Recovery themes and actions

In response to the first wave of COVID-19 the following recovery themes and actions below were approved. You can review the full document and covering report.

1. Securing the council's finances

The council will:

• Closely monitor and update budget impact analysis and regularly update Cabinet.
• Lobby government to ensure that Hastings Council - and local government more widely - is fully compensated for the financial impacts of COVID-19.
• Conduct a corporate review of all 2020-21 revenue budgets to identify areas for immediately reducing in-year expenditure through additional controls on nonessential spend and recruitment. 
• Review the capital programme to ensure that the schemes still reflect the council's current priorities and that these are affordable in the new financial landscape.
• Update the council's Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), to understand the short to medium implications for savings requirements and use of reserves.
• Commence the process for setting the revised budget for 2021/22 and budget for 2021/22 in line with the reduced resources available in future years as identified in the MTFS (Cabinet meeting - 5 October 2020)

2: Modernising the council; reimagining local services

Implement changes to the internal layout and other safety measures within Muriel Matters House and other council buildings to support social distancing as more staff return to the office when it is appropriate to do so, with a risk assessment of the building carried out and unions engaged.

• Continue to allow staff to work from home where possible, striking a balance between home and safe office-based working and allowing flexibility for staff.
• Take forward an organisation wide review of service delivery, to look at reimagining how services are delivered in future where equalities and environmental impact considerations are at the heart of our review, and recast service plans in the light of this service review, 
• Review the decisions that have been taken as part of the crisis response to stop, start or amend service delivery - and the experience of working in different ways - to consider lessons learned and apply them to services over the longer term. 
• Use insight from citizens interactions with us combined with our ongoing communications with partners and residents to inform how we reshape council activities and those we undertake with our partners.
• Take the appropriate steps to ensure the council is EU-exit ready

3: Supporting the most vulnerable

Work proactively to develop a sustainable approach to tackling homelessness in the town.

• Integrate homelessness services with other support for vulnerable people, including the launch of our CHART-funded project Live, Work, Thrive.
• Continue to manage our use of emergency accommodation as cost effectively as possible, through the expansion of the Social Lettings Agency's private sector leasing scheme, capital investment in our own accommodation and alternative booking arrangements. 
• Develop a bid to the government's Next Steps Accommodation Programme, to expand accommodation options for individuals with multiple and complex needs. 
• Adopt a new Housing Strategy and review key policy documents, including the Social Housing Allocation scheme
• Mainstream Community Hub first line response activity to be delivered via the council's Community Contact Centre. 
• Implement new self-service modules for revenues and benefits. 
• Maintain our website to provide services, support, advice and guidance and enable online access to our key committee meetings.
• Robust plans with partners (local and pan Sussex) in readiness for further outbreaks 
• Start delivery of the CHART programme from September 2020 now that some easement in the lock down and 121 contact has been made possible.

4. Business and the local economy

• Work with partners such as Hastings Business Improvement Bid (BID) and East Sussex County Council (ESCC) to support, review and implement appropriate COVID-19 safe measures in the town centre and other secondary retail areas to support social distancing and confidence in safe movement for customers and staff.
• Use licensing powers to support businesses - particularly those in the hospitality sector - where appropriate to vary the use of outside space, whilst ensuring that people with disabilities can move around the town safely. 
• Pursue a holistic approach to reducing the incidence of antisocial behaviour exhibited by some of the street community, working with partners to address their addiction issues and robustly enforce where behaviour is anti-social or criminal.
• Continue to identify opportunities to promote sustainable travel in the town - with a focus on walking, cycling and other forms of sustainable travel as appropriate. 
•  Engage with business, representative groups and relevant public authorities, and monitor relevant data sources and emerging national and local analysis, to understand the challenges facing businesses and the wider economic impact. 
• Reach out to as many groups and individuals covered by the Equalities Act 2010 Protected characteristics to maximise the opportunities for their contribution to developing, implementing and monitoring such a Plan.
• Work in partnership to develop appropriate solutions to the challenges identified, including through our planning, licensing and enforcement functions and by working with partners on issues including skills and pathways to work. 
• Consider how the council's role as an anchor institution can support an inclusive economy through the use of council assets, contractual, recruitment and procurement levers. 
•  Develop and deliver a Town Investment Plan to get access to up to £25m Town Deal funding for investment in the town as well as lever in any further private investment or other government funding streams. 
•  Engage in wider recovery plans with partners including the Local Enterprise Partnership, East Sussex County Council and their emerging Economic Recovery Plan.

