Council and Democracy >> Corporate Plan
Local Performance Plan 2002/03
This web page gives guidance on the Hastings Borough Council Local Performance Plan 2002/03 - 'Unlocking the Future', and contains the following information:
Other pages within this area contain the following information:
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Foreword by the Leader of the Council
Councillor Jeremy Birch
Please take the time to read this short guide to the Borough Council's third Local Performance Plan - Unlocking the Future. Here you will find information about our achievements and performance over the last financial year (April 2001 to March 2002) and plans for the coming 12 months to further unlock the potential of our great town.
These are exciting times for Hastings and St Leonards - never before have we been the subject of such national and regional attention and support. I hope you have already noticed the signs of a town beginning to revive and that you will agree that our plans for the next 12 months will help to release more of the energy and enthusiasm needed to reach our vision:
'To Make Hastings and St Leonards a place where people want to live and work and can enjoy a high quality of life.'
We only have space to tell you a little about our work and plans here - if you would like to find out more, please see the full version of 'Unlocking the Future'
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Our Key Issues for 2002/2003
- Community Safety - making it our top priority to work with Police and local communities to combat crime and its causes.
- Enforcement - using all our powers to protect local people from the actions or neglect of others by tackling dereliction, dealing with untaxed and abandoned cars, poor quality housing and dog fouling.
- Five Point Plan - get Government support to tackle the needs of our town under the 'Five Point Plan' for transforming buildings and homes; increasing education opportunities; encouraging local businesses; installing high speed internet access and improving transport links.
- Neighbourhood Renewal - tackling high levels of poverty, crime, lack of educational achievement, poor housing and health problems in the most deprived areas of the town.
- Community Strategy - working with local people and organisations to develop a common vision for the town.
- E-government - using technology to expand access to Council services and information in ways that suit everybody.
- Equalities - ensuring our services and the way we employ people meet the needs of an increasingly diverse community.
This summary version of 'Unlocking the Future' details some of the aims and achievements under 5 headings you told us are priorities:
- Regeneration and Tourism
- Community Safety and Quality of Life
- Transport and Communications
- Community Participation, Housing and Neighbourhood Renewal
- Modernisation: Improving the Way we Work
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Regeneration
This is about:
- Boosting the local economy
- Attracting investment to provide jobs
- Tackling dereliction and improving the image of the town
- Improving the environment
Achievements 2001-2002
- Worked as part of the Hastings Task Force to develop the Five Point Plan to regenerate the area
- Tackled Derelict Buildings along the seafront, Bohemia Road and the Old Town
- Pedestrianised lower Queens Road
- Improved 9 buildings in the central area of St Leonards with Building Repair Grants
- Supported the Shorething celebration of the sea festival
Shorething Festival of the Sea
Aims 2002 -2003
- Develop a 'masterplan' for the town and seafront to show what the Five Point Plan will achieve
- Put a Town Centre Regeneration Strategy into place
- Tackle Derelict Buildings in Queens Road and Central St Leonards
- Consult on a design and begin to re-model the lower promenade at Bottle Alley
- Develop more decorative lighting and Public Arts projects
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Community Safety & Quality of Life
This is about:
- Working with others to combat crime and the fear of crime
- Providing a clean, safe and pleasant environment
- Working with others to improve health
- Developing leisure and cultural activities
Achievements 2001-2002
- Improved Safety and Security in parks and open spaces
- Created a Neighbourhood Wardens scheme in Greater Hollington
- Secured funding to improve Shop Security in over 100 St Leonards shops
- Doubled the amount of household waste recycled by introducing a Kerbside Paper Collection scheme
- Refurbished the café, dredged the ponds and improved paths in Alexandra Park
- Installed a new Skate Park at White Rock Gardens
- Exceeded our targets for the average time to remove Fly-tips
Aims 2002 -2003
- Employ 8 Street Wardens in the Hastings and St Leonards town centres and seafronts
- Monitor the success of the new Street Drinking ban
- Use a Mobile CCTV unit to cover different crime hot-spots
- Improve leisure use facilities at White Rock Gardens (west)
- Extend the Paper-recycling scheme to blocks of flats
Operating the CCTV cameras
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Community Participation, Housing and Neighbourhood Renewal
This is all about:
- Involving local people in decisions that affect them
- Improving the quality, condition and availability of housing
- Improving communications with local people and businesses
- Strengthening local democracy
Achievements 2001-2002
- Involved local people in decisions about their area through the Greater Hollington Neighbourhood Management project and neighbourhood forums
- Provided activities for Young People including free sport passes, art projects and Playdays
- Improved fire safety and security in Houses in Multiple Occupation
- Provided home improvement Grants for people with disabilities or low incomes
- Improved investigation of Benefit Fraud and promoted benefits entitlement to vulnerable groups
Aims 2002-2003
- Work with local people on health, community safety and education projects funded by the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund
