Background: on February 26 the hotel met local councillors and officials where

“It was made very clear to the hotel that loading (where possible and practical) should take place within the loading hall, and at the very least, within the loading bay doors. The hotel have agreed to make this point much clearer on their code of conduct so production crews can be reasonably without doubt of what is expected of them. The hotel have been (and agreed to continue) actively monitoring this situation.”

Less than a fortnight later the Hilton is back on form:

Local champion, John Clinton, who took these pictures wrote:

“I cannot express adequately how angry I was to-day over the chaos in St. Margarets Place.  The whole street was gridlocked with vehicles, lorries, vans and cars parked on both sides of the street, the pavement and with more vehicles attempting to enter the street.  What is the point of having meetings with you and the council, to make false promises and even to suggest more meetings when the problem is within your control.  Pedestrians have to walk in the street to avoid vehicles and those in wheelchairs, yes there are some in Sussex Heights, have to run the gauntlet of vehicles parked , moving and dodge exhibition personnel moving goods on trolleys.  It is intolerable.  Parking attendants have no control issuing one or two tickets to vehicles that are too big for the council to move and remain where they are for the duration blocking the street.The so called security personnel, evident in their red jerseys perform no function of value.  Their sole duty they say is to ensure vehicles back into the halls in safety.  Nothing else, their words.   The Code of Conduct, if they read it is dismissed.  It cannot be in your interests, the interests of the vehicle drivers, the companies that send them here and the  council to be party to this chaos.  The mismanagement of resources is staggering.  I would have thought The adverse publicity this generates for someone in the hospitality business to be of major concern.   Is it worth it?   Even as I write, the time is 9 o’clock in the evening vehicles are parked on the street loading and clattering around.It is you and you alone who can control thesee excesses.  Only by taking control, appointing strong management issued with a meaningful and robust policy can things improve.  The cost?  Not much!  You employ the security personnel, teach them what is required in controlling vehicle movements, not to allow more vehicles than the halls can accommodate, be sensitive to residents needs and to clear up after them.  Who pays?  The exhibition organisers, they already do!  The benefits?  Well you can see those yourself?”

I have to doff my cap to John who is single handedly taking on the arrogant management of the hotel that has a track record of bad neighbourliness.

Another resident writes:

To date the residents have followed every reasonable means ofattempting to bring the problem to your attention, to seek dialogueand and a mutually satisfactory solution. However, the initiative hasbeen entirely one-way and in return we receive platitudes,obfuscation, meetings and patronising condescention that achievesabsolutely nothing. Tactically, it is an interesting position in thatthe Metropole continues to do whatever it likes, offers mixedapologies after the fact and totally ignores the problem. As I havesaid before, this is a not-so-subtle form of corporate bullying anddoes nothing to  promote the integrity of the organise you represent.