Each Year the Council produces a Local Performance Plan setting out how well we perform against our plans and targets in the previous financial year and giving details of priorities, plans and targets for the year ahead.
A Summary of the Local Performance plan - 'The Year of Delivery' was circulated to all households in March 2003, which can be viewed on this page using the links below.
We have called this summary of this year’s Local Performance Plan – “The Year of Delivery.” I hope you will agree that inside there is a packed year’s worth of projects and programmes to improve the lives of all of us living in Hastings.
In the latter part of last year the town saw the biggest consultation ever. Literally thousands of people gave us views from how to tackle the immediate problems of crime or transport to their thoughts on what Hastings should look like in 30 years time.
We have listened; I think as a community there is broad agreement on what needs to be done. The challenge now is to deliver the conclusions we all agree on. That’s why the next twelve months for Hastings Borough Council will be the year of delivery.
Of course not everything that needs to be done can be completed in just 12 months. To really make a difference may take three, five or even 10 years. But I am happy that townspeople can challenge the Borough Council on what we deliver in the first year of delivery.
This summary tells you our plans. Please read it and check that we carry out our promises. That’s what local democracy is all about.
2002/03 was an exciting year for Hastings and St Leonards as we developed new plans to shape the future of our town. Following the Government’s announcement of a major regeneration investment, we worked at the heart of the Hastings and Bexhill Task Force to plan the transformation of our town. This included a 30-year Masterplan that sets out a vision for the physical development of the area. We also worked with other partners to develop a Community Strategy to tackle the social problems facing the town and set tough targets for improving housing, education, employment, health, environment, and crime prevention over the next 10 years.
Other highlights included winning Millennium Community status which attracted £3m to support development of sustainable communities around new and existing train stations. This project will generate up to £100m investment and has already raised the profile of the town nationally.
We also helped to substantially reduce the overall crime levels through projects such as Street and Community Wardens. In March, we held a Crime Summit in partnership with the police to agree a long-term plan to tackle and reduce violence in our town centres and other public places.
2002/03 was the year we planned our future. 2003/04 is the first year of delivery on our promises to transform the image and experience of living and working in Hastings. As a leading partner in the Task Force, we will make sure the first regeneration projects get underway. As a local Council we will work to create the right conditions for the renewal of our town and ensure everyone can benefit from the new opportunities regeneration will bring. Our top priorities will be:
Tackling crime and the fear of crime in partnership with the Police, to make Hastings and St Leonards a safer place to live and to attract new businesses, shops and facilities.
Making activities and opportunities available for our young people.
Taking a hard line on enforcement against things that affect the quality of life e.g. abandoned cars, derelict buildings, antisocial behaviour and illegal parking.
Maintaining service standards and continuing to identify ways to improve the services we provide e.g. refuse collection and street cleansing; environmental health; land use planning; parks and gardens; museums and leisure centres; housing advice; paying housing and council tax benefits and beach services.
A more detailed document, setting out how we performed against all our targets for 2002/03 and more information about our targets for this year is now available.
Improved 20 eyesore properties in Queens Road and Central St Leonards by our enforcement campaign to make owners deal with their derelict buildings. Over 120 such buildings have been improved since June 2000.
Worked with BT to extend coverage of fast Internet access (broadband) within Hastings, and pushed for this to include the town’s industrial estates.
Installed new decorative lighting at Marine Court, West Marina Gardens, the America Ground and Holy Trinity Church.
Won the silver award in the English Tourism Council’s ‘Most Improved Resort’ competition.
Gave £400,000 of grants for building repair work in Central St Leonards that led to almost £1.5m of renovations.
Were rewarded with a £146,000 grant for exceeding 2 out of 3 national targets for our speed in processing planning applications.
Above: New Decorative lighting installed at Sea Road, St Leondards Above: Huge waves break over the promenade at Carlisle Parade
Shortfalls
The Pelham Boulevard, the Town Centre Regeneration Strategy, and the re-modelling of Bottle Alley projects had to be re-timed to fit in with the Task Force’s plans.
Improvements at Hastings Castle were stalled due to delays in getting approvals for works to this special site, which meant we could not apply for funding. However, a bid for first stage works will be submitted in June.
