Life in a goldfish bowl for Harbour residents, now over following intervention

Residents of Sovereign Harbour have been getting frustrated by the presence of an increasing number of large Touring Coaches driving around residential roads during the last few months and many believe that in addition to the invasion of privacy caused by the loads of tourists being driven around peering through residents' windows, the large coaches (sometimes with three axles) have contributed to the deteriorating condition of some of the cobbled pinch points which were recently repaired by East Sussex County Council's Highways Department.

The Chairman of the Sovereign Harbour Residents Association, Jan Weeks contacted me recently to ask what influence could be brought to discourage the Touring Coaches from driving around the residential roads. I made contact with the major operator who seem to operate the majority of the coaches involved and stressed the fact that there is little for passengers to see when being driven up and down our residential streets but made clear how welcome the visitors are to businesses, retailers and restaurants & cafes on The Waterfront. I suggested that an ideal stop off point for passengers which would not only enable them to support our local businesses but also provide an ideal viewing point to experience marine life at our Harbour, would be to park up on the service road behind the Cinema.

I am pleased to advise that following a period of recent monitoring, the coach operators do now appear to be respecting residents's views but I shall continue to monitor the situation in the future.