SPOTLIGHT: An artist’s view of the Turner Prize legacy
The arrival of the prestigious Turner Prize in Eastbourne attracted worldwide attention and drew thousands of visitors to see the work of four artists at the Towner gallery. But beyond the whirl of activity and the televised prize ceremony, there have been projects involving the people of Eastbourne running quietly in the background. One of […]
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SPOTLIGHT: Energy project could bring 50,000 solar panels to Eastbourne Levels
Part of the Eastbourne Levels could be covered in 50,000 solar panels if planning permission is approved for a renewable energy project in a multi-million pound deal, a public meeting heard. The land, owned by the Duke of Devonshire, covers an 80-acre site currently used for livestock grazing. The solar panels could be positioned east […]
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SPOTLIGHT: Could Eastbourne have more 20mph speed limits?
Campaigners for a 20mph limit in residential areas have dismissed claims by East Sussex County Council that it would require “significant and costly traffic management measures” to put in place. The introduction of 20mph speed limit areas in Eastbourne still seems a distant prospect, despite widespread support from political parties, residents and businesses. An alliance […]
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SPOTLIGHT: Visions of greener transport in Eastbourne
Car-free, elegant public spaces in the town centre, frequent buses, and safe cycling for families and commuters was the vision presented at a sustainable transport summit in Eastbourne. There was consensus that the current situation could not continue: car dependency, daily traffic jams, gridlocked roundabouts, unreliable buses, driving speeds which endanger pedestrians, and few safe […]
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SPOTLIGHT: Hours of storm releases not made public for nine days
Southern Water did not release information about several storm releases of rain water and sewage into the sea near Eastbourne for nine days. Five storm releases lasting a total of more than five hours happened soon after Storm Ciaran in early November. But they did not show on Southern Water’s dedicated web page for storm overflows […]
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SPOTLIGHT: Why was this overflowing bin not emptied for three weeks?
Volunteer litter picker Rosemary Cartmel thought she would help the community by cleaning up the streets near her home in Eastbourne’s Old Town. She also joined the Motcombe Wombles litter picking group and joined other volunteers in Gildredge Park on Sunday, 15 October. Rosemary, 76, collected a large bag of rubbish and left it by […]
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SPOTLIGHT: The Black Robin Farm project
What is happening at Black Robin Farm, the high-profile plan for a cultural and education centre on the South Downs above Eastbourne? It is nearly two years since Eastbourne Borough Council secured £19.8 million in Levelling Up funding towards this scheme and others – and the deadline for spending the money is less than six […]
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SPOTLIGHT: How TechResort changes lives
Sam Best was researching jobs and considering his future when he came across the Japanese philosophy of ‘ikigai’, said to be the secret to a joyful life. The 19-year-old found that the idea was to fulfil four categories: do what you love, do what the world needs, do what you are good at and do […]
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SPOTLIGHT: Why chalk grasslands are so important for all of us
By ecology-trained consultant Julie Bygraves, of Wild Bourne It’s hard to express how special a chalk grassland is – you just have to go to see one. It’s also hard to explain what it is: in genetic terms it’s an assemblage of rare plants on chalk! But the constituent species can vary enormously depending on […]
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SPOTLIGHT: Concern mounts over the future of fragile chalk grassland
I visit the scarp slope of the South Downs with an ecology-trained adviser and an Old Town local who has walked the area for more than 25 years to hear their fears about how scrub is encroaching on the rare chalk grassland. A company is paid £9,300 of public money a month to implement a […]
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