Bexhill Town Profile - Rother District Council

Figure 3: Comparison Breakdown of Employment Sectors
Deprivation in Bexhill
2.12 In common with a number of coastal areas in the UK, Bexhill has suffered
from a downward trend in recent years, with a vulnerable and low wage
mainly service sector economy, unemployment issues and increasing levels
of deprivation. Parts of the socio-economic conditions in Bexhill are
particularly acute; one in eight (12.5%) of the Rother population claim out-ofwork
benefits. In Sidley, this rises to one in four (25.9%), with Bexhill Central
just behind at 23.8%. earnings are also well below regional and County
averages.
2.14 The Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) shows that Central ward in Bexhill
includes a significant number of residents experiencing multiple deprivation.
There are two main geographical concentrations of poverty in Bexhill, in
Sidley and Central wards, parts of which are in the worst 20% of wards
nationally. The most deprived ward is Sidley at a score of 34.37, compared
with the county average of 18.78. Bexhill Central, Eastern Rother, Bexhill
Sackville, Rye and Bexhill St Michaels wards are all in the top quartile (most
deprived 75–100%) for the county.
Transport Profile
Road
2.15 Bexhill is relatively isolated from the wider south east. The A21 is the most
significant north-south trunk road linking the eastern end of East Sussex to
the M25 and London. The trunk road can be often congested and journey
times can be lengthy. Several schemes have been put forward to upgrade
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