Key work we are doing

These are some of the key areas of work that we'll be doing under each of the six new priorities for the year ahead

Tackling homelessness and ensuring quality housing

• Review our council tax reduction scheme for 2020/21 by November 2020
• Implement new self-service modules for revenues and benefits by October 2020
• Achieve key performance and collection targets in respect of benefit processing times and collection rates for council tax and business rates
• Aim to build 192 new homes at Bulverhythe
• Acquire 15 and lease 36 units of temporary accommodation to reduce spend on emergency accommodation
• Lead work with partners to bring down costs and help transition those in need of temporary and emergency accommodation into more suitable alternatives
• Regulate the quality and supply of rented housing in the town through a new licensing scheme
• Make sure homes are adapted and made fit for the future where we have power and resources to do so

Keeping Hastings clean and safe through efficient licensing, enforcement, waste collection, street cleansing and recycling services

Enhance our existing enforcement, contractual and street cleansing arrangements by:

• Expanding the garden waste service that we offer
• Rigorous ongoing performance management of our waste contract and street cleansing service
• Delivering a full strength warden service to tackle anti-social behaviour and enviro-crime
• Ensuring statutory delivery of our licensing and environmental health commitments

Making best use of our buildings, land and public realm assets

• Bring forward improvements to the delivery of our grounds maintenance arrangements
• Undertake essential repairs and maintenance on Buckshole reservoir and increase safety standards in the face of climate change
• Complete our Visitor Centre at Hastings Country Park
• Continue to develop the museum as a hub to support the borough’s cultural offer
• Update our Local Plan with our citizens and partners, setting out how the borough will shape up for the future
• Develop and realise our investment portfolio (for example, new Aldi open on Bexhill Road)

Minimising environment and climate harm in all that we do

• Introduce and begin delivering a new climate change strategy and action plan
• Lead and work with citizens and partners toward zero carbon emissions
• Implement a sustainable procurement policy
• Review our services to look at how we can run them in an environmentally friendly way
• Play a social leadership role to inform residents and change their behaviours

Delivery of our major regeneration schemes

• Deliver the Towns Fund
• Deliver year 2 of the Connecting Hastings and Rother Together programme
• Progress with plans for the development of West Marina
• Progress with plans for the development of Bohemia

Ensuring the council can survive and thrive into the future

• Restructure how we’ll deliver services to meet our budgetary challenges
• Develop our corporate standard setting out how we plan, do and review so that citizens, councillors, staff and partners can track our progress and increasingly hold us to account
• Conclude our digital first programme so that citizens can access the bulk of our services online
• Lead on and develop a new town wide narrative and plan, plugging the gaps with partners where Hastings Borough Council can no longer afford to deliver directly