Key Programmes 19/20

On this page you can view our progress on the 7 key programme activities set out in our current corporate plan.

Waste Services

(Corporate Plan reference: Key programmes of work 19/20 no. 1)

2019/20 Milestones

Q1 - Waste services delivery programme:

• Vehicle procurement in progress
• Staff TUPE arrangements in place
• 29 June 2019 - DSO commences cleaning, new contractor starts waste collection 
• 15th July DSO set up Programme ends and handed over to operational management

Q2 - Q4 Following go-live on June 29th the focus will initially be on day to day running of the new DSO and waste contract.

So far as the DSO is concerned, as it beds in further development work and business cases may be developed and considered for variations to the future operation of the DSO.  For example to generate additional income. Cleansing rounds and systems will be reviewed and optimised to ensure the most efficient deployment of resources.  There will also be an ongoing need to train our DSO staff in the new ways of working.  We may also consider applying for ISO14001 and 9001 accreditation.

During year one of the new waste and recycling Biffa Collection Contract:

• Co-mingled glass collection will commence straight away
• Throughout July to September Biffa will review the existing round structures inherited from Kier and consider the need for changes, and if required submit proposals to the council

2019/20 Measures of success

Q1:

• New DSO and waste contractor in place and operating from June 29th

Q2 - Q4:

• Performance indicators for street cleanliness and refuse and recycling collections under the new arrangements are better than performance for 2018/19.
• Establish further development milestones as appropriate when new services bedded in.

Q1 Update
All Q1 Milestones met.
The indications in July and early August when this report was drafted were that the council's new street cleansing DSO had made a good start, and it had received several plaudits from residents and visitors.  Similarly, apart from some early issues servicing on-street communal domestic refuse bins, the new waste and recycling contractor had also made a promising start. It is also interesting to note that the outgoing waste contractor (Kier) finally managed to improve their performance in Hastings as the contract was being demobilised. Missed waste collections were at an acceptable level, and the independently assessed street cleanliness scores were the best for many years. This improvement is likely to be due to a number of factors including pressure from our waste team, robust management by the new local manager recruited by Kier for the last year of their contract.

Q2 Update
While it is still very early days for the street cleansing DSO, performance has either met or exceeded expectations. Making use of new technology, work is being assigned, carried out and completed quickly, with a very small proportion of jobs being reraised by customers. Additionally close working relationships between officers, crews, community groups, and housing associations has led to increased communication, education and enforcement activity. Overall we are striving to encourage a proactive attitude towards clearance work, thus dealing with situations before they become a problem.

In mid- September we received the latest NI195 street cleansing results. The results show a considerable improvement in litter standards, achieving a score of 5.8% when compared with 8.2% for the same time last year. This result was mirrored for detritus (11% compared with 13%), flyposting (1.3% compared with 1.5%) and weed removal (15.2% compared with 21.8%). The only area that fell when compared with last year was graffiti. However this is as a result of an increase of incidences, with the DSO removing twice the number of tags when compared with 2018/19. In addition to routine work, the DSO completed over 2,600 additional work requests between July and September. Throughout this period, the work carried out by the DSO has continued to receive positive comments from both the media and customers alike.

Following this pattern, the early stages of the Joint Waste Contract appear to be positive, with performance being comparable or better than the same time last year. Biffa are continuing to make adjustments to the rounds to make them more efficient, which occasionally results in minor service issues, however this process is being closely monitored and problems are addressed as required. Also see comments on the performance indicators in Appendix B.

Q3 Update
Following a similar pattern to Q2, the street cleansing DSO has continued to meet expectations. Throughout the quarter, the priority of the service has been to address autumnal seasonal fluctuations (specifically the removal of fallen leaves), the timely completion of work requests as well as driving service improvement through regular on the job training focusing on attention to detail. Moving forward, the DSO will be looking to improve its resilience by diversifying staff skills, addressing any recurring process or staffing issues, while continuing to encourage a positive working ethos of ownership and accountability. The Biffa collection contract has experienced notable challenges over the last period arising from changes to local management coinciding with minor amendments to round configurations. While this has led to short periods of increased missed collections, and in a limited number of cases a delay in service provision, overall the contract is operating within acceptable parameters. Officers are working closely with Biffa management to resolve the aforementioned operational issues with the aim of improving overall service standards.

Q4 Update
Throughout quarter 4, performance within the service has been largely positive. During this timeframe the DSO has been focusing on service refinements, paying particular attention to reoccurring issues that are either raised by members of the public or highlighted through service monitoring, as well as improving the attention to detail shown by staff. At the end of March, White Young and Green (WYG) carried out the second NI195 street cleansing inspection since the service went live. Overall the results were extremely positive, with the service achieving the lowest score for litter during this time of year for nearly 10 years. Combining all of the NI195 results for the year has demonstrated that street cleansing has achieved its overall target.

During the same time period the Biffa contract has continued to settle. Of particular note is the appointment of a new local operations manager. Bringing to the service considerable experience, it is expected that the new manager will be able to address the small number of issues that are still present on the contract (for example, repeat missed collections). That said, the overall performance of the contract is good and continues to operate as expected.