5: Housing, regeneration and development

Restart vital housing and licensing inspections to ensure the backlog is cleared.

• Reintroduce services to let homes and reintroduce housing options policies.
• Support people in private sector rented accommodation taking action against sub-standard accommodation. 
• Prepare, submit and implement the Town Investment Plan to maximise up to £25m of investment in the regeneration of Hastings. 
• Make progress on the Hastings Local Plan to put in place a framework to guide development in the town and encourage it to be well designed and genuinely sustainable. o Ensure that infrastructure to support growth is delivered in a timely manner, with delivery of affordable housing maximised, and planning powers used effectively to ensure delivery of priorities. 
• Make the most of its own land holdings and financial capability to maximise rates of housing delivery through exemplary homes that meet the needs of the people of Hastings especially the most vulnerable and those whose job insecurity and low pay mean they are disproportionately affected by the shortage of genuinely affordable housing. The council will review and redevelop a pipeline of sites that can be delivered over the medium to long-term.

6: Tourism, Leisure, culture and heritage

• Keep the Museum open as much as possible and open other attractions where we can afford to do so and arrive at solutions to reduce associated costs and potentially provide these services differently.
• Work with the arts, heritage and culture sector to enable the town's institutions and events to re-open in a safe way when it is appropriate to do so.
• Engage with the sector to understand the issues facing them and seek solutions together, including working with national arts and culture organisations as required.
• Ensure that Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) artists and cultural workers are fully engaged and supported to access opportunities to develop their contributions to the town.
• Continue to work closely with local tourism businesses as the lockdown eases to understand emerging trends and support where we can in terms of COVID-19 resurgence.
• We will collaborate with the sector and other partners to seize the opportunity to reinvigorate our domestic tourism market where capacity and resources allow.
• Re-open the seaside cycle hire hut and support our leisure contractor to operate safe and hygienic leisure facilities
• Operate the Active Hastings programme with activities for all including a school holiday summer programme with health and community safety partners.
• Deliver externally funded Wayfinding project - introducing new and updating outdated visitor signposts across the town centre and seafront, improving opportunities to move around town on foot and by cycle.
• At the appropriate time, work to deliver council run events, including to celebrate the hard work of the town over this period, in line with social distancing requirements.

7: Climate change and the green economy

• Ensure that the council's Climate Emergency Strategy and Action Plan (with input from stakeholders) includes reference to opportunities emerging from the crisis and articulates environmental objectives during the recovery phase.
• Undertake an 'opportunity audit' across the council's activities and assets to identify and prioritise specific opportunities to delivery quantifiable environmental benefits, to supplement the Climate Change Strategy.
• Consider opportunities to further promote sustainable travel in the town.
• Work to ensure that future housing and regeneration schemes are subject to the highest possible environmental standards.
• Consider opportunities to further promote sustainable travel in the town, including DESTI SMART- working with 10 European partners on developing an action plan for sustainable seafront transport options.
• Work to ensure that future housing and regeneration schemes are subject to the highest possible environmental standards.
• Ensure new developments are built to low carbon standards and factor key issues around resilience.
• Restore, protect and rewild and enhance the towns natural spaces to help tackle the climate emergency

8: Harnessing social capital

• Work with residents to understand the level of support needed from the council without imposing unnecessary process and allowing communities to define their own local priorities and responses to local challenges.
• Support the voluntary and community sector in adapting and use its procurement powers and grants based on gaps and need. 
•  Develop communications strategies which both amplify inspiring stories and create two-way conversations to inform council decision making.
• Operate the Active Hastings volunteer 'Spice' project in collaboration with Brighton and Sussex Medical School to bring volunteers together to help communities become healthier and continue the workforce development project to support local sport and physical activity instructors. 
• Working with partners to harness the volunteer spirit shown as a consequence of the initial COVID-19 outbreak to support our most vulnerable and be part of involving these active citizens in making and keeping the town a great and welcoming place for all.