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Sussex village ridiculed for plans to add 'on sea' to name to attract tourists

A seaside view of Lancing Beach. [Photo: Getty]
A seaside view of Lancing Beach. [Photo: Getty]

A village in Sussex has been mocked by its own residents for planning a tourist-friendly rebrand.

Lancing, in West Sussex, is one of the largest villages in Britain, boasts 18,000 residents.

In a bid to “attract visitors into its centre”, the area’s parish council has proposed a new “brand” which includes adding “on sea” to its name.

The parish council shared a design for a series of new posters on its Facebook page, which refers to Lancing as ‘Lancing-on-Sea’.

The design has already been featured on a series of banners on Lancing high street.

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However, the council has been ridiculed for the move – which has been called a “waste of time and money”.

“Poster is rubbish and as for the"on sea". What a waste of time and money,” wrote one resident.

You're on the coast, it's blatantly obvious, why change history with 'On Sea'?,” another person reasoned.

Others used it as an opportunity to voice their grievances about Lancing – suggesting the parish council had their priorities wrong.

“Instead of fiddling about with names you should be focussing on what might attract people to Lancing,” wrote one person, before enlisting Lancing’s so-called “shabby” infrastructure.

Another resident added: Good idea but we aren’t Lancing-on-sea, picture is too childlike and not really truly representative of Lancing, shouldn’t the town centre be improved before inviting visitors to partake in it!”

However, a small number of residents were in favour of the new name.

“I grew up here and have never seen it called Lancing on Sea. Quite like it tho!,” wrote one person.

READ MORE: 6 British towns and villages that had to change their names

Lancing isn’t the first area in Britain to attempt an ambitious rebrand.

Back in 2009, VisitBlackpool launched a digital media campaign which featured a video of a glamorous French woman and her English boyfriend enjoying a day out in the town. The tagline? “Blackpool Je t'Aime la Tour”.

Staines also decided to change its name to “Staines-upon-Thames” in 2012, in order to escape the image it was given by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen’s fictional persona Ali G, who infamously said he originated from there.