Modernisation and digital efficiencies

(Corporate Plan reference: Key programmes of work 19/20 no. 2)

2019/20 Milestones

Q1

• Implement Housing Options triage for self-service and work with support and advice agencies to maximise usage. Currently the CCC handles circa 100 housing assessments and circa 50 housing register applications per month. (The introduction of the Housing Options triage will enable self-service assessments and registrations and it is anticipated this will handle 80% of these transactions over time)
• Review of existing on-line transactions and identify 'quick wins' to increase take up including improvements to web information and automated telephone services.
• Train new digital first officers in Business Process Mapping and form building
• Identify potential forms being completing mini service reviews of the 13 service areas
• Prioritisation of the already identified 66 forms and the additional from the13 service areas for transferring online
• Complete the migration of previously agreed priorities: DSO; implementation of Information@work; X-Pay; Beach Huts and Chalet's; NHS Clinical Form; Temporary events notices.
  

Q2

• Implementation of new waste services: JWC for bins & DSO for street cleansing - forms and processes go-live and monitored for effectiveness
• Continue to implement prioritised forms as determined based on work in the previous quarter
• Information @Work implementation re-scheduled to Q2 from Q1 due to external IT problems outside of our control.

Q3

• Continue to implement prioritised forms as determined based on work in Q1, however this may be amended due to review of Digital First prioritisation as Digital First Team Leader on maternity leave until August 2020
• Project manage the implementation of hosted Northgate iWorld with Revs and Bens

The following areas have been added for Q3:

• Review and implement the corporate standard, project and programme assessment Rollout Smartsheet to selected service areas and councillors
• Annual beach hut renewals to go live end of Oct 19
• Scope implementation of young people and digital media.
  

Q4

• Continue to implement prioritised forms as determined by review in Q3
• Project manage the implementation of Northgate Citizen Access with Revs and Bens
  

Added for Q4

• Imbed the Corporate Standard project and programme assessment and project toolkit 

2019/20 Measures of success

Q1 (April - Jun)

• Self-service use of housing options triage process. 
• Self-Service use of pest control bookings.
• 'Quick wins' achieved through updates to website content
  

Q2 (July-Sept)

• Increased % of customers self-serving online

Q3 (Oct -Dec)

• Increased % of customers self-serving online. 
• Increased usage of Smartsheet throughout the organisation
• Implementation of Corporate standard project and programme assessment and project toolkit

Q4 (Jan -Mar)

• Increased % of customers self-serving online
• Reduced % missed bin reports (if new JWC improves performance)  
• Street cleansing reports should also reduce (if new DSO improves performance) 
• Corporate standard project and programme assessment and project toolkit being successfully used
• DSO/New waste service six monthly post implementation review.
• Undertake mystery shopping exercise on housing triage in the Contact Centre and Housing Options appointments to assess successful implementation of recommendations from 2018 exercise and any further recommendations. (moved from Q3 to Q4, see Q3 update)

Q1 Update
All Q1 Milestones met (Information@work re-scheduled to Q2 due to circumstances out of our control). The planned implementation of Northgate Citizens Access modules which were originally scheduled for Q2, have now been delayed until 2020/21. Unfortunately, due to an unexpected Oracle upgrade, the Northgate Hosting Service, which was scheduled for 2020/21 has been brought forward. We would need to buy new hardware, ie new servers, in order to carry out the Oracle upgrade. This would mean spending money on hardware which would no longer be required when the Hosting service was introduced next year. As it would not be possible to undertake both the Hosting and self-service modules implementations by the end of November (annual billing preparation commences in December), it was decided that it would be more financially viable to bring forward the Hosting service ahead of the self-service modules.

The Digital First Team leader will be taking maternity leave from November 2019 for up to 9 months. We are developing a contingency plan in Q2

Q2 Update

• Implementation of On-Line only Temporary Event Notices (TENs) has been reprioritised and will be completed later in the year.
• Information @ Work electronic records management system for Revenues & Benefits implemented successfully.
• DSO and JWC implemented successfully and operational as business as usual.
• Scoping for the template of a corporate standard, project and programme assessment started in Q2, review and implementation due Q3.
• Training and induction of Digital First Officers going well and to plan.

Q3 Update

• Continuation of implementation prioritised forms
• Completed the project management of the implementation of hosted Northgate iWorld with Revs and Bens
• Undertake mystery shopping exercise on housing triage in the Contact Centre and Housing Options appointments will be moved to Q4 due to changes with the people who provide the mystery shopping.
• Reviewed the corporate standard, project and programme assessment tool kits ready for pilot roll-out in Q4
• Rolled out Smartsheet to selected service areas and councillors
• Annual beach hut renewals went live end of Oct 19
• Scoped implementation of young people and digital media to review Q4
• Completed mystery shopper on common web tasks and now reviewing feedback.

