Yacht marina plan to go on public show

Commercial estate agent Alex Macpherson has put his 12 years of experience as an hotel and museum designer in Canada and the USA to use in working-up his idea into a design over the past 18 months.

He has consulted both Rother District Council and the De La Warr Pavilion.

He now plans to put the 4ft-square model he is constructing on public display to gauge public reaction before deciding whether to proceed to the next stage.

A costly coastal impact study would be required by the Environment Agency and English Nature.

Mr Macpherson says his scheme is designed to complement the De La Warr Pavilion, to answer the need '“ highlighted in the recent pavilion creative impact report - for hotel accommodation in the town and to bring activity and interest to De La Warr Parade.

Mr Macpherson says he has at least three potential commercial organisations interested in backing the scheme, estimated to cost 12m.

His scheme has been designed to blend with the Edwardian architectural style of De La Warr Parade and to maintain an open vista to the sea.

The 83-bedroomed hotel would be on one of two harbour arms and be at right angles to the promenade. Its height would be restricted to two floors and it would feature an 80-vehicle underground car park.

On the opposing western arm would be six retail outlets, including a fish restaurant and a boat chandlers.

He says access from the road could be achieved without disturbing existing parade gardens. A 150-place underground car park would be created beneath ornamental gardens featuring a Victorian-style bandstand at the approach to the marina, which would have space for between 85 and 100 yachts and fishing boats.

Hydraulic gates would ensure, on a worse-case scenario, boat access to the marina for at least 20 hours in every 24.

He says: "I have been in design for many years, long before I went into commercial property.

"I began to think about this scheme after talking to people about the need for an hotel in the town and the need for facilities for boating people.

"Before spending a lot of money on a coastal report I want to take it to the people to see if there is going to be the kind of problem there was with the hotel plan on the Metropole site.

"I have been getting people's feed-back for a while and I have had nothing negative, just one or two wondering how it would be paid for because the hotel would have to have at least 83 rooms to get hoteliers seriously involved.

"My main objective is to work with the De La Warr Pavilion."

Mr Macpherson has looked at marina developments in many parts of the world as part of his research and has based his ideas on a development at Paphos.

He has aimed at keeping the design in sympathy and in scale with its surroundings.

"There would not be a heavy lifting crane, just a slipway.

"On advice, the hotel would not be across the entrance, where it would block the view but at right angles where the rooms would have a view of the sea one way and of the marina the other.

"I would like to see some of the local fishing boats berthed there rather than have to be pulled up the beach."

Mr Macpherson says: "We live on the seafront and walk it frequently. I feel the marina should complement the De La Warr Pavilion, not detract from it."

His 4ft sqare model is being built to a scale of 1/16th of an inch to the foot. He is producing leaflets to explain the ideas shown on the model.

"If we get this open day at the pavilion I would like as many people as possible to come along and see it.

"I will have two books for the public's comments. One for those who like it to say why and one for those who don't to say why not.

"If people like the idea I will go on to the next stage and seek a coastal report.

"If they don't I will just forget the idea."