BEXHILL BEACH GARDEN - £4,000 MORE NEEDED!

Local Councillor Lynn Langlands, an Honorary Member of Bexhill Rotary Club, had this brainwave two years ago to build a fully accessible beach garden for the benefit of everybody be they local residents or visitors - she’s nearly there and only needs £4,000, on top of existing donations, to fulfil her dream.

At Bexhill Rotary Club’s meeting on 16 th January, Lynn Langlands supported by Elise Liversedge gave a passionate talk all about her current pet project.

She told her rapt and attentive audience that she has been a Bexhill resident for 40 years and has always seen the sea as part of the town. Her idea is to create a fully accessible garden on the beach which had to be available to the disabled as well and with an environmental slant.

The site chosen for the garden is on Bexhill’s western seafront as it the most stable part of the beach front. Also, a ramp to access the garden from this part of the promenade wouldn’t be as steep and it’s close to exiting public toilets. The garden will be a combination of shingle beach plants and plants to prevent coastal erosion, a broad walk and decked areas, artwork from the local area, educational signage, upgraded toilet facilities to existing toilets nearby, and disabled parking. The whole development will use as much recycled or reclaimed materials as possible kindly donated by the Environment Agency. After the garden has been finished, any extra funds will go towards the future upkeep of the project and the area to benefit future generations.

Lynn continued by saying that having had planning permission granted in September last year and excellent support from Bexhill Environmental, she is keen to get the whole thing completed ideally by the summer for the holiday visitors. Despite unsuccessfully approaching a number of builders, she now has the support of local builders Bruce & Co which is run by Bexhill Rotarian Hugh Allen.

The cost of this whole affair is £52,000, and Lynn says she is grateful for the £48,000 already raised with donations from Rother District Council (£10,000),

Garfield Weston (£15,000), Homecall (£6,000), Southlands Place (£510),

Bexhill Town Council (£1,000), and Bexhill Trust (£1,500). Crowdfunding has also been a great source as well as a host of individual donors.

At the end of the presentation, and after an enthusiastic round of applause,

Bexhill Rotary’s President James Slinn gave the vote of thanks.