Q4 Update

• Increased % of customers self-serving online - this has been exceeded to 70% over 65% target - potentially due COVID19 - demonstrating how vital this service is to the council especially at time of crisis and perpetuate behaviour change. 
• Continuation of implementation prioritised forms
• Continuation of development of corporate standard, project and programme assessment tool-kits ready for pilot. Pilots completed and modifications being made for wider roll-out. 
• Implementation of young people and digital media review completed. Pilot project with Housing and Homelessness to be carried out Q1 next year. 
• DSO/Waste review postponed.
  o Work on COVID 19 Activities undertaken:
  o Establish CRM System for Community Hub
  o Establish Small Business Grants system
  o Establish Temporary Accommodation Payments system

Homelessness and disadvantage

(Corporate Plan reference: Key programmes of work 19/20 no. 3)

2019/20 Milestones

• Homelessness Review completed and new Housing and Homelessness Strategy adopted.
• Services for rough sleepers expanded through the Rough Sleeping Initiative and the Rapid Rehousing Pathway.
• New model for the Social Lettings Agency implemented, to reflect the updated business case. 
• A minimum of 9 units of temporary accommodation acquired using the capital funding allocated by Cabinet in October 2018.
• Review of working practices following the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act completed. This includes the launch of a new online Housing Options triage process and the introduction of home visits by the Housing Options team.
• Target to resettle 100 families in Hastings through the Syrian Resettlement Programme met.
• Explore funding opportunities through the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government's Accessing the Private Rented funding stream and the CHART programme to provide additional support for households living in temporary accommodation to secure long-term housing solutions.
  

2019/20 Measures of success

Q1 (April - Jun)

• New model for the Social Lettings Agency implemented.
• Rapid rehousing pathway launched.
• Second year of the Rough Sleeping Initiative launched.
• Housing Options online triage process and home visits launched.
• Target for the Syrian Resettlement Programme met.

Q2 (July-Sept)

• Homelessness review completed and strategy development focus groups held with partners.
• Draft Housing and Homelessness Strategy out for public consultation.
• Capital funding for the acquisition of temporary accommodation fully committed.

Q3 (Sept -Nov)

•  Housing and Homelessness Strategy adopted.

Q4 (Dec -Feb)

• Annual review of the Social Lettings Agency business case completed.
• Alternative funding options to continue the objectives of the Rough Sleeping Initiative and Rapid Rehousing Pathway explored with partners.
• Housing and Support Services Group re-convened to oversee the implementation of the Housing and Homelessness Strategy Action Plan.

Q1 Update

• A new model for the Social Lettings Agency is currently being developed. The purpose of the model will be to provide an alternative to traditional emergency accommodation and also management services for council-owned temporary accommodation and some properties owned by Hastings Housing Company. A full report is due to be submitted to Cabinet in September.
• The Rapid Rehousing Pathway was launched at the end of April. The project works with rough sleepers with low / medium level support needs, and people at high risk of rough sleeping, to improve access to long term accommodation. The team will then provide ongoing tenancy sustainment support to minimise the risk of individuals returning to rough sleeping in the future.
• The second year of the Rough Sleeping Initiative launched in April. The project aims to improve access to statutory services, temporary accommodation and long term housing solutions for entrenched rough sleepers. A total of 4 new Housing First tenancies were created in quarter 1 in Hastings, and ongoing support will be provided by a multi-disciplinary team of health, mental health, social care, substance misuse and housing professionals working alongside the Seaview Project. The project is also continuing to provide temporary accommodation, with dedicated support, for rough sleepers leaving the streets.
• Housing Options online triage process was launched in April. We will continue to monitor take-up of the new online service and carry out additional training with partners, if needed. The introduction of home visits has been delayed until later in the year, while vacancies within the housing options team are filled. The council has also launched a new online application process to join the housing register.
• A further two placements through the Syrian Resettlement Programme are due in quarter 2. We will then have met out target to resettle 100 individuals in Hastings through the project.

Q2 Update

The council's draft homelessness and rough sleeping strategy, and homelessness review, was published for consultation in September. The consultation will run until 25 October 2019. The draft strategy will then be updated to reflect feedback from the consultation before being presented to council for adoption in December.

The council completed its final acquisition of temporary accommodation in September. The council has acquired a total of 17 units of accommodation, using the capital funding allocated by Cabinet in October 2018.

An updated business case for the Social Lettings Agency was presented to Cabinet in October. The business case will recommend expanding the private sector leasing scheme and carrying out further capital investment in council-owned temporary accommodation, in response to the growing
demand for emergency accommodation.

In quarter 2, the council also begun a review of its allocation scheme for social housing and update draft scheme is due to be considered in spring 2020.

Q3 Update
The consultation on the council's Homelessness Review and draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy came to an end on 25 October 2019. The draft strategy was revised as a result before being adopted by Full Council in December 2019.

Hastings Borough Council led a successful bid worth £1,500,000, in partnership with the 4 local authorities in East Sussex and the county council, to continue our work to reduce rough sleeping. The aim of the project is to improve access to health, mental health, substance dependency, social care and housing services for rough sleepers. We have also created a new accommodation pathway of temporary and long term housing solutions, including new housing first units. Over the past 18 months,104 people have been supported with temporary accommodation and 91 people have been supported with long term housing through the projects across East Sussex. In Hastings, the number of people rough sleeping on a typical night has fallen from 48 in November 2018 to around 14 in January 2020.