In 2003/04 we will:
Begin our two-year £2m programme of developing new employment sites on land to the west of Queensway and at Ivyhouse Lane.
Re-home the reptiles from the former Broomgrove power station and complete final demolition.
Provide a further £300,000 of grants for building repair works in Central St. Leonards.
Consult on the revised proposals for a visitor centre on The Stade.
Improve another 20 properties through enforcement of our zero tolerance on derelict buildings.
As a leading partner in the Task Force, we shall involve local people in choosing a lead developer for the Millennium Community Project and begin preparing sites for new houses. A new website will help people get involved in design and see how the new communities will look.
Publish the new Borough Local Plan in Spring 2004 subject to the final outcome of the Local Plan Inquiry.
Install decorative lighting on the seafront and in Warrior Square.
Support compulsory purchase of key regeneration sites needed by the Task Force.
Work with partners and local employers to make training available so local people can benefit from job opportunities.
Work with Task Force Partners on first stage of refurbishment of the new Media Centre in Robertson Street. The Centre will support new creative industries e.g. television, media and website companies.
Work with local promoters, licensees, retailers and restaurant owners to provide more family friendly evening activities and facilities in the town centre.
Start flood and coastal defence work at Carlisle Parade subject to central Government funding.
Introduced 11 Street Wardens to patrol the town centres and seafront, tackling anti-social and nuisance behaviour and helping the Police monitor the new Street Drinking Ban.
Worked with Sussex Police to significantly reduce household burglaries to below national Government targets.
Successfully applied for our first Anti-Social Behaviour Order leading to a maximum 5 year ASBO being served.
Worked with the Police to further reduce car crime figures to below national targets, and employed a Car Crime Reduction Co-ordinator to maintain this trend.
Installed new CCTV cameras in Ore and Silverhill.
Set up a Reporting Racial Incidents Scheme in partnership with other agencies, to record incidents and assist victims.
Funded activities to divert young people away from crime with Neighbourhood Renewal money.
Helped make 122 businesses in St Leonards safer through our Shop Security Scheme.
Welcomed the national award given to the Greater Hollington Community Wardens by the Government’s Regeneration Minister for their work with young people.
Above: Young people test their DJ skills at St Mary-in-the-Castle Below: Street Wardens patrol the seafront
Shortfall
There were delays in the arrival of the new mobile CCTV unit. This is expected to be operational and targeting different crime hotspots from Summer 2003.
In 2003/04 we will:
Tackle crime, particularly in Hastings and St. Leonards town centres building on the ideas from the ‘Crime Summit’ about how, in partnership with the Police, violent crime can be reduced.
Jointly fund an officer to prepare cases and gather evidence against people who commit nuisance and anti social behaviour.
Use paid independent ‘professional witnesses’ to gather evidence in cases where intimidation is an issue.
Develop, in partnership, a CCTV Strategy for the town and start dual monitoring our CCTV cameras locally.
Make sure the system for reporting and dealing with racial incidents is effective and working well.
Provide extra funding to combat domestic abuse.
Create a permanent Park Ranger base in Alexandra Park to improve community safety.
Consult local people and the licensed trade on a new Licensing Policy in advance of our future role in licensing the sale of alcohol.
Co-ordinate the activities of the parking, street, dog and park wardens to help them enforce byelaws and regulations more effectively.
Supported the Coastal Currents arts festival involving over 100 local and national artists, and helped stage the spectacular music and fireworks show ‘Sticky’ and the town’s first street arts festival.
Adopted our Cultural Strategy after extensive consultation.
Held a ‘Lets Go to the Beach’ play-day for 2,000 children and their families.
Re-opened the refurbished café and bandstand in Alexandra Park and held live music and BBQ evenings.
Started work on new play facilities in St John’s Road and Alexandra Park, both of which will be open by April 2003.
Extended our paper-recycling collection scheme to blocks of flats, and piloted paper recycling in local schools.
Submitted a funding application to the Heritage Lottery Fund to help improve Hastings Museum and Art Gallery.
Scored the top grade in the ‘Seaside Awards’ for Pelham Beach.
Won a 5 star award for the quality of the public toilets in Ore Village in the ‘Loo of the Year’ competition.
Bid for Sports Action Zone status to increase involvement in sporting activity and attract funding to improve community facilities.
