eastbourne going back nearly 200 years. Keen amateur historian Warwick Davis has spent years painstakingly researching what everyday life was like in the town for Victorians and for people between the […]
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SPOTLIGHT: Revealed – doctor appointment waiting times
THREE out of 11 GP surgeries in the Eastbourne area offered same-day appointments to 75% of patients who requested them, according to new Government figures. But five practices only offer the same-day service to around 50% of patients who ask for one. The data shows the time between booking and “all appointment modes”, which include […]
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SPOTLIGHT: ‘I am human. I want to study and I want to work’, says asylum seeker in Eastbourne
AS controversy continues about the placement of asylum seekers in hotels around the country – including at six hotels in Eastbourne – I spoke to one young Iraqi who has arrived on the East Sussex coast after a tortuous two-year journey across Europe. ALI is 22 years old. He tells me his story of endurance, […]
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SPOTLIGHT: Port Hotel extension deal called off
A DEAL to extend the distinctive black-painted Port Hotel on Eastbourne seafront into the neighbouring property has been abandoned. Peter Cadwallader of the 19-room Port Hotel wanted to buy the Atlanta Guest House, which has ten guest rooms. Mr Cadwallader, the co-founder and managing director of Port Hotels Ltd, confirmed to the Eastbourne Reporter: “The […]
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SPOTLIGHT: Bandstand stage restoration to start in spring
THE long-awaited first phase of repairs to Eastbourne’s iconic 1930s bandstand will start in the spring and it will re-open for the summer 2023 season, a council meeting heard last night as it approved the work. After an initial £750,000 is spent to repair the stage and parts of the main structure, up to £8 […]
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SPOTLIGHT: What inspires the artists who welcome us into their homes?
WHEN socks or yet another scented candle just doesn’t cut it at Christmas, an original piece of art or craft from an independent artist might fit that gift-shaped hole. And when those independent artists invite you into their own homes and studios to see the work, it’s a great way to avoid over-heated over-busy shops […]
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