Ambitious new proposals aimed at dragging a run-down seaside town out of the doldrums have been unveiled.

A 60-bedroom seafront hotel would be built on a putting green in the shadow of the world famous De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill.

A six-storey glass office block is also planned on what is now the car park of the iconic Thirties modernist masterpiece.

Original plans for the development were scrapped after a massive public backlash when they were published in March.

Regeneration firm Sea Space, which will spend £38 million of government money to boost the failing economies of Hastings and Bexhill, hopes the new plans will attract less controversy.

Bexhill, once dubbed God's Waiting Room by comedian Spike Milligan, boasts the second largest proportion of over-65s anywhere in England.

And while Bexhill is proud of its reputation as a retirement haven, civic leaders say the town centre is falling into decline.

Shops are closing, transport access is poor and there are no jobs to encourage young people to stay in the town.

But Sea Space says the new hotel development, along with an £8 million lottery-funded revamp of the De La Warr Pavilion, could be a turning point and attract new visitors, jobs and investment to Bexhill.

Property developers are already showing an interest. Plans have been announced for two new apartment blocks - the largest single private investment in the town in decades.

Sea Space revealed its revised plans for the hotel scheme at a meeting of Bexhill Town Forum on Tuesday night.

The new building would be smaller, less intrusive and covered by a grass bank.

It would feature a circular, glass-sided restaurant designed to complement the clean lines of the De La Warr.

Spokesman Clive Taylor said: "We still think both the hotel and office and apartment space should be on the putting green site but that proved unpopular and we've come back with this.

"The team has looked at ways to revise initial designs, including reducing the scale of development next to the De La Warr Pavilion and distributing elements of the scheme along the whole seafront strip."

Work is also under way to improve the rest of Bexhill town centre, including building a new train station entrance and redeveloping the current Sainsbury's site but these are seen as long-term measures.

Graham Gubby, leader of Rother District Council, said: "There is clearly a broad consensus that change is needed as a matter of urgency if we're to make the most of the assets of Bexhill-on-Sea and reverse its economic decline.

"Now is the time to take proposals forward in a positive and decisive way in the interests of the community."

Protesters were vociferous in their dislike of the original design. They were opposed to any development of any scale on the putting green site.

Coun Gubby said: "What is being proposed here is very different. Of course, we expect robust debate on this issue and I've welcomed that from the start.

"But we have all got to be ready to make some bold and, perhaps, difficult decisions on the future of this town before it is too late."