Friday 17 May 2013

Programme for an interventionist council

At the mayor-making lunch
If it’s May it must be the council’s annual meeting. We hold this in two parts – the first being the ceremonial with the election of the mayor and deputy mayor, Cllrs Roberts and Dowling respectively this year.

This was followed by a lunch (which we all paid for if anyone is in doubt) with food from several countries allowing us to slightly adapt our community cohesion slogan to “One Hastings, many flavours.” There was also entertainment from different communities and cultures within the town.

The second part of the annual meeting is the political part where I as council leader outline the programme for the year.

I outlined how over the next year Hastings Borough Council will continue to be an interventionist council, getting stuck in to improve the town and its residents’ prospects. It’s this willingness to act determinedly and decisively that marks out this council leadership from others.

We will compulsorily purchase the Pier to allow work to start to restore this key seafront structure. We will get 50 or more scruffy or derelict buildings improved by our grotbuster squad. We will continue our programme of bringing long-term empty homes back into use, including by the threat of compulsory purchase. Number 4 Southwater Road has just been compulsorily purchased and two more properties will be similarly dealt with very soon.

The council will license another 250 houses in multiple occupation in the next year, to improve conditions for private tenants. And in Central St Leonards the Coastal Space scheme will see a number of privately rented properties purchased and taken on by Amicus Horizon housing association.

The council will be looking into establishing its own lettings agency for accredited local landlords to ensure a better deal for them and their tenants. We will be studying how some other councils have gone done this path.

Our new street cleaning and waste collection contract starts this Summer and it will offer improvements to keeping the town clean but will also introduce doorstep recycling of glass and of a wider range of plastics. Seagull-proof bags will be distributed widely in those parts of town without wheelie bins.

We plan to step up the pressure for more 20mph speed limits in the borough on residential streets where there is the support from local residents. And our Switched On Hastings initiative will offer local people cheaper energy bills through collective switching to the company offering the best bulk purchase deal.

Our council has a programme for the revival of our town, for raising its image nationally especially by promoting our cultural offer, for attracting in new investment, for improving the employability of local people especially the young.

We will intervene to make Hastings and St Leonards cleaner, safer, more prosperous and more contented.



Wednesday 8 May 2013

Hastings at odds with William Hill

Bookmakers William Hill have placed the Hastings city of culture bid as a 25 to 1 outsider to win the prize.
Jeremy Birch in the Jack in the Green parade

One might ask what does William Hill know about culture; I doubt they have read our bid or know much about what goes on in our community. On the other hand it might be very good odds come November if we were to be named the winner. This year’s Grand National winner was originally quoted at 66 to 1 by William Hill.

I’m sure the other city of culture bidders who have been given closer odds to win have very good bids but I think ours will take some beating.

The weekend these odds appeared was the Jack in the Green Festival. Up to 20,000 people watched with around 10, 000 enjoying the finale on the West Hill, which overlooks our harbour and historic fishing fleet, the largest beach-launched fleet in Europe. The same day we entertained 30,000 bikers.

What town in the world could rival that mixture?

Festivals and street processions are an essential part of the culture of our community. We've got Bonfire Night, which we celebrate to mark Hastings Day in October, with over a thousand burning torches being paraded through the streets by various local groups, all in their own distinctive costumes, to rhythmic drumming; that can attract 30,000 spectators too.

We hold our Seafood and Wine Festival in September, showcasing our local produce and the Herring Fair in November.

Quality visual and performing arts are represented by the Jerwood Gallery with its nationally renowned 20th and 21st century collection and De La Warr Pavilion. And with work about to start on rebuilding our pier we will have our traditional seaside icon ready to open well before 2017.

Our bid has plans for a series of spectacular events in 2017 as city of culture. The English language and culture could be said to have begun in 1066. It all began in Hastings and in 2017 a cultural renaissance can begin again here.