The gardens on Eastbourne seafront, that have been transformed into what resembles a (Image: SWNS)
Carpet Gardens, a usually vibrant seafront attraction in East Sussex is known for its tens of thousands of stunning flowers, but is facing a bloom delay after Eastbourne Borough Council (EBC) opted to grow flowers locally rather than import them from Europe.
Despite the council’s defence of the move as a “carefully considered step towards a more sustainable and vibrant seafront”, residents and business owners are worried that the current barren state of the flowerbeds will deter tourists at the height of the season.
Katerina Tutt, proprietor of Qualisea Fish Restaurant, branded the gardens “ugly” during the town’s peak tourist period.
Mrs Tutt, 58, an Eastbourne native, expressed her dismay at the lack of consultation with locals over the new eco-friendly approach to the Carpet Gardens.
“It looks vile,” she said, voicing the strong feelings of the community.”We feel really strongly about it – most people do. I’m overwhelmed that they went ahead with it before consulting local people.”
She added, “The general public – residents, tourists, traders – wouldn’t have agreed with it.
“The Gardens are very iconic in Eastbourne. You only need to go to Chelsea Flower Show to see that flowers attract people.
“I also think we have been sold this story, to think it’s ‘more sustainable’, but the truth’s probably that it’s cheaper. The town is going to suffer.
What the gardens looked like in August 2024 (Image: Google Street View)
“The tennis [this weekend] is a massive draw and the Airbourne International Airshow in August.
“We are an economy that relies on tourists. Everybody feels the same.”
Mrs Tutt, whose family have run their restaurant in Eastbourne since 1964, says the Gardens’ downgrade is another incident making the town less attractive.
The Grade-II listed Claremont Hotel burned down in 2019, but the charred eyesore remains on the beachfront.
“We have the burned-down hotel and the town is starting to look very shoddy,” Mrs Tutt said. “This is just another nail in the coffin.
“[The flowerbed] looks like a cat litter tray. They are saying it’s not established yet, but why didn’t they think to put some established plants?
“We are in the summer – this is when you want it to look good. Someone else referred to it as Jurassic Park… It’s like an extension of the beach.
“Initially, the council said one side would be the sustainable gardens and the other would be the Carpet Garden.
What the gardens look like now (Image: Katerina Tutt / SWNS)
“They’re still saying if the overwhelming feeling is against it, they will change it. But, for us, it looks very ugly. It doesn’t look attractive.
“People love flowers and want their days brightened up by something beautiful, not dead weeds that we’re pulling out of our gardens.
“The Carpet Gardens are one of the three iconic landmarks in Eastbourne. They’ve ruined this one.”
Echoing the sentiment, fellow business owner Aleksandra Gatta, at the helm of Gianna’s restaurant, lamented the town’s decline, telling customers questioning the state of what was once a “beautiful” town.
“I think it’s not something that represents our town very well,” the seasoned local and mother-of-three remarked about the shabby state of the once-pristine area.
“There’s a bit of confusion as to what is going on. It was previously a beautiful arrangement of flowers. It brought people over to Eastbourne as tourists.”
Aleksandra added: “Now, it looks really poor. It looks like something has gone wrong with the job.
“From the tourists’ point of view, people ask us – especially older people – ‘What’s going on? It used to be such a beautiful place but now it looks like a cat litter tray’.”
The gardens on Eastbourne seafront, that have been transformed into what resembles a “cat litter tra (Image: Katerina Tutt / SWNS)
Aleksandra noted: “I am pretty sure the flowers used to be changed around twice a year. It used to be a very nice place for people to sit and chill. It looks nothing like it now; it’s really empty.”
She expressed frustration with the council’s assurance and lack of consultation: “They say we need to give it time, but it’s really difficult to see past what it looks like at the moment. I think they should have consulted local businesses.”
In contrast, an EBC spokesperson defended the project, stating: “This project is a carefully considered step towards a more sustainable and vibrant seafront for Eastbourne.
“It will provide a stunning year-round display, significantly promoting greater biodiversity, and drought-tolerant perennial plants are being used so they can withstand the warmer and drier climate.
“Planting is now complete, and these young plants will grow and flourish over the coming weeks and months.
“Regarding the timing of the work, young plants are never put into the ground during the winter months. Planting these types of perennial plants during this period is crucial for their successful establishment.
“All longer-term decisions about the Carpet Gardens will be taken following consultation with the community this initial year.”
Jim Murray, EBC’s sustainability lead, told BBC Radio Sussex that the council had been importing flowers from the Netherlands “two or three times” a year, contributing to a “huge” carbon footprint.