Annual Full Council confirms Mayor and leadership for 2023-24

The Annual Full Council meeting of Hastings Borough Council on Wednesday 24 May confirmed the council's leadership for 2023-24 and the Mayor for the year.

Cllr Paul Barnett and Cllr Maya Evans will continue as leader and deputy leader of the council, with the rest of the Cabinet remaining the same. Cllr Margi O'Callaghan will be Mayor of Hastings with Cllr Heather Bishop her deputy.

Cllr Barnett spoke at the meeting about the council's programme of work for the coming year.

Cllr Barnett said: "The last year has been a year of learning for me as leader. There are many things in society that are not working, but as councillors we cannot give in. We are all here because we care about our town, its people and its economy. Hastings is too important to stop trying.

"I am actually quite optimistic about what has been achieved and what lies ahead - we have started to focus on our top priorities, solving the housing crisis which is in turn causing a financial crisis for the council; protecting our green spaces and tackling the urban design and climate change issues that had led to the flooding of the town centre and make our energy inefficient housing impossibly expensive to heat.

"We have many dedicated council workers who are working more creatively to share skills in pursuit of the changes we have to make."