There are a number of strategic developments and plans in Hastings and St. Leonards. A local development vehicle called Sea Space and Hastings Borough Council lead these key projects. Each plays a critical role within our Five Point Plan.
Some of these developments will provide highly marketable space for inward investors and much needed expansion or consolidation space for larger employers where there's currently an insufficient supply of suitable new premises.
Some recently completed developments are described on our Key Projects page.
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Work is currently underway at the Marina Pavilion to extend and improve the seafront venue. The development will transform Marina Pavilion into a high quality, year-round seafront and business and leisure venue.
Expected completion date is summer 2006, when the venue will reopen with a restaurant, beach-level café, and over 700 metres squared of conference and function space.
A local architect and artists worked together on the design, which features a coloured glass front to act as a landmark.
The original 1930s Marina was one of the many concrete structures designed by Sidney Little. Unfortunately over time the structure of the building has deteriorated, making these recent improvements necessary. The renovation is a key part of the regeneration of the Central St Leonards area.
Once complete, Marina Pavilion promises to be an asset to the town, providing leisure and business facilities in a modern and creative building.
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Work at Station Plaza is due to start in autumn 2006, with completion expected winter 2008/09. This exciting development will combine business, education and retail space and 120 new homes, revitalising the area around the Station.
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The Innovation Centre is an exciting development on Churchfields Industrial Estate with space for up to 70 companies and over 120 workers. The state-of-the-art building is particularly geared towards the manufacturing, technology and professional industries.
The Innovation Centre will be a boost for existing firms, including those that outgrow the Creative Media Centre. While also encouraging new firms to the town. Businesses will be able to choose from workshops, studios and office space with 'ready to go' facilities including broadband, reception and telephone. Companies will also benefit from professional advice from local experts to help them grow and prosper.
The Innovation Centre follows the example of the Creative Media Centre, opened in March 2004. The building in Robertson Street is now home to 14 new start-up companies and has helped create 21 new jobs and an apprenticeship.
Work on the Innovation Centre is due to be complete by early summer 2006.
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Taking shape on the largest remaining area for development in Hastings, the Queensway project will create light industrial and office space for larger, established firms. The idea is to attract big employers and boost local jobs. The development will consist of 10,000 square metres of office space and 6,000 square metres of light industrial space.
As the site is located adjacent to a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the designers have taken care to respect the project's setting. Car parking will be landscaped to integrate with the surroundings and not interfere with wildlife. The buildings will incorporate natural ventilation in line with best practice. Within the main building, there is scope to subdivide the area into separate business spaces.
Work started in summer 2005 and is due to finish December 2006.
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Ore Valley is the largest area in the Hastings Millennium Community project. Once development is complete in 2012 the area will have 700 new homes, an overhaul of road and rail systems with new shops, community facilities and green spaces.
The new development will include 6,000m squared of education space, 2000m squared of commercial space, and 70,000m squared residential space and a new conservation park. One of the major projects in Ore Valley is already complete. The Priory Neighbourhood Centre has been transformed into The Bridge, a fantastic example of modern sustainable design with a whole range of community facilities. The Bridge, officially opened in April 2006, is run by a community group and includes a café, covered play area for children and a multi-purpose hall. The new community facility was built using sustainable and ecologically friendly materials, including a roof made from sedum with integrated solar panels.
Ore Valley has an industrial history, which has left large areas derelict and underused. The investment and proposed development of the area into a Millennium Community will transform it into a place that residents can be proud of.The Ore Valley development will comprise of 6,000m2 of education space, 2,000m2 commercial space and 70,000m2 residential space.
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Pebsham Countryside Park is a joint project between Hastings Borough Council, East Sussex County Council and Rother District Council, linking with the wider regeneration programme for Hastings and Bexhill.
The park will develop and enhance the green space between Hastings, Bexhill and Crowhurst, an area of approximately 600 hectares (1480 acres). Its main components are the Pebsham waste tip, which will cease operating over the next few years and is well on its way to being re-landscaped and the Combe Haven Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which includes the Filsham reed-beds.
The plan is for a sustainable, multi-functional area with space for leisure, relaxation, sport, ecology and education, and early developments in the park will include improved signs and circular walking routes. Pebsham Countryside Park will be developed as an open space that is innovative and sustainable, and one that will attract local and international visitors to the Pebsham, Bulverhythe and Combe Haven valley areas. Visitors are already welcome at the Filsham Reedbeds, managed by Sussex Wildlife Trust.