Reduced the waste paper we produce in our offices by 36% by the work of our Sustainable Working Action Team.
Above: 'Spurting Man' from last year's Council funded Street Festival Below: Continuing to meet high standards of street cleansing
Shortfalls
Delays on improvements to White Rock Gardens were caused by the unsuccessful Bowls Centre bid for lottery funds. This means we have to review our plans.
The St Leonards Gardens/West Lodge restoration project stalled, but new plans for a major funding bid are now underway.
Refurbishment of the play facilities at Bembrook Road was not started as local people, through consultation, asked us to include the West Hill area in proposals.
In 2003/04 we will:
Maintain high standards of cleanliness throughout the town and meet demanding targets for cleansing, enforcement of trade waste, fly tipping, graffiti etc.
Work with the Young Persons’ Council and others to find out what sports and leisure facilities young people want and set up new activities to meet those needs.
Look at the prices of leisure facilities and consider how to help young people and those on low incomes take part in sports, leisure and cultural activities.
Start our programme to create a national standard play area for 0 -16 year olds in each of the priority areas.
Extend our paper-recycling scheme to include more streets and provide on-street paper recycling points to help us meet our targets for recycling domestic waste, we will also continue to promote waste reduction.
Support a joint bid for funding to set up a household green waste recycling scheme.
If our town becomes a Sports Action Zone, we will be able to invest in improving local peoples’ health by encouraging take up of sporting activities and improving community facilities.
Increase access to public open spaces and improve sports and leisure facilities including playing fields, tennis courts and changing rooms.
Worked with residents to set up Neighbourhood Forums in the priority wards, consulted on and wrote a Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy, and developed Local Action Plans with each Forum.
Worked on health, community safety and education projects funded by the Neighbourhood Renewal money with local people and our partners.
Worked with young people and black and minority ethnic communities to ensure they are effectively involved in the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme.
Improved the way we tackle benefit fraud and all the prosecutions we took (involving nearly £60,000) were successful.
Introduced a new system to ensure the grants we give to local groups help us meet our priorities. Following this a record number of applications were received
Published the new five-year partnership Housing Strategy to meet housing need, tackle homelessness and improve housing conditions.
Set up a scheme to register good quality private accommodation and exceeded targets for the number of properties registered.
Continued our successful programme of renovating houses in the Southwater Renewal Area.
Above: Marlborough House nears completion
Left: Explaining the Materplan at a public consultation event at Priory Meadow Shopping Centre
Shortfalls
The planned investment of £1.8m in homes for people in severe housing need was not achieved because our Housing Association partners were not able to progress two major new schemes. However, £600,000 was invested and the remaining funds are being re-allocated.
We had hoped to contribute to the development of a Youth Strategy but the County Council, who were leading this project, have not started yet.
In 2003/04 we will:
Adopt the Community Strategy, following a Town Conference in the Spring and achieve the early targets set within it.
Use a range of consultation techniques to reach people whose voices are not traditionally heard.
Expand work with black and minority ethnic communities to address issues that may prevent involvement in neighbourhood and community activity.
Start to implement the Local Action Plans developed by the Neighbourhood Forums in each of the priority areas.
Work with partners to devise a plan for providing community facilities around the town.
Introduce an equalities monitoring system to ensure our strategic grant aid process is fair and equitable.
Declare a Housing Renewal Area in Central St Leonards to improve properties and the local environment, and involve local people in this project.
Make good progress on refurbishing the facilities for our council tax and benefit services users in Wellington Square. The work to provide better access, space and privacy will be completed in 2004/05
Work with private landlords and local letting agents to promote good practice and improve conditions in the private rented sector.
Continue to tackle unfit housing and empty homes, and give financial help to people with disabilities or on low incomes to improve their living conditions.
Launch the Affordable Warmth Strategy to help improve energy efficiency and reduce bills for people on low incomes.
Open Marlborough House in Warrior Square, a partnership project that will provide a health facility for local people and supported housing for older people.
Provide as much affordable housing as possible, ensuring a minimum of 25% on new sites, other than the very smallest.
Publish a Homelessness Strategy to guide our work tackling homelessness.
Removed over 1000 cars from the streets following our takeover in November of DVLA’s powers to clamp and remove untaxed vehicles. A new way of reporting these vehicles via our website was also introduced.
