£3.5m - a lot of money for the Council to spend on a facelift

It has always been a local landmark, and its recent refurbishment and improved list of shows have done wonders for the arts locally.

But I am bewildered to learn that Rother District Council has approved a 3.5m plan to create a few new restaurants and shops in the colonnade in front of the Pavilion, by tunnelling into the ground behind it.

Particularly at a time of financial crisis, where money isn't as easy to come by, this seems an enormous amount of money to spend on something which is not likely to drastically improve the seafront. Rother Council also appears to have taken a decision with very, very little public consultation or market research.

Surely there are better things to spend the money on?

Bexhill is currently without a Tourist Information Centre, and Battle's Centre is under threat.

I have written in these pages before that our local recycling services leave much to be desired, and funding for the Learning Link service in Sidley is at risk.

I am sure that most readers can think of more pressing uses for such a large amount of money. The De La Warr Pavilion is a fantastic local asset which should not be forgotten - but at the moment it is certainly not the best use of our council's money.