Bexhill-on-Sea Live Cam

Seaside town and civil parish situated in the county of East Sussex

The compact shopping centres, the variety of good eating places, the selection of friendly quality hotels and guest houses and the pretty 'continental-style' pavement cafes facing the sea make it a superb, self-contained seaside town.

It is the perfect location being only just over an hour away from the Shuttle, the Channel ferry ports and Gatwick Airport, two hours from London, and 20 minutes from the magnificent Eastbourne Marina. It offers something for everyone, all ages, families, couples and singles.

Councillor Paul Lendon is a Bexhillian throughout, whose family connection with the Town ranges over five generations, commencing with his maternal great grand father who settled here because of its invigorating climate and friendliness of its people.

Although born in London, Paul's regular family visits to the Town culminated in his eventual settlement here in 1956, where he received his education in both the Downs primary and secondary schools. He became a member of numerous youth and sports organisations, some connected with Christchurch Methodist Church where he is still a member.

Paul believes he inherited his interest in local politics from his father who was a Councillor in both London and Bexhill for a continued period exceeding 25 years.

Upon leaving full-time education Paul undertook an apprenticeship with BT, working his way through various aspects of the Company until his early retirement as a technical manager. Upon retirement his profound interest in the history of public transport caused him to train and undertake a period of bus driving in order to pursue his interest in a practical way. His hobby eventually led him to play a prominent part in the successful organisation of the bus and tram centenary rallies in Bexhill in 2001 and 2006.

He is a keen sportsman and swimmer and regularly participates in many of these activities, in the belief that the body as well as the mind needs regular exercise. Paul believes that Bexhill is fortunate in the wealth of artistic and cultural talent that is displayed at all ages. He feels that the De La Warr Pavilion should be used more to give evidence of these skills and cites the recent community concert and current art exhibition by many of its young persons, as an indication of this point.

One of the Town's great strengths is its voluntary organisations and charities, and the multiplicity of such worthwhile organisations makes Paul's choice of support very difficult. He has however chosen Crossroads and Bexhill Museum as his charities for his year in office. Paul expects to have a busy mayoral year as the town's ambassador, promoting the interests of the town and meeting as many of its people and organisations as time and energy permits. He is looking forward to the challenge with great enthusiasm.

East Sussex: The Place

Its coastal towns - of which Eastbourne and Hastings are the largest - contain 58% of the county’s total population. Education plays a significant part in the county’s predominantly service-based economy, as do financial services and tourism. The county has a mild climate, many cultural, historic and literary connections, and is located only about an hour’s train journey from London, while the new Newhaven-Dieppe ferry provides a direct link to France. Nearby Gatwick Airport operates services worldwide.

Beautiful countryside and coast

East Sussex covers 1,725 square km. (172,500 hectares), of which 63% lies within designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Sussex Downs and High Weald). Much of the Sussex Downs has also been designated an Environmentally Sensitive Area. Ashdown Forest is the largest area of heathland vegetation in South East England and is one of the most important semi-natural wildlife habitats in the county. It is held in trust by East Sussex County Council and is open to public access for quiet recreation and enjoyment. The county also has 5 country parks: Seven Sisters; Ditchling Common; Stoneywish; Forest Way; and Hastings.

The county has 47 miles of coastline, 6 of which are designated as Heritage Coast. As the main towns lie along the coast, the few places where the countryside meets the sea - between Seaford and Eastbourne, the Pevensey Levels and the Rye Harbour area - are especially precious, and are protected and managed to ensure they can accommodate public access.

Approximately three quarters of all the woodland in the county is classified as "Ancient Woodland". While the county is still relatively rich in wildlife habitats, only 8% has statutory protection, with 67 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, 5 National Nature Reserves and 12 Local Nature Reserves.

Historic towns and villages

The development of East Sussex’s coastal resorts in the nineteenth century set the framework for today’s settlement pattern of large coastal towns and small inland market towns and villages. It also changed an agrarian economy to one of the first predominantly service sector economies in the country. The coastal resorts now offer residents and visitors entertainment, shopping, accommodation and cultural activities, as well as providing employment. Inland, small market towns and villages provide local services, often in picturesque and historic settings, and historic houses and gardens provide an attraction to visitors.

The county has 86 Conservation Areas and nearly 5,700 listed buildings (or groups of buildings) designated as being of special architectural or historic interest. It also has 308 Scheduled Ancient Monuments and a further 670 sites which the County Council has designated as Archaeologically Sensitive Areas.

Many artists and writers have made East Sussex their home, including Rudyard Kipling, Henry James and members of the Bloomsbury Group, most notably Virginia Woolf. The theatres of Eastbourne, Hastings and Bexhill attract national and international companies, while Glyndebourne offers world-class opera in a country-house setting. The coastal towns all provide a wide range of shops, restaurants, museums and cinemas.

The county of East Sussex is a special place and the County Council plays a large part in its protection. From the gently rolling grassy hills of the Sussex Downs by the sea, through the low-lying, wet "Levels", to the ancient woods of the High Weald in the north, East Sussex County Council carries out this protection in five ways.

Two-thirds of the county, the High Weald in the north and the Sussex Downs in the south, has been given the national designation "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" for its exceptional landscape. The County Council has established special conservation programmes for these areas. For the Downs, East Sussex County Council and West Sussex County Council, and the UK national body, the Countryside Agency, have established the Sussex Downs Conservation Board. The Board provides a ranger service and manages County Council-owned land on the Downs, such as Seven Sisters Country Park. The Park is also part of the nationally-important, chalk cliff "Heritage Coast" between Seaford and Eastbourne.

For the High Weald Area of Outstanding Beauty, which also extends into West Sussex, Kent and a small part of Surrey, a consortium of local authorities and the Countryside Agency have established the "High Weald AONB Forum" with a specialist team of staff and a small countryside office based in the village of Flimwell.

East Sussex County Council spends almost £400 million each year providing vital services for the people of East Sussex. Modernisation – The County Council has changed the way it works, so that decisions about local services are brought closer to the community. Partnership – The County Council works in partnership with Borough, District, Town and Parish Councils and other public, private, voluntary, academic and business groups in East Sussex.

In May 1999, the County Council introduced a new system of political management on a pilot basis. This provided a more open and democratic structure, making it easier for the public to see where and how decisions are made. New permanent political decision making arrangements have now been introduced and came fully into operation on 24 July 2001. These are set out in the Constitution. Under this, the full County Council of 44 Councillors continues to be the overall decision-maker, agreeing main policies and priorities for all services, including the Councils' budget.

However, the Cabinet, consisting of a Leader, Deputy Leader and five other councillors, has replaced the old style service Committees. The Cabinet is elected by, and accountable to, the full County Council and is formed by councillors from the Conservative administration. It is responsible for making recommendations to the County Council on the authority's budget and strategic plans and policies. It is also responsible for the day to day management of the authority within the approved budget and policy framework.

The Liberal Democrat and Labour Groups on the County Council nominate Opposition Spokespersons whose responsibilities mirror the portfolios of Cabinet members. In addition, there are cross-party Scrutiny Committees, which undertake scrutiny reviews and are able to ‘call in’ and scrutinise Cabinet decisions. They also have a role in policy development. Best Value reviews are dealt with by the Audit and Best Value Scrutiny Committee.