Chamber's dim view of festive lights idea

After suggestions Rother District Council may ask local businesses to fund festive lighting, chamber president David Getty clarified his position by telling councillors "We cannot take your place".

In a letter to Rother leader Cllr Graham Gubby, Mr Getty also launched a scathing attack on the council for, "shedding more and more responsibility for civic amenities."

Last week's cabinet meeting revealed Rother may make further savings by approaching other organisations to take on the job of installing, removing and storing Christmas lights - currently costing the authority 17,000 a year in special expenses.

Cllr Gubby asked members to consider an "exit strategy" over the next 12 months, with thoughts of asking the chamber if they would be willing to take the lights on.

Mr Getty labelled the notion "inconceivable".

He said: "I had thought that I had made the chamber's position clear on this subject in the past, namely that as a voluntary organisation with no paid employees, no premises, no assets to speak of, and an annual income of around 5,000 it is inconceivable that we should accept responsibility for something which RDC claims to be unaffordable, notwithstanding the significant resources available to RDC in terms of finance and manpower.

"The chamber has 130 members, more than half of whom are based outside Bexhill town centre. Many are struggling for the survival of their business.

"Rather than taking pro-active steps to help them survive and grow, RDC appears intent upon shedding more and more responsibility for civic amenities and passing this responsibility and cost on to business. Tourist Information, seafront toilets and now Christmas lights are three examples where RDC has declared that it cannot afford to provide these services, and yet you expect traders to do so.

"The chamber will continue to organise a late-night shopping / Christmas lights switch-on event in conjunction with Bexhill businesses, schools, churches and community groups.

"We will also continue to make the best contribution we can to the commercial life of the town through the organisation of the Anglo-Continental markets, the production of the Bexhill Guide, the provision of training opportunities to businesses and the lobbying of central government.

"Our budget and volunteer-time will not stretch farther and I am afraid that if Rother decides to withdraw its Christmas lights we cannot take your place."