Tough action as station revamp is halted

Delay to the estimated 1.5million work, crucial to the town's regeneration, has led Rother to seek an enforcement notice.

Network Rail said funds are not available to complete work on the dilapidated grade II listed railway station. Final plans were approved last August and Rother was awaiting a start date when the bad news arrived.

Council leader Graham Gubby lashed out at the rail company. He called the station a 'disgrace and an embarrassment'.

Together with MP Greg Barker, he worked to gain Listed building consent.

Mr Barker said the failure to produce the improvements was "absolutely appalling".

Network Rail justified the delay in a letter to Cllr Gubby. It said it did not want to get into the same financial difficulties Railtrack, its predecessor, was infamous for.

Projects will be reviewed again later this year. Meanwhile the company is re-pricing the cost of the work.

In a letter to Network Rail, Cllr Gubby said: "The state of Bexhill Railway Station is a disgrace and an embarrassment to our town, the travelling public and yourselves.

For many months now Mr Barker and myself have been publicly supporting the commitment shown thus far by Network Rail to do something about the deplorable condition of this gateway to Bexhill - and here we are with the rug pulled out from under us."

Mr Barker said: "The company is simply failing to provide.

"We have all been strung along. I took, on good faith, the proposals to upgrade the station and it has come to nothing.."