16-day Carnival Week controversy

Renamed the "Old Town Festival and Carnival", organisers are unsure how to fill the event - sparking worries it will dampen the carnival atmosphere.

Dick Edwards, of the Old Town Residents Association, said: "It's a pity that it will be thinned out. The best carnivals do not last long. Notting Hill lasts a weekend, even Rio only lasts a couple of days.

"Carnival week was shaky a couple of years ago, but 2004 was the best one we've had for some time. It doesn't seem like a good idea to mess with it again."

The moves follow complaints from the emergency services - unhappy that the carnival weekend overlapped with Eastbourne Airbourne.

Instead of one week of fun climaxing with the carnival, the event will now last for more than a fortnight.

The Carnival Association has shifted the parade from August 13 to August 20, but the Old Hastings Preservation Society has refused to budge the start of Old Town Week - sticking to August 6.

Ian Porter, from the preservation society, said: "We've always started in the first week in August.

"Changing it isn't an option. People have arranged holidays and we've booked halls for events, we can't change at this late stage.

"We can only try. If it doesn't work, we can reconsider it.

Ken Taylor, carnival committee chairman, has doubts over the change. He said: "Well, we have nine months to come up with something. I have to bow to the other society."

The beach concert will take place on August 13-14, with the majority of preservation society events, such as the bike race and High Street fair, in the first week, and the pram race in the second week.

But residents fear the extra days will be filled with coffee mornings and jam sales, not the exciting events associated with carnival time.

The changes happen months after the Observer launched its "Lets Go Carnival Crazy" challenge - after a disappointing series of poorly attended events.

Ken said: "We get criticism, but it's always 90 per cent of the people doing 10 per cent of the work. We only had one new committee member last year."

Ken hopes to breathe new life into the carnival next year, by starting the procession at Alexandra Park.

Coastal Currents Art Festival got off to a great start this summer, with colourful processions, exhibitions and performances. But dragging into the third month, many creative workshops were empty.