Plans to regenerate Hastings town centre are set to go back in front of a senior county councillor next week, following a ‘pause’ to allow for further discussions on design.
On Monday (September 23), Cllr Claire Dowling, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for transport and environment, is set to make a decision on the next steps of the Hastings Town Centre Public Realm and Green Connections project — a Towns Fund-backed regeneration scheme.
The project was last considered by Cllr Dowling in July, when the lead member was asked to approve a change in the scheme’s broad design, reworking the plans to avoid rerouting buses away from Havelock Road and Harold Place.
In its initial concept design, the project involved the pedestrianisation of Harold Place, closing up its junction with the A259. One potential option to achieve this was to make Havelock Road into a one-way bus route, with a new connection to Queens Road.
The potential rerouting of these bus routes was the only element of the project which saw more opposition than support from the 972 people who responded to the public consultation.
As a result, officers had recommended the project take on an amended design. This change, described as option 2 by council officers, would see Havelock Road and Harold Place remain open to buses (and bicycles) in both directions, but closed off to other traffic.
This proposal saw opposition from Cllr Julia Hilton, county councillor for Old Hastings and leader of Hastings Borough Council, who argued it would be a significant departure from the scheme’s initial concept.
During the July meeting, Cllr Hilton asked for the decision to be deferred to allow for further discussions around the scheme’s design and its connection to other potential projects in Hastings town centre; a request which was granted by Cllr Dowling.
The scheme is now returning for further consideration following these discussions.
A report notes how the discussions took place between the county council, Hastings Borough Council and other partners, including Southern Water, Homes England and the local bus operator.
Homes England and Southern Water were approached as both organisations have upcoming projects which could see further investment in Hastings town centre. Officers note how the specific details of these projects are not yet confirmed, however.
The report also notes the further discussions between the councils and the local bus operator, in which company directors set out concerns over the potential for one-way bus route. According to the report, the bus operator said such an arrangement could have a “negative impact on bus services across the wider network” and result in a “significant financial impact that could see additional subsidy being required to maintain operations”.
The report also goes on to say Hastings Borough Council has now “indicated a preference to see a town-wide transport review to understand the strategic opportunity for changes to the transport infrastructure in the town.” Officers say such a review could take up to 18-months to develop and would require “significant additional funding”, which is not within the scope of the Hastings Public Realm and Green Connections project.
In light of the above, officers maintain that two-way bus routes on Havelock Road remains the ‘preferred option’ for the county council, as it would “maximise the benefits of the existing funding opportunity as part of the Hastings Towns Deal.” As a result, officers are recommending Cllr Dowling approve the change as originally presented in July.
