Who will run our tourism office?

The potential operator selected by a Rother sub-committee set up to look at the latest batch of tenders has withdrawn after finding the figures for a business plan don't stack up under the 30,000-a-year deal offered by the council.

Director of services Tony Leonard on Tuesday spelled out the options to the Rother cabinet.

They include reverting to operating the TIC in-house and asking Hastings to handle Bexhill's interests.

In 2001 operators George and Verena Mathews told Rother that after 10 years of providing the service they would not be submitting further tender. They agreed to carry on for a further period but this expires at the end of the financial year.

But when Rother put operation of the Bexhill TIC out to tender nobody showed any interest.

The regeneration and environment committee set up a sub-committee of four and invited expressions of interest by direct mailing all businesses in Bexhill.

Twelve responses were received. Four were shortlisted. One dropped out and was replaced with two who scored equally from the reserve list. Interviews followed. Only three candidates attended.

One tenderer was chosen and negotiations continued. At the regeneration committee on November 17 a confidential business plan from the preferred operator was circulated and the committee recommended the cabinet tie up the deal.

But the tenderer has told officers he is withdrawing because he cannot get his business plan to balance.

Mr Leonard told cabinet: "The current contract is due to expire on April 1 and the current operators have reaffirmed their position that they are unable to continue.