The new business case for the Social Lettings Agency is being implemented by the team, including expanding the private sector leasing scheme and identifying suitable
properties for a second phase of investment in emergency accommodation.

A total of 19 units secured for temporary accommodation through the capital programme as of January 2020.

The new triage system was successfully introduced in Q2 A total of 242 people have been assisted through the Syrian Refugee programme in East Sussex. In Hastings, the project exceeded its target by resettling 102 individuals. The programme is being extended for a further 12 months, with a target to resettle a further 20 individuals in Hastings during that time.

The government has confirmed the council will continue to receive Flexible Homelessness Support Grant and a new Homelessness Reduction Act Grant in 2020/21. The grants are used to support the council's homelessness prevention activities and improve access to accommodation for homeless households through our social lettings agency and landlord incentive schemes. The council has also secured additional funding through the Connecting Hastings and Rother Together (CHART) programme, for a new project to improve access to specialist employment and tenancy readiness training for homeless households.

Q4 Update
External audit of the Social Lettings Agency working practices was completed. Recommendations and management action will be reported to the Audit Committee later this year.

Hastings Borough Council lead a successful bid on behalf of the housing authorities in East Sussex to continue the Rough Sleeping Initiative and Rapid Rehousing Pathway for a further year.  The priority for the projects is to reduce the number of people rough sleeping as quickly as possible, and additional funding has been secured to enhance outreach services and provide additional temporary accommodation. We are continuing to work with partners through the project to improve access to support services, particularly substance dependency and mental health for former rough sleepers.

The council's new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy was adopted in December. The Housing and Support Services Group met in January to begin developing an action plan for each of the priorities. Over the next year, we will also be developing strategies to increase supply of accommodation and improve the quality of housing.

Income Generation (Energy Generation and Hastings Housing Company Ltd. & Commercial property purchases)

(Corporate Plan reference: Key programmes of work 19/20 no. 4)

2019/20 Milestones

• Refresh the Income Generation Strategy.
• Revise the Housing Company Business Plan

Energy

• Consider detailed business case for ground mounted solar arrays.
• Develop alternative transaction models following the withdrawal of the Feed in Tariff.
• Review plans for rooftop solar projects and commence installations.
• Consider the potential for development of car park PV installation.

Hastings Housing Company Ltd

• Reappraise the existing financial models underpinning the current business plan.
• Approve a revised business plan for 19/20 and 20/21.
• Continue to invest in residential property in accordance with the Hastings Housing Company business plan.

Commercial property purchases

• To be considered in line with the Medium-Term Financial Strategy in September

2019/20 Measures of success

Q1 (April - Jun)

Energy

• Solar farm key studies undertaken, formal consultation with Natural England moved to Q2
• Initial planning and feasibility review of proposed sites (including planning considerations, technical constraints such as topography, buffer zones) to identify the land which would merit further detailed investigation. 
• Consult with UKPN to clarify potential local grid connection capacity 
• Desk top analysis of car park canopy solar array

HHC Ltd.

• £1.2m invested in housing

Q2 (July-Sept)

Energy

• Report to cabinet outlining Natural England's formal response. Move to Q4 
• Solar farm key studies commissioned and underway
• Car park Canopy solar arrays report to cabinet to progress to feasibility, if desktop analysis is viable. 
• Solar canopy feasibility study commissioned

HHC Ltd.

• £1.2m invested in housing

Q3 (Oct -Dec)

Energy

• Solar farm -key studies undertaken, evaluation of findings summarised and formal consultation with Natural England via the Discretionary Advice Service (DAS) 
• Feasibility study for solar car port study 
• Solar farm business case is developed and considered at cabinet. - including transaction models. Move to 2020/21
• Procure roof top/car park solar installer, should alternative transaction model and feasibility of car park solar show viability move to 2020/21

HHC Ltd.

• £1.2m invested in housing
• 2020/21 business plan approved
  

Q4 (Jan -Mar)

Energy

• Report to Cabinet outlining Natural England's formal response - may extend into Q1 2020/21
• Report on findings to Cabinet of solar canopy research 
• If approved submit planning application for solar farms move to 2020/21
• Resume installing roof top solar. Move to 2020/21
• Proceed to planning for Car park solar move to 2020/21

HHC Ltd.

• £1.2m invested in housing
• Business case approved

Q1 Update
Energy:
Ground mounted Solar project. Site surveys completed. Awaiting UK Power Networks Budget Quote to identify the potential location for Solar arrays. This will dictate location of studies needed to be undertaken to inform the formal advice process for Natural England. Project therefore delayed by 1 quarter. Hastings Country Park Management and HBC councillor briefing tours conducted.
Solar Car Port: Desk top analysis completed. 1st Tranche of car parks for more complete analysis being identified. (More in-depth analysis will inform next steps and cabinet report timeline).
Potential external funding opportunity: The South East Local Enterprise Partnership have launched a European Regional Development Fund call based on low carbon economy. Officers are exploring the 'fit' of the call to council ambitions.
Hastings Housing Company Ltd:
1. The company has so far acquired a total of 63 units of accommodation at a cost of £5,494,363. Details are set out in the Income generation report to Cabinet of 8 July 2019.
2. 2. Whilst good progress has been made it has been slower than originally anticipated .The assumptions within the original HHC business now require review in the light of experience to date. The key challenge being less favourable lending conditions now imposed on the company as a result of Government guidance on prudential borrowing. Additionally
3. The company has also struggled to find suitably conditioned properties for sale on the open market at a price that produces a level of return anticipated in the original plan.
4. At the same time, the current crisis in homelessness and temporary accommodation use has meant a change of emphasis in terms of housing supply priorities. In October 2018 the council agreed a programme of acquisition of temporary accommodation in order to meet its legal obligations and offset the huge costs involved in accommodating households in bed and breakfast accommodation. This is primary focus of the Housing Acquisition Team at present.
5. Acquisitions by Hastings Housing Company (HHC)

