South East England is an attractive place to live and work, but if we want it to stay that way we need to plan now to make sure our children and grandchildren can enjoy a good quality of life. The South East England Regional Assembly has produced a draft document called the South East Plan - it includes important choices about development in our region to 2006. The Assembly is looking for public opinion on these choices from January 24 to April 15, 2005.
During this period a questionnaire is being sent to every household in the region, so watch out for a leaflet giving you a chance to have ‘Your Shout’ soon. Your Council will also be interested in your views and may be holding public events on the plan that you can attend. Over the next 20 years, the region’s population could grow by 900,000 increasing the demand for homes and jobs.
Two thirds of this need for homes is expected to come from people already in the South East, rather than people moving from elsewhere. We need to plan ahead to balance the need for good jobs and successful businesses with the need to maintain a high quality environment. We must also ensure that new development goes hand in hand with infrastructure and services.
The key areas the Regional Assembly is seeking views on are jobs, homes, where to build, the countryside, essential services (eg hospitals, transport and schools), sharing success across the whole region, water, education and health. With such a large region and so many topics there are going to be differing views, which is why it is important that people complete and return their questionnaire. We need to reach the right balance for the region.
If we have jobs without homes, businesses may suffer from lack of staff. Building too few homes could lead to higher house prices and homelessness. However, building more homes in areas without jobs may mean unemployment. More development also uses up valuable land and can add to congestion and our environmental impact.
For three important subjects - transport, waste and energy - the Regional Assembly has already agreed plans to 2016 with Government following earlier consultation. For more information see: www.southeast-ra.gov.uk/southeastplan
Or phone our 24-hour information line on tel: 01483 555 208.
What do bus services, the Cliff Railways and the Electoral Register all have in common?
Answer - all three are the subject of in-depth reviews by Hastings Borough Council Overview and Scrutiny Committees.
Overview and Scrutiny is at the heart of local democracy. It gives elected councillors the responsibility to review and scrutinise in-depth key services, major work programmes and strategic decisions being progressed by the Council. They also review services and activities within borough boundaries that, although not directly administered by Hastings Borough Council, do affect the area, for example public transport services.
The council has three Overview and Scrutiny Committees:
Regeneration and Environment;
Finance, Housing and Communities;
Leisure, Culture, Communications and Staffing;
The committees handle all issues on a strictly non - political basis and their conclusions and recommendations go to the Council’s Cabinet for consideration. Committee meetings are generally held monthly in the Town Hall and are open to the public to attend.
A key part of the scrutiny process is to identify ways of improving services that have a wider impact on residents and visitors to Hastings; this requires the input of the public, local forums and interest groups. For example have you any views on why some people do not complete their annual canvass for the electoral register? Or would you be interested in being part of a focus group to discuss bus services in the town with the Review Team?
If you have any views, want to get involved or simply want to know more about Overview and Scrutiny, contact our Scrutiny Officer, on Hastings 01424 781747 or by e-mail to scrutinyteam@hastings.gov.uk
Spring is nearly here, and the weather’s getting warmer - so what better time to check that your home gets a heating makeover during the coming months, ready for next winter!
And now there’s help from the Government to do just that. The great news is that more than 2,500 homes in the Hastings and Rye area have already benefited from Warm Front Grants.
But I’m keen to see even more people getting what they are entitled to. These grants come from the Government and are there to help if you’ve got a low income and are elderly, disabled or have young children. Warm Front grants go towards heating, insulation, energy efficiency measures and in some cases, new central heating systems. They can make a huge difference in helping you to save energy, cut the cost of your fuel bill and keep your home warm.
Since the scheme started in 2000, an amazing £1,256,309 of Warm Front funding has been spent in Hastings and Rye but there’s still plenty more available. That money is making a difference to the lives of many elderly residents and those with young children, or disabilities, and I would like to see even more benefiting from this extra help.
To qualify, you need to be a home owner or renting from a private landlord and be receiving an income or disability-related benefit. To find out more, give the Warm Front Team a ring on Freephone number 0800 316 6014.
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This page last updated: 08/04/2005