Plans to regenerate Hastings town centre will move ahead, 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, agreed to amend plans for the Hastings Town Centre Public Realm and Green Connections project — a Towns Fund-backed regeneration scheme.
The amendment removes the initial proposals for a one-way bus route on Havelock Road. Moving forward, Havelock Road and Harold Place will remain open to buses, bicycles and taxis in both directions but closed off to other traffic.
The project was last considered by Cllr Dowling in July, when the then proposed change saw opposition from Cllr Julia Hilton, county councillor for Old Hastings and leader of Hastings Borough Council.
At the time, 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 returned for further consideration following these discussions.
A report considered by Cllr Dowling noted how the discussions had taken place between the county council, Hastings Borough Council and other partners, including Southern Water, Homes England and Stagecoach.
According to the report, Stagecoach’s directors had set out concerns over the potential for one-way bus route, saying it 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”.
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.
Speaking at this week’s meeting, Cllr Hilton said: “It is disappointing that Homes England have so far been unable to commit to the second stage of the wider work on Hastings town centre.
“I hope once the new government has identified its priorities that this work will be able to proceed, particularly around the station gateway redesign that is so badly needed.
“Whilst today’s scheme is a compromise on the original vision it still has the potential to deliver a transformed town centre for Hastings, so I look forward to working with county on the next stages of the design.”
She added: “The slight change to timetabling will allow closer design integration of Southern Water’s works on … flood prevention … in the town centre, as well as the wider ambitions around the castle — another town deal project.”
Ward councillor Godfrey Daniel (Lab) was more supportive of the change to the scheme, however.
Cllr Daniel said: “The original plans caused a lot of worry and concerns, particularly with the elderly who live in the town centre and who readily want to access bus services.
“People not in Hastings might not appreciate it, but you need to get a bus to the railway station … [which] is the interface of all the buses and routes that go around the town.
“If you are an elderly person and you have no buses that go through that town centre part then you are basically isolated from using buses.”
Cllr Daniel also took the opportunity to criticise Cllr Hilton for advocating for a delay at the previous meeting, saying it had ‘shrunk the timetable’ available for the scheme.
These comments saw a response from Cllr Dowling, who stressed that the decision to defer was hers alone.
Cllr Dowling said: “It was my decision. I had gone into the meeting after a visit … to the site and I had concerns. I was going into that meeting looking to get it deferred.
“I know Cllr Hilton wrote to me, but I had already made that decision after I very quietly, on my own, walked to the site and got an understanding of what was being proposed and the various options.”