Acquisitions by Hastings Housing Company

Address	Description	Date of Completion
Waldegrave Street	13 Room HMO	12 March 18
Nelson Road	1 x self-contained 1 bedroom flat 1 x self-contained 2 bedroom flat 1 x 3 room HMO	19 February 19
Claremont, Cambridge Road, Cambridge Road, Cambridge Road, Sedlescombe Road	Portfolio of mixed commercial and residential HMOs. 45 rooms in total.	17 June 19

Commercial Property Purchases:
The Council acquired Lacuna Place in March 2019, which has an undeveloped unit on the ground floor. The options for this unit are being explored. 

Opportunities for commercial property purchases will continue to be considered by Cabinet on an individual basis. 

A revised Capital Strategy is being produced for consideration in September in conjunction with the Medium-Term Financial Strategy.  Any additional substantial investments may well necessitate a revision to the Treasury Management Strategy (which would need to be agreed by full Council).  It should be noted that long awaited "guidance" on commercial property purchases and overall borrowing levels for Councils is expected over the summer.

Q1 Update
Basic scope, EPISTEL, options analysis and business case, along with outline blueprint and operational drivers have been drafted in line with the council's project management approach, once agreed during quarter two these can be shared.

The Executive has agreed a business case to undertake a Decision Making Accountability review, led by the Local Government Association (LGA).  This will be completed during quarter 2 and will engage staff at all levels through a programme of communication and interviews with approx. 45 staff.  The outcome will feed into the parallel discussions on identifying savings options for the 2020/21 budget and the final shape of the Organisational Blueprint.  All staff meetings have been scheduled across the year and during the all staff meeting in Q1 the intentions to engage staff in working towards a future operational model (blueprint) was highlighted by the Director of Corporate Resources.

The main risk with this work has been the parallel challenge of addressing the budget deficit.

Q1 Update

• Mapping of actions to respond to climate motion is ongoing, including review of sustainable procurement policy with East Sussex colleagues and the procurement Hub, developing the ideas for sustainable energy generation (for example, Ground Mounted Solar)
• Review of the climate policy has started
• Local authority data for 2017 has been published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and is being reviewed
• Work is continuing to address Single use plastics (SUP) including development of a marine litter campaign, auditing Council offices and influencing local events use of SUP (for example, Mid-summer fish festival)

Q2 Update
Energy Generation

Ground mounted solar project
Following initial site surveys, 4 sites have been identified for the potential installation of ground mounted solar. (3 in the country park and one at upper wilting farm) Four studies have been commissioned to inform the application to Natural England's (NE) Discretionary Advice Service, namely

Agriculture land Assessment, Heritage survey, Ecology Survey and Landscape & Visual impact survey.
The Councils consultants, Public Power Solutions will summarise the findings from the studies and complete the DAS application to Natural England (NE) by the end of November. NE will have 15 days to confirm whether the application is eligible for DAS and if so, agree and confirm the scope, timescales and delivery method of the Initial Advice. This initial advice Is expected in Q3.

Solar Car Port In depth analysis is underway of a number of the Councils industrial estate car parks to establish the viability of these sites. Research is underway to understand the energy needs of the business near the proposed sites and the potential generation of Solar power.

Hastings Housing Company Ltd:
A project team are currently working with the HHC board to review the governance arrangements and business plan for the company to reflect the latest CIPFA guidance. In the meantime, £2,500,000 worth of capital funding, which had been earmarked for HHC to invest, has been reallocated for the council to purchase further units of temporary
accommodation.

Commercial Property
Evaluation has been undertaken on a number of potential commercial property opportunities which would lead to the economic development of the town, keep it attractive to businesses, diversify the property portfolio and could provide the Council with an additional long term income stream. Two of these opportunities are being progressed in line with the Cabinet decision of 4 November 2019.

Q3 Update
Energy Generation

Ground Mounted Solar Project
The key studies for each of the proposed solar farm sites have been completed and reviewed. Of the four proposed sites, two sites have been discounted for further development at the moment due to their proximity to potential WW2 aircraft crash sites. To further investigate these sites a licence from the MOD will be required.

Formal Consultation with Natural England via the Discretionary Advice Service (DAS) has been requested and we are awaiting for NE quotation regarding the costs and expected timeframe for them to analyse the DAS application.