Doubled the number of schools taking part in our Walking Bus Schemes - seven schools joined International Walk to School Day.
Worked with The Greater Hollington Partnership and East Sussex County Council to secure £870,000 over 3 years to enhance bus services between Hollington and the town centre.
Continued providing an evening Community Bus for Passport to Leisure holders living in parts of the town where regular bus services have been reduced
Signed a Quality Bus Partnership with East Sussex County Council and Stagecoach aimed at improving bus services in the town. An early result was the introduction of the first of 9 low floor buses.
Continued our investment in Traffic Management Schemes to improve road safety. These schemes have been a significant factor in reducing the number of road casualties over the last three years by 29%.
Made information available for the public about taxis and private hire vehicles on our website, together with news, licensing forms and information for taxi operators.
Dealt with over 98% of noise complaints within the 4 day target.
Above: Last year we doubled the number of schools taking part in our Walking Bus schemes
Below: Abandoned cars recently removed from Stockleigh Road
Shortfall
Construction of the cycle route link between Bexhill and Hastings was not progressed because the difficulties raised by the Environment Agency are still being resolved. We are committed to this project and will continue negotiations.
In 2003/04 we will:
Continue to maintain a safe and pleasant environment through rigorous enforcement of laws and regulations covering noise pollution, illegal parking, food safety, taxi and premises licensing.
Investigate the options and develop proposals for the future of Community Transport in the town.
Repair or renew 23 bus shelters as part of our work in the Quality Bus Partnership, other partners will improve reliability and frequency of bus services and provide timetable information at bus stops.
Make improvements for pedestrians and bus users in the section of Queen’s Road next to Priory Meadow.
Clamp and remove untaxed vehicles and those that are dangerous and abandoned within 48 hours.
Publish a Transport Action Plan setting out our priorities for transport improvements.
Undertake essential repairs to the Priory Street multi-storey car park.
Complete a review of Highways and Traffic Management that will involve local people and set future policy.
Provide free concessionary bus fare passes for men as well as women from 60 years of age.
Continue to support schools to take part in Walking Bus schemes.
Adopted our Race Equality Scheme to help eliminate discrimination from service delivery.
Increased visitors to our website to 9,000 a week and provided on-line information and forms for Planning, Building Control, Environmental Health, Electoral Registration and Council Tax services.
Introduced a new complaints process with training for our staff, to help us listen and learn when things go wrong.
Took our Cabinet Committee ‘on tour’ taking decision-making into local neighbourhoods.
Held a street fair where hundreds of local people came to talk to us and find out more about our services and activities.
Won an award for the outstanding design of our ‘About’ magazine and made audio-tape versions available for blind and partially sighted people.
Held all-Council Elections and made postal votes available to every voter.
Launched a ‘People Strategy’ setting out the ways in which we will manage and develop our staff.
Above: Cabinet Meetings will continue to be held at venues around the town
Below: 'Meet the Council' proved a successful means of
letting the public know what each Council section does.
Shortfall
Our performance in carrying out standard land and property searches within 10 days was severely affected by staff shortages, difficulties with computer systems, changes in legislation, and a huge increase in volume due to record house sales. We have addressed these problems and intend to return to our previously excellent performance in 2003/04.
In 2003/04 we will:
Employ an Equalities Officer to make equalities central to the way we work and improve service delivery.
Launch our improved website to make accessing Council information and services on-line easier. We will also make every press release, publication and important Council document available on the website.
Introduce electronic payments for Council Tax and other services, and the option to view planning applications online.
Work with a partnership of East Sussex councils to make the most of new electronic technology, and to make it easier for local people and businesses to contact council services.
Promote the use of local labour, provision of training and use of sustainable materials in every contract we award.
Continue holding Cabinet meetings at venues throughout the town, and find additional ways to increase interest and involvement in what we do.
Use Comprehensive Performance Assessment to further improve our economy, efficiency and effectiveness.
Prepare the Council to apply for the ‘Investor in People’ award by appraising the performance and development of all our staff.
The full version of 'The Year of Delivery' 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.
Each Year the Council produces a Local Performance Plan setting out how well we perform against our plans and targets in the previous financial year and giving details of priorities, plans and targets for the year ahead.
Councillor Jeremy Birch
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