Did no-one really realise that by charging for Airbourne the police would cost £100,000 and ambulance hire a further £10,000, on top of £55,000 for putting up suitable fencing which has turned a beautiful seafront into something resembling a concentration camp? Camper vans fill residential roads day and night bringing not a bean into the town – and their occupants will not be paying the £5 entrance fee – preferring to watch from outside the barricaded area. I suggest anyone visiting Eastbourne for the first time right now will quickly decide – never again. The seafront looks a dump.
The money-obsessed councillors succeeded in turning the glorious bandstand into a monstrosity with their barricades when they should be celebrating and preserving its beauty. Then we have the unedifying spectacle of so-called 'traffic wardens' wandering around issuing meaningless warning notices – another cost to the taxpayer – while in reality they are not worth the paper they are written on and cars, vans and lorries block the roads.
It seems only yesterday that councillors were singing the praises of Airbourne as a flagship event for the town which generated thousands of pounds when any sane individual could see it was always a loss leader. Enough is enough. Let this be the final farewell to the myth that is Airbourne.
Eastbourne is sinking into a mass of mediocrity when the credit crunch is providing an opportunity to capture a huge share of the holiday market. Sadly, the council is clearly lacking the people with the skill and imagination to take Eastbourne forward. But then any seaside town whose Tourist Information Centre does not open until 9.30am and is closed all day Sunday and Bank Holidays probably does not deserve to succeed. – P J WATSON, Hyde Tynings Close, Meads.