Solar Car Port
The feasibility work to understand the potential for solar car ports on the Councils industrial estate car parks has completed. There is potential to install solar car ports on some of the Councils industrial estates car parks where roof top solar is not an option due to existing roof structures, subject to further energy data analysis with individual businesses and a ground condition survey at some sites.

Hastings Housing Company Ltd.
A project team are continuing their work with the HHC board to review the governance arrangements and will be reviewing the business plan for the company to reflect the latest CIPFA guidance and the Councils overall capital expenditure programme. No further acquisitions are anticipated in 2019/20.

Commercial Property Purchases

Further commercial property investment opportunities were identified and are being evaluated. The purchase of 26-28 London Road and 35 Shepherd Street was agreed by Cabinet on 4 November and has proceeded to completion.

Q4 Update
Hastings Housing Company Ltd

A project board has completed a review of the governance arrangements for Hastings Housing Company (HHC).  The project board will also support the development of a new business case for HHC, as part of the council's broader capital programme.

Due to the rising demand for emergency accommodation as part of our statutory homelessness duties, the council has prioritised investment in its own emergency accommodation units. In October 2019, Cabinet re-profiled £2,575,000 worth of capital funding (which had originally been allocated to HHC) for a second phase of investment in emergency accommodation.  By year-end, the council had successfully completed the purchase of 4 properties, with a further 4 properties under offer. As lockdown measures are eased, the council will continue with due diligence for these purchases and identify suitable properties with the remaining capital funding.

Commercial Property Purchases

Further commercial property investment opportunities were identified and are being evaluated. The purchase of 26-28 London Road and 35 Shepherd Street was agreed by Cabinet on 4 November and has proceeded to completion.

Energy Generation

Ground Mounted Solar Project
The key studies for each of the proposed solar farm sites have been completed and reviewed. Of the four proposed sites, two sites have been discounted for further development due to their proximity to potential WW2 aircraft crash sites. To further investigate these sites a licence from the MOD will be required.

Formal Consultation with Natural England via the Discretionary Advice Service (DAS) was requested in November 2019; the report in response to the DAS was received after yearend.
 
Solar Car Port
The feasibility work to understand the potential for solar car ports on the Councils industrial estate car parks has completed. There is potential to install solar car ports on some of the Councils industrial estates car parks where roof top solar is not an option due to existing roof structures, subject to further energy data analysis with individual businesses and a ground condition survey at some sites. 
 

Developing the Town

(Corporate Plan reference: Key programmes of work 19/20 no. 5)

2019/20 Milestones

Progress development linked to key sites:

• Bulverhythe Housing Development  
• Harrow Lane Playing Fields 
• Tilekiln 
• Pilot Field
• Bohemia (including Travelodge and Summerfields site) - early stage work
• West Marina 
• Land rear of 419-477 Bexhill Road 
• Mayfield E
• Hastings Town Centre Sites  
• Country Park Visitors Centre

Policy development:

• Commencement of Local Plan Review

2019/20 Measures of success 

• Public consultations held to obtain local input into housing and layout designs for Bulverhythe Housing Development
• Full planning application submitted for Bulverhythe Housing Development1
• Delivery model for Harrow Lane agreed
• Tilekiln & Pilot Field - Heads of terms agreement and outline planning work completed in line with agreed business plan
• Outline planning application submitted for Travelodge site
• Bohemia leisure and cultural feasibility study completed
• Agreement with West Marina developers finalised
• Outline planning permission for Bexhill Road and Mayfield E granted 
• Future High Streets Fund Expression of Interest submitted
• Country Park Visitors Centre build completed 
• Public consultation of draft Local Plan review
  

Q2 Update

• Two public consultation events held for Bulverhythe Housing Development. A further public consultation to be held on 31st October.
• Planning permission granted for Harrow Lane.
• Section 106 Agreement drafted for Land rear of 419-477 Bexhill Road; due to complete Q3.
• Bohemia Masterplan Delivery Programme:
  Leisure and Cultural Centres Options Appraisal - consultant preparing to present final business case and report to officers and members in November. Recommendations to be presented at Cabinet in December.
  -Feasibility study and site housing valuations underway for potential re-location of ambulance station; due for completion December.
  -Discussions ongoing for potential development of Travelodge site (hotel & housing provision).
  -Legal agreements for West Marina drafted and round table meetings arranged to progress these
• Mayfield E Pre-Application Forum scheduled for October.
• Country Park Visitors Centre: Excavations, site levelling, drainage, foundations, slab, plinth, wall and roof timbers have been completed. Final roof timbers are scheduled for October. It is anticipated straw construction will commence at the end of October/beginning of November.
• A number of evidence based studies underway to inform the Local Plan update.
• Updated timeline for Local Plan Update confirmed.
• Memorandum of Understanding with Rother District Council drafted pending final signature.

