Hastings residents are a lucky bunch. The natural beauty of this area is well documented. From Hastings Country Park, to the rugged coastline, there is plenty to be proud of.
Over the next ten years this wealth of scenery is set to grow with the work of the Pebsham Countryside Park Project.
Working in partnership with East Sussex County Council and Rother District Council, Hastings Borough Council is working to enhance the green space between Hastings, Bexhill and Crowhurst, incorporating up to 1,480 acres (600 hectares) of land.
There is plenty of work to do and though there are already many public footpaths across the area, much has yet to be done to improve signposts and promote walking and cycling routes.
So where do we go from here? The partnership’s Pebsham Countryside Park Project Manager, Mark Seymour, is developing a plan.
This year Mark and his colleagues will be asking the public what they think. Starting in April, the team hopes to ask as many residents, park users and interested parties as possible, how they would like the Pebsham Countryside Park to develop.
Councillor Jay Kramer, portfolio holder for leisure, said:
"We want the public to tell us their visions for the area. We can see the potential already as a place for recreation, exercise, wildlife and learning, but we really want to know what the park’s potential users think."
"We hope education will be an integral part of the proposals. The landfill site in Pebsham is due to close in 2008, but some kind of recycling facility looks likely to stay and become incorporated in the park. What a great opportunity for visitors to learn about recycling and environmental issues."
The park is expected to attract international, as well as local visitors and this vision has helped secure funding from Interreg, a programme of the European Union.
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This page last updated: 04/04/2005