Sovereign Harbour — Local services in Eastbourne

Nice place, the upside, but all newcomers and potential residents need to know the downsides. There are many. First, the details newcomers, visitors, estate agents, local and county councils and local resident groups don’t tell you. There is a unique annual estate Rentcharge payable here by all leaseholders and freeholders that does not apply in any other U.K. area.

It is misleadingly described as a harbour charge, yet no other harbour in the U.K. or anywhere else in the world has a similar charge. Uniquely, in the entire U.K., it applies to its 2900 or so leasehold and freehold residents only, who live on the land surrounding the harbour, not any of the businesses owning and/or running or operating in Sovereign Harbour.

It’s a £330 or so 2023 cost to all such residents, irrespective of whether they have a £200,000 flat or a £2 million house, in addition to the 1or 2 band higher council taxes payable than in the rest of Eastbourne. Also not known by the visiting public is that only Sovereign Harbour residents, again, no businesses, pay an expensive Environment Agency applicable to them but to no one else in Eastbourne.

Another negative is that Eastbourne’s Sovereign Harbour is the only harbour in the entire U.K. where local and county councils, instead of paying for the cost of the harbour as a scenic and environmental attraction as other councils do routinely, the Eastbourne Borough Council and East Sussex County Council have never a objected to only their 2900 or so local qualifying residents -constituents paying for it while the 4.8 million annual visitors to Eastbourne and town’s 100,000 residents pay nothing.

Instead of Sovereign Harbour, a private estate, being available to Its residents only, those 4.8 million general public visitors can come at any time, use our beaches and scenic attractions, leave their litter, use harbour pathways for cycles and more,. But only our 2,900 local leaseholders and freeholders are liable to pay for it.

Most people have no idea that the ultimate owner of Sovereign Harbour is The Wellcome Trust. It may be charitable to many U.K. residents but it is not so to its Sovereign Harbour residents. Instead, it charges them in ways no other harbour residents in the whole of the U.K. have to pay. And the Environment Agency is also to blame for making us pay what no other residents anywhere else in the U.K....

Fantastic place to go in the sunshine! There are many different restaurants and pubs offering a huge variety of food from around the world. Regular entertainment is on offer, usually in the evening at various bars. It's a great place to sit and watch the world go by ( and the boats ), there are several bridges that are raised frequently to allow booats to pass, and this always amazes the kids ( old and young! ).

Food and drinks are very reasonably priced for such an attractive location, and it's quite easy to have breakfast there, stroll down to the beach, pass some time, and have lunch in the sunshine as well!

Ample free parking is available, with several spaces reserved for blue badge holders.

It does get busy at the waterside restaurants around mealtimes, especially when the sun comes out- but it's well worth the trip. On a warm day, with clear blue skies, it is very easy to imagine that you are actually on holiday abroad!

TIP: If you have he afternoon to spare after visiting here, why not take a 15 minute drive to Cooden Beach, and really get away from it all! There are comprehensive reviews on that as well, it's...

Difficult to rate this complete area but thought I would give it a go. Overall it looks like the whole area needs something more. We went for a walk around today and felt the Harbour seemed in need of a makeover and a good clean. They was a large amount of uncleaned up Dogs mess on the walkways, sadly not the owners fault but ruins the walk. Not a lot of bins. Sadly too much of a working harbour with fishing boats and their equiptment in all areas. A number of boats looking like they are just there and not in use. Yes I know its out of season but the restaurants look dull and uninviting. Perhaps I am wrong comparing this with other marinas but not what I thought it would be all those years ago when the barges were bringing in the blocks for...