Minutes – September 2025

Venue: Rother Town Hall, Bexhill – Committee Room. Time: 14.00 to 17.00

Secretariat/Governance
Anne Rathbone – Bexhill Neighbourhood Board and Partnerships Manager (RDC) (AR) 

Ellie Foster – Bexhill Neighbourhood Board Project Officer (EF) 

Anna Evett – Head of Corporate and Strategic Services (AE) 

Lorna Ford, Chief Executive Officer, RDC (LF) .

Observers/guests:
Frances McKenna (FM), Office Manager for Dr Kieran Mullan MP 

Silvia Commisso –Associate from We Made That 

Tom Fox – Senior Associate from We Made That 

Harry Jenkins – Senior Consultant from PRD 

Apologies:
Ollie Jeffs 

Nicola Walker, Police and Crime Commissioner Office on behalf of Katy Bourne, OBE 

Simon Yates on behalf of Katy Bourne, OBE

Item 1: Chair’s welcome and purpose of meeting; minutes of last meeting

Firstly, the Chair welcomed Joey Daeva, Bexhill on Sea interim Town Clerk, who is joining as a member of the Bexhill Neighbourhood Board. 

The Chair then reiterated the main purpose of the meeting as follows: 

For the Board to view and comment on the work that We Made That have been doing with the project working group and AR/EF to develop project ideas for the Neighbourhood Board investment plan. This work has built on the findings of Bexhill Neighbourhood Boards existing engagement as well as ongoing engagement with the project working group. And a focused Stakeholder Summit on the plan. 

The Chair stated that as usual, she looked forward to some interesting discussions, hearing the Boards views and identifying clear next steps. 

The minutes of the last meeting were approved and are uploaded on the Bexhill Neighbourhood Board website. 

Item 2: Declarations of interest for Members and Officers

The Chair read out the statement on Declaration of Interests as follows: 

In doing Neighbourhood Board business, it is essential that we follow strict procedures in declaring our interests. Members are reminded of the need to declare any financial or non-financial interests immediately prior to the commencement of the agenda item in question. Please could you bear this in mind as we go through the agenda today. Please also remember you are abiding by the Nolan Principles which I intend to ensure the Board stand by in all its business. 

AR confirmed that the Register is up to date to the best of her knowledge. Any members with new or changing interests should inform AR/EF as possible.

Item 3: Action Log

AR gave an update to the Neighbourhood Board. The idea of a shared procurement specialist between Hastings, Bexhill and Eastbourne was discussed and decided that this was not the best option for Bexhill. In working directly with procurement as soon as possible in the pipeline of potential projects, Bexhill can establish early momentum. AR confirmed that all other actions were completed or up to date.

Item 4: Comms update

The strapline for the Bexhill Neighbourhood Board will be ‘Bringing Bexhill together.’ MC described the Faces of Bexhill photo campaign as diverse and inclusive with a wide range of individuals. Three concepts were presented to the Comms Working Group, and the pebble theme was chosen. PW said that whilst he was not initially sure of the design, after the initial presentation he noticed pebbles all around Bexhill and now likes the pebbles design which should not date quickly. AN said that the circular design of the pebbles works well with the strapline. Several members gave their endorsement of the pebbles emerging designs. There were no concerns raised from the Board, and it was noted that the Comms Working Group are actively working with Boyle and Perks to refine the designs to the final stage. An overview of the emerging designs is in Appendix 1. 

The website development was described as a fresh approach that is inclusive and built for future needs. Through planned design the website is built to accommodate future uploads as projects progress. PW stated that the mobile site works well – i.e. on mobile phones. 

There was a discussion about next steps, and it was suggested that a soft launch only for the website was most appropriate, particularly as the Board will not have projects to announce for some time to come. Comms should be conflated with specific projects, and it is important to be realistic in comms about what we can deliver and when, give the timescales for funding coming down from central government (2026/27 for first partial year). 

The Chair took this opportunity to thank all the working groups for their time and energy in moving the work of the Board forward. 

Item 5: Summary of findings from Community Engagement

In addition to previously shared summary of findings from community engagement, several additional engagement events have been undertaken since June 2025. AR has had individual conversations with thirteen local businesses to date, as well meeting with the Golden Marigold Club in July. AR/EF undertook three stakeholder meetings focusing on Sidley, Pebsham and environmental. AR and IH visited Torr Scientific Ltd., a company in the Pebsham Rural Industrial Estate which specialises in vacuum instrumentation and electron-optics where they discussed the skills gap in Bexhill and ways this could be addressed to benefit young people, other residents as well as business recruitment of local people. 

These meetings allowed for Neighbourhood Board ideas to be shared and for local stakeholders to provide feedback and highlight areas that may have been unintentionally missed. Notes from these meetings have been shared with Bexhill Neighbourhood Board members and those attending the meetings. EF/AR are keeping an updated list of community and business engagement with key findings captured for future reference. 

Item 6: Focus on the plan: presentation by We Made That

In presenting their work so far to the Neighbourhood Board, We Made That highlighted their recommendations for the three councils (ESCC, RDC, Town Council) and Bexhill Neighbourhood Board. The plan is coming into its final stages of development, and all Board members were asked to get comments to AR by end Friday 26 September. 

It is important to note that We Made That’s plan is a vision for Bexhill that any partners can contribute to implementing, according to their own funding and planning priorities. The overall plan will be used to direct development of the Boards own investment plan, but these will not be exactly the same and the Board can only contribute to some elements of the plan, not all of it. 

Item 7: Break and Networking

Item 8: Focus on the plan: building from the overall Place Plan

Following the break, HJ from PRD introduced an exercise for board members to determine project sequencing, feasibility and capacity of project within the first 4-years. This information was then collected by HJ and will be fed back into the Bexhill on Sea Place Plan final draft. 

Item 9: Any other business

The hotel working group, hosted by the MP’s office and supported by AR is making satisfactory progress. The next step is for AR to get formal approval from Bexhill on Sea Town Council for a contribution to the cost of a demand study which meets the needs of the hotel companies with which we have engaged. This needs to be an independent study. Contribution of £4k from RDC is already committed. The Board agreed to commit an equivalent amount and are asking for BoSTC to commit the same. Procurement would be undertaken by AR as the officer of the Accountable Body in collaboration with the Town Clerk and other key working group members. 

On 27 September, the Chair of the Bexhill Neighbourhood board will be speaking at the Local Government Reorganisation public meeting being held at the De La Warr Pavilion. The form of the presentation will be the role of Bexhill Neighbourhood Board in promoting the interests of Bexhill going forward into LGR and the Sussex Mayoral Authority. 

The Chair thanked everyone especially the guest attendees.

Item 10: Next Steps

Covered in above agenda items.

Forward dates and agenda plan

Action Log

Appendix 1

Bexhill Neighbourhood Board Comms and branding task group

Branding Concept Development – 15 September 2025

Pebbles in Colour

Pebbles in Solid Monotone

Pebbles in Overlay

Next meeting of Bexhill Neighbourhood Board: 21 November 2025, 15.00 to 16.30 at Rother Town Hall, Committee Room or online. The purpose of this meeting will be to agree the submission to MHCLG for the first 4-year investment plan.