The next step is to define in more detail the plans for the park and how to use the space within this area. A consultation period ran from October 2005 until March 2006, during which the views of over two thousand members of the community were heard. Initial plans for the park were devised in March 2006, and include separate conservation and sports areas, access for everyone as an integral part and facilities for visitors to find out about the local environment.
The early stages of the project are part-funded by the INTERREG fund of the European Union.
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The Hastings and Bexhill Seafront Strategy has been prepared under the direction of Sea Space, Tourism South East, Hastings Borough Council and Rother District Council. A team of experts with a range of skills has prepared the strategy, including economic development, transport and urban planning.
The aim of the seafront strategy is to develop a co-ordinated plan for the coastline that runs from Rock-a-Nore in Hastings to Herbrands Walk in Bexhill.
Funding and carrying out the strategy will involve range of public and private organisations working in close partnership. The successful revitalisation of the seafront can only occur through a combination of public and private sector projects that will be guided by market forces and public policy. The seafront strategy provides a framework for the efforts that should be undertaken to promote renewal.
The plans for our seafront have been divided into four 'zones for change', which consist of Bexhill Town Centre seafront, Glyne Gap, Bulverhythe/West Marina, St Leonards seafront, Hastings Town Centre/Pelham Place and The Stade/Rock-a-Nore.
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World-renowned architects Foster & Partners are set to transform the Pelham Place site on Hastings seafront with a striking contemporary development to complement the area's existing Regency architecture. This will include a civic space, top-class hotel, offices, shops, homes, cafes and restaurants. As a bustling public area, this showcase development will provide a powerful draw for locals, visitors, businesses, investment, employment and growth.
This seafront project now includes the renovation of Pelham Crescent and the restoration of the Regency Pelham Arcade all of which will set http://www.visit1066country.com/Hastings/attractions/smic in its deserved quality environment. Sea Space will be talking to the community about these latest plans in the coming months.
Pelham Place will provide an impressive focal point and enhance Hastings' seafront. The proposed civic space and leisure, residential and business facilities will have day-long and year-round accessibility, with underground parking to reduce congestion.
The development will comprise over 3,000 metres square of office space, over 2,300 metres squared of retail space, 1,000 metres squared of leisure space and 32 residential units, and 83 hotel bed spaces with 327 car park spaces.
The Pelham Place planning application is due to be submitted during 2006, with work anticipated to start in 2007 and completed by 2010.
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West Marina will be part of Hastings Millennium Community development, comprising 100 seafront homes, business premises and visitor amenities for this already vibrant community.
The sites are not yet fully defined. The West Marina and Bulverhythe master plan will determine the extent of the scheme - this is being developed. It will also link in with the seafront strategy and with results from consultation with residents and other stakeholders.
The scheme is to be a later phase of the Hastings Millennium Community programme; work on the West Marina and Bulverhythe master plan is currently underway. This will take account of transportation and flood defence issues, suggestions which may emerge from the seafront strategy and other potential developments, including Hasting Borough Council's separate proposals for the slip-way - an access ramp for small boats leading to the water.
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Priory Quarter is the name given to an area of the town centre, which is bounded by Cornwallis Terrace to the north, Cambridge Gardens to the west, Middle Street to the east and Robertson Street to the south.
The idea behind this project is to completely revitalise this area of the town, complementing the other linked projects in its surroundings, including Station Plaza, University Centre Hastings and the Creative Media Centre. The site will incorporate business and mixed-use buildings, quality public spaces and a series of pedestrian routes connecting each area to the others.
Early development will start on the gap site, and the planning application was approved for this site late last year. The site is opposite the University Centre and has been underused for years; the development will address the lack of modern business space in Hastings. The proposals for the gap site include a modern design to complement the streets' existing architecture housing 480m2 of retail space, with the rest of the space for medium-to-large companies and potentially educational use. Construction of the business space is expected to start as a priority later this year and finish in 2008.
The scheme is a modern design to complement the streets' existing architecture. It is proposed to comprise 480m2 for retail use, with the rest of the space for medium-to-large companies and potentially educational use. Construction of the business space is expected to start as a priority later this year and finish in 2008.
Other plans the Priory Quarter include:
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This page last updated: 28/02/2006