Eastbourne seafront’s water refill points did not appear by magic

The title of the column written by Annemarie Field in this week’s Herald: ‘Free water on seafront – hold your nose’ click here to read is sadly ill chosen and will certainly not help to highlight in a positive way the arrival of several new refill stations on the seafront.

I understand that titles need to be punchy but when a new environmental initiative comes to our town, it should always be reported on in a manner that celebrates the event and that starts with the title! It is true that two older refill points next to the bandstand are currently situated at the entrance of public toilets. They were installed in the past and the council probably thought it was the easiest and the cheapest place for them.

Obviously, they need to be linked to water and placing them inside reduces the risk of vandalism and frost. It has recently been recognised that these two refill stations are poorly placed and plans are currently being considered to move them out of the toilets area. It will make them more noticeable to the public and away from unpleasant smells.

My point is this: if you choose to write a column to welcome the new refill points, why linger on a specific negative aspect to draw the attention of your readers?

The new refill points which are now situated alongside the seafront did not just arrive by magic.

A massive amount of work and fundraising have taken place by members of Plastic Free Eastbourne to provide part of the funding.

The refill points are costly to buy, to install and to maintain. Of course, the whole purpose is to eliminate single use plastic bottles of drinking water.

Eastbourne aims at becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and any new developments that contribute to reach this goal need to be encouraged, praised and celebrated. If your column is written with this in mind, in future, please ensure that it is reflected in the title.