My friends were shocked at what they see as the demise of Eastbourne

In Graham Smith’s letter in the Herald {https://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/your-say/no-litter-collections-along-some-eastbourne-main-roads-for-months-if-not-years-1-8860464 |click here to read} it is clear the council’s more than tardy and each department suggesting it is the other’s responsibility.

So why don’t we spend the parking fine income on road cleaning and use a mobile lorries with the illuminated arrows to protect the workforce and perhaps use community service offenders to really make use of them to society.

My friends were shocked at what they see as the demise of Eastbourne as they had the pleasure of driving past the three wind turbines on the A27 , past the abysmal Bovis development on the Kings Drive/ Hospital roundabout and then to arrive at the Beacon.

Their walk through The Beacon was also enlightening as they thought the old named Arndale centre was a separate development (which of course it is) as there is no correlation between the two areas both inside and outside with different floor and external paving.

They also wondered why the roads leading off Diesel Alley are paved with grey and white paving which after a few months use will be covered in oil spillages from the cars and bus engines as the queue to get out of the narrowing section of road opposite the station.

My friend thought whoever designed The Beacon had offices in Croydon and had never visited Eastbourne and the council planners had not taken a strong enough interest in the town environment on the back of something for nothing development.

I pointed out the motorway lamp posts in Cornfield Road (some in the middle of the pavement)and the further change in paving, he was also befuddled by the number of road signs on adjacent different poles.

I did not bother to show him Pacific House or the flats in Lottbridge Drove nor the wooden shoe box ie The National LawnTennis Centre as he needed some leisure time so I sent him down to the seafront on Sunday and he parked on the front and got a fine.

He said please don’t ask him to visit the town again as he did not want me to see a grown man cry, mind you he liked the pier.

I have concluded The Beacon is aptly named as it can be used as an example, or beacon, of bad environmental planning for first year architectural, landscaping, and highway students.