Eastbourne's "sad place" label should be wake-up call to the authorities, urges author

Eastbourne has been ranked as the third saddest place in the UK. A new study by Paranimo into local well-being reports found a significant decline in satisfaction, worthwhileness and happiness in Eastbourne over the last decade.

Author Tony Flood is calling for Eastbourne Council and East Sussex County Council to react.

He said: “There have been a lot of mixed reactions to this claim about Eastbourne being a sad place, but it is a wake-up call to Eastbourne Council and the County Council to improve facilities and make the town more attractive to both tourists and residents!

“They should start by getting rid of potholes and boarded-up shops that have closed because they could not afford to pay the high rates or because parking restrictions drove their customers away.”

Tony, the writer of popular crime thrillers and a former Sky Television executive, added: "It would also help to make Eastbourne a happier place if there was a greater police presence."

He stressed: “Eastbourne has long been regarded as one of the south coast's loveliest seaside towns, with so many attractions. Now is the time to spend money on improvements to make sure it remains so.”