Q3 Update

• A public consultation event was held on 31st October to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to view and comment on emerging proposals for the Bulverhythe Housing Development.
• The planning pre-application forum for the Bulverhythe Housing Development rescheduled to 13th January 2020 due to the pre-election period. Submission of a planning application is now scheduled for May / June 2020.
• Developers have submitted a planning pre-application linked to Pilot Field and Tilekiln. Discussions between officers and developers are ongoing regarding their plans to bring forward development.
• Bohemia Masterplan Delivery Programme:
• Leisure and Cultural Centres Options Appraisal - final business case and recommendations to be presented to Cabinet in January 2020
• Working with SECAmb to look at provision of a new Make Ready Centre
• Discussions ongoing for potential development of Travelodge site (hotel & housing provision)
• Legal agreements for West Marina are very near finalisation.
• Outline planning application granted for land rear of 419-447 Bexhill Road.
• Outline planning application to be submitted for Mayfield E in Q4.
• Report will go to Cabinet in January 2020 setting out proposed activities to develop a town investment plan and responding to the government's town fund initiative. The objective is to produce a proposal to the government by end of summer 2021 to negotiate and agree on a 'Deal' for the town to deliver jobs and inclusive growth.
• Country Park Visitors Centre: The straw walls are now complete and being rendered and the roof installed. Services are installed and building works are continuing. Project updates continue to be posted on social media.

Local Plan Review:

• The evidence base continues to be developed with the first stage of evidence informing the plan becoming available in early 2020  
• Officers are working jointly with Rother District Council on the Sustainability Appraisal scoping report
• Focused engagement with local stakeholders is scheduled in January 2020

Q4 Update

• The planning pre-application forum for the Bulverhythe Housing Development took place on 13th January 2020 Submission of a planning application is scheduled for June 2020.
• An outline planning application for Mayfield E was submitted in Q4 2019/20. 
• Legal agreements for West Marina are still being progressed.

January cabinet agreed in principle to provide a new leisure centre and leisure water and primary entertainment centre on the Bohemia site, significantly improving on the town's current leisure and cultural offer, with provision for adding an arts centre if capital and revenue funding can be obtained; £100 000 to be set aside to commission detailed site and topographical surveys of the land, to inform and de-risk the next stage of the work; and a report be brought back to cabinet in autumn 2020 reporting on the outcome of the site surveys, recommending a location for the new leisure and entertainment centre, with provision for an arts centre, which would also take into account the potential value of investing in housing elsewhere on the site. This would consider alternative models for financing the work and include a funding/partnership/investment strategy. NB Work currently paused due to Covid-19

Work at the new visitor centre at the country park has had to pause due to the pandemic. The construction will begin again when safe to do so and it is anticipated it will be complete by late summer 2020.  We continue to work with Groundwork Trust, our Interreg partners to develop plans for the long-term management of the centre.  The centre was highlighted by Interreg on their European web site as an example of an innovative low carbon, sustainable public building.

Organisational blueprint

(Corporate Plan reference: Key programmes of work 19/20 no. 6)

2019/20 Milestones

• Blueprint project documents, governance arrangements, work packages agreed, and programme commenced (Q 1)
• Engagement with Cllrs, ADs, Senior Managers, Staff and Trade Unions to input to SWOT, ideas and considerations to be addressed (Q 1 & 2)
• Subject to satisfactory review and business case apply Decision Making Accountability (DMA) model to management arrangements at HBC to identify optimal structure and working arrangements 
• Draft blueprint and if applicable business case for changes developed for approval by Executive (Q3)
• Blueprint agreed and used to inform 2020/21 corporate plan and budget development. (Q3 & 4)

2019/20 Measures of success

Q1 (April - Jun) Interim blueprint programme documents for future council approved by Executive to include work packages to define:  what the council will and won't do in the future and when; what shape the council will be; why we need to change and the associated benefits for our customers.

Q2 (July-Sept) Engagement programme undertaken and potential DMA work

Q3 (Sept-Nov) Options and benefits for future council identified, assessed, risks clarified and mitigated, preferred option and business case approved - how the council will arrive at future states and steps to be taken to get there and how resources will be allocated to meet our must do commitments first.

Q4 (Dec-Feb) Phase one benefits realised and blueprint reviewed and refreshed.

Q2 Update
A cross section of c50 staff has been interviewed as part of the Local Government Association's DMA review to provide an independent/critical friend review of HBC management layers, structures and working practices. A report will be submitted to the Leadership who will use it to inform
decisions about the future blueprint, structures and budget decisions. The draft blueprint will be used to inform the draft budget and corporate plan to be published together in January. Parallel survey work has also been undertaken with service managers to identify common functions across service areas to inform decisions about how work may be better clustered.

Q3 Update
The leadership team have received the DMA report and continue to make use of the findings to inform difficult and challenging budget reductions. The recent general election, Brexit preparation and Christmas have caused a delay to restructuring work and budget preparation and the government settlement has further strained the process. Nevertheless, a draft corporate plan and budget have been developed identifying significant challenges and propose circa 30 FTE redundancies. Councillors have yet to decide final senior management structure or approach to selection. Once decided it will then be appropriate to revisit blueprint work to set the future direction of travel for the organisation in line with a new chief officer team.

