Observer column 25 October 2024

The balancing act

This week's column has been written by Cllr Glenn Haffenden, deputy leader of Hastings Borough Council.

Every year Hastings Borough Council must decide its fees and charges for the coming year. There are many charges for different services: parking, cremations, planning applications, taxi licenses, garden waste collections, and many more.

It's tricky. Your council earns over £7m a year from this revenue. Given the difficult state of council finances, caused largely by the costs of temporary accommodation for people that are homeless. The council needs all the income it can generate to continue to deliver essential services in light of reducing central government funding.

On the other hand, these fees have an upper limit, and many rose significantly last year. We've seen clear evidence of what happens when this limit is breached from the recent decline in the number of funerals taking place at Hastings Crematorium, where charges have risen too sharply. Local funeral directors are going elsewhere, even if this meant driving miles. We're reviewing the fees at the crematorium.

We are proposing to freeze parking charges, Hastings depends on its tourist trade, and we don't want to discourage visitors. Two of the largest sources of parking income are the car parks at Pelham Beach and Rock-a-Nore, both of which belong to the Foreshore Trust. The Trust uses the income to maintain the seafront (a demanding responsibility as climate change increases turbulent weather) and to give grants to local non-profit organisations.

Every year, the cabinet reviews in considerable detail the proposals prepared by officers across the council. There is no such short cut as 'inflation plus x'. Every charge is weighed thoughtfully. It's not a question of simply charging what the market will bear: the council is providing services to the people of the town, and we are keenly aware not only of the cost of doing so, but also of the impact on the local population if we ratchet the charges up too far. As an obvious everyday example: there is a collection charge for bulky waste, which covers up to three items. Given the scale of fly tipping which plagues Hastings, will the problem be reduced if we cut this charge? But if we do so, how will we pay for our waste services?

This kind of balancing act is a major part of being a sensible and responsive council. Another example: the much-debated dog control Public Space Protection Order. Should dogs be allowed in summer on Stade beach and Rock-a-Nore beach? This issue has aroused passions on both sides. We promised a fresh consultation, which generated a whopping 2,800 responses, many quite polarised. Now we have to make a decision.

Both fees and charges, and the dog control PSPO, come to cabinet on 4 November 6pm at Muriel Matters House. It's an open public meeting, where the first 30 minutes are given over to questions from members of the public. Come along and have your say.