- Agree a long term vision for the town and write a Community Strategy
- Bid for Sports Action Zone status for the town
- Present a new Housing Strategy to meet housing needs up to 2007
- Invest in building new homes and renovating Empty Homes
- Produce Audio Versions of all Council publications including 'About' magazine
- Improve the Play Facilities in Alexandra Park and Bembrook Road
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Transport & Communications
This is about:
- Developing an integrated approach to local transport issues
- Making our communities safer by reducing road traffic accidents
- Working with others to improve road and rail access and public transport
- Promoting Hastings as an 'e-City'
Achievements 2001-2002
- Encouraged safer routes to school by 'Walk to School' weeks and a Walking Bus Scheme
- Reduced crime in Council car parks by 40% and launched the Don't Display initiative
- Worked with the DVLA, Police and Fire Brigade to confiscate over 400 Untaxed Vehicles
- Improved the Concessionary Fares bus pass scheme
Aims 2002-2003
- Continue to provide an evening Community Bus for Passport to Leisure Holders
- Work in the Quality Bus Partnership to encourage local bus operators to improve their services
- Develop inexpensive, high-speed Internet Access projects for local people and businesses
- Invest £75,000 in Traffic Management Schemes to improve road safety including Safer Routes to Schools
- Encourage more drivers to commit to the 'Kill Your Speed' campaign
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Modernisation: Improving the Way We Work
This is about:
- Celebrating diversity and eliminating discrimination from the services we deliver
- Using technology to improve services
- Getting the most from your council tax
- Being a good employer
Achievements 2001-2002
- Adopted a Cabinet Decision-Making system and a new Council Constitution
- Encouraged people to register on the Electoral Roll
- Expanded the information and services available on the Council's Website
- Published our Equalities Statement
- Encouraged local people to quiz Councillors and Council staff during Local Democracy Week
Aims 2002-2003
- Hold All-Council Elections and tell voters about the new arrangements that make postal voting easier
- Check that our services do not discriminate and publish our Race Equality Scheme
- Provide more Electronic Services including online and telephone payments, application forms and information services
- Improve our ability to Listen and Learn when things go wrong by introducing a new complaints process
- Introduce an Appraisal Scheme for all staff
'Votes for Women' protester with the Hastings Online website
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Measuring Up
To help you decide whether or not we are measuring up, we have compared our efficiency in 2001/02 with our efficiency in the previous year.
These are the areas in which our performance was good:
| |
2000/01 |
2001/02 |
| Average time taken to determine all planning applications |
9 weeks |
7.9 weeks |
| Percentage of household waste recycled |
6.6% |
10% |
| Annual usage of the East and West Hill Cliff Railways |
237,512 |
239,640 |
| Enforcement actions taken to improve fire safety and living conditions in houses in multiple occupation |
276 actions |
400 actions |
| Vehicle crimes per 1,000 population |
36.9 |
29.9 |
| Number of incidents of car crime reported in Council car parks |
93 |
63 |
| Number of enquiries handled by Information Centres |
133,770 |
138,491 |
| Queuing time for telephone calls directed through the central switchboard number |
15.5 seconds |
12 seconds |
| The proportion of working days/shifts lost due to sickness absence |
9.4 days |
7.5 days |
| The percentage of invoices paid within 30 days by the Council |
93.3% |
97% |
These are the areas in which it was not so good:
| |
2000/01 |
2001/02 |
| The percentage of highways that are either of a high or acceptable standard of cleanliness |
90.8% |
85% |
| Percentage of new homes built on previously developed land |
76% |
40% |
| Number of pupils visiting museums and galleries in organised school groups |
10,032 |
7,634 |
| Average number of homeless households in bed and breakfast accommodation |
13.7 placements |
18 placements |
| The percentage of standard searches carried out in 10 working days |
99.9% |
85% |
We didn’t write this, you did.
In November 2001 we held three small discussion groups made up of ‘Citizen’s Panel’ members together with representatives of community organisations and the voluntary and public sectors. We also met with the representatives of local businesses. These people gave us the ideas and opinions that formed our work priorities and budget plans for 2002/03.
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More Information
The full version of 'Unlocking the Future' is a 70-page document available at the Library, Hastings Information Centre and can also be downloaded from this site.
If you or anyone you know would like a full version, please let us know.
Copies can also be made available on tape and large print.
Please let us have your views on our plans for this year (April 2002 - March 2003), about our performance in the last year and about how well we have presented the information in this article. Is it clear enough?
You can use the online comments form below or contact us at:
Freephone: 0800 328 8093
Minicom: 01424 781755
Fax: 01424 781515
email: comments@hastings.gov.uk
Hastings Borough Council
Corporate Services,
PO Box 39,
Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 3BR
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Your Comments
Please take a moment to comment on this Performance Plan Summary by selecting one answer to each of the statements below.
When you are finished, click the submit button to electronically send your answers to us.
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This page last updated: 26/02/2003
