Observer column 18 March 2022

It feels like spring may be here with the better weather we have had recently. We are looking forward to welcoming more visitors to our town, who will be able to enjoy the natural beauty and discover all that we have to offer.

This Sunday, March 20, is the Hastings Half Marathon. There will be road closures in the morning, until around lunchtime to keep the runners safe. Please remember this when you are making plans.

Most residents should have received their council tax bills by post or email by now. At this time of year, the phone lines into the community contact centre are very busy with queries about the bills. Please use our online services if you can and leave the phone lines clear for others who can't access online services.

If you have questions about your bill, the answer is probably within our frequently asked questions webpage. If you have a My Hastings account, you can also check your council tax account there.

Hastings Borough Council receives around 13% of your council tax, around 73% goes to East Sussex County Council, the police get around 10% and the fire service the remaining 4%.

There is also more information on our website about the government's £150 rebate. This is for people whose main home is in council tax bands A to D. Anyone eligible who is signed up to pay their council tax by direct debit will receive it into their bank accounts automatically by the end of May.

If you don't already pay by direct debit, the easiest and quickest way to receive the rebate is by signing up by the end of March.

Anyone who doesn't pay by direct debit but qualifies for the rebate will be contacted by the council when we have received the money from the government. We will need to confirm some information before we can pay you the rebate.

There are local elections coming up in May and over the next few weeks there will be lots of information about what is happening and how to make sure you can have your say.

To vote on the day you must be registered to vote and the deadline for this is noon on 14 April. Visit gov.uk to register. Our social media in the coming weeks will give the important dates and deadlines or you can visit the elections pages on our website to find out more.

The number of cases of COVID-19 remains high in our town, please continue to keep yourself and others safe by social distancing, wearing a face covering and regularly washing your hands. We have heard that hospitals are experiencing difficulty with staff shortages and finding beds quickly for patients who need them so it is important that we do all we can to limit the spread of the virus.

This week has been National Compost Week, and today (Friday March 18) is Global Recycling Day. We work with our grounds maintenance contractor to recycle green waste to turn into compost that can be used in our parks and gardens. Composting is a good way to reuse the waste put into your rubbish bin, and it will benefit your plants and garden at the same time. You can find out more on our website.

Global Recycling Day highlights the importance of everyone recycling what they can to reduce the impact we are having on the planet. The climate emergency is the biggest crisis facing us, and we all need to play our part. Creating a circular economy where goods are reused and recycled helps to protect the world's natural environment. Find out what you can recycle on our website.

Our thoughts remain with the Ukrainian people as the invasion of their country continues and with their family and friends here.