Q4 Update
Just before the onset of COVID 19 a new Managing Director post was appointed.  The full weight of COVID 19 then hit. Hastings Borough Council and staff resources were quickly refocussed to respond to the first wave of this crisis, setting up the Community hub and disseminating business grants to meet local need.  Hastings Borough Council has also had to rapidly scale up its online capacity and capability.  Hastings Borough Council is now in a position where the bulk of staff are working from home and much council business can be realised through remote working arrangements.  An organisational blueprint now needs to be recast and coincide with Hastings Borough Council's developing COVID 19 realignment and recovery plans.  The implementation of such a blueprint will need to reconcile an even more challenging budget position, to ensure Hastings Borough Council can 'survive and thrive' in line with corporate plan commitments.  This will require: a renewed budget and corporate plan position and priorities; further reducing, reconfiguring and realigning staff resources; and, yet more difficult and unpalatable decisions on services that we must stop, pause or cannot restart/recover.  
 

Tackling Climate Change

(Corporate Plan reference: Key programmes of work 19/20 no. 7)

2019/20 Milestones

• Map associated activity to clarify council work in this area - our 'as is' position. 
• Review the extent to which this meets the above responsibilities.
• Agree a plan setting out Year 1 activities towards meeting these responsibilities confirming resource implications and governance arrangements. 
• Engage and communicate both with staff, partners and the community to embed shared responsibilities and optimise division of labour to collectively 'tackle climate change' in line with the council's emerging organisational blueprint. 
• Review proposed and developing infrastructure projects (for example, housing, Bohemia area, Future high street) - to determine how climate considerations can be designed and integrated into these projects to ensure they contribute to make Hastings carbon neutral by 2030 (Q1- Q2)
• Draft climate policy for approval by executive & Cabinet (Q3) 
• Business case for ground mounted solar developed and if approved seek planning permission (Q2 & Q3)
• Local plan - renewable and low carbon energy policy review Q1-Q3) 

2019/20 Measures of success

Q1 (April - June)

• Map and review work to date against responsibilities set in the February motion completed.
• Climate policy review started 
• Greenhouse emission data gathered and appropriate terms such as 'climate neutral' agreed by executive and communicated accordingly. 
• Climate change working group (subject to Scrutiny approval as per the February motion) established. 
• Single Use Plastics Q1 actions completed subject to confirmation of resource allocation (May 2018).
  

Q2 (July-Sept)

• Process to scrutinise Council policies and actions to take account of climate change integrated into performance management arrangements.
• Climate policy review completed and associated policy development underway with LSP partners.
• New renewable and low carbon policy(s) for local plan policy review developed
• Single Use Plastics Q2 actions completed
  

Q3 (Oct - Dec)

• Carbon neutral/climate change strategy and plan agreed by October 2019. (moved to Q4)
• Solar farm business case presented to Cabinet
• Planning application developed and submitted if planning approval - subject to input from Natural England 
• Revised draft local plan including updated climate and sustainable energy policies where required (for example, site allocation for on shore wind turbines) published.
• Single Use Plastics Q3 actions completed. 

Q4 (Jan - March)

• A short Carbon neutral/climate change draft interim strategy and plan agreed by end January for consultation. (moved from Q3)
• Proposed Planning process underway for GM Solar project 
• Resume installing roof top solar programme (as per Income gen strategy)
• Single Use Plastics Q4 actions completed. 
• NB - Quarterly activity set out above maps and overlaps with activity underway across the council, these maybe further amended or become 'exclusions' and 'dependencies' as the scoping work and project documentation is firmed up and implementation roles out.

Q2 Update

• Mapping of actions to respond to climate motion is ongoing.
• Draft Memo of Cooperation developed with local energy cooperative to support collaboration with community and council led energy projects.
• Begun work with specialist contractors to review and develop renewable and low carbon policies for the local plan.
• Worked with the Councils renewable energy consultants to commission the four studies needed to inform the ground mounted solar project, and apply to natural England for their advice.
• Worked to develop a South East Local Enterprise Partnership European Regional Development Fund expression of interest bid to fund a housing retrofit project.
• Continued the work to reduce the use of single use plastics - including the launch of a summer marine litter campaign and the introduction of new sea front and beach litter bins.

Q3 Update

• Continued to work with the Councils renewable energy consultants to complete the four studies needed to inform the ground mounted solar project. Following this work, of the four sites being considered, two have now been discounted. An application was submitted to Natural England's Discretionary Advice Service for the remaining two sites; the timetable and associated costs for this service are expected early in the New Year.
• Continued working with specialist contractors to review and develop revised renewable and low carbon policies for the local plan. This work includes a detailed analysis of the towns carbon emissions which will inform the interim climate change strategy
• Began the work to develop an interim draft climate change strategy by the end of January 2020
• Completed the FLAG funded Marine Litter Project and drafted a Single Use Plastics Policy for the Council
• The Energy Development and Delivery Project Manager started in post 2nd December 2019

Q4 Update

• A Carbon Zero Report was commissioned for the Bulverhythe Housing Development.  The report sets out measures which can be implemented, such as modular construction, air source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels, to achieve a carbon zero scheme.  The feasibility of these works will be considered alongside an up to date assessment of the scheme's viability at the end of June 2020.
• The draft interim Climate Emergency Strategy and Action Plan was agreed by Cabinet in March 2020, following internal consultation.