Cabinet meeting 7 July 2025

Cabinet will be meeting on Monday 7 July to discuss a range of reports. 

The agenda includes the Treasury Management report for 2024-2025, updates on the Hastings Castle and West Hill project and Hastings Museum & Art Gallery. There is also a report confirming the capacity funding Hastings is due to receive through the Plan for Neighbourhoods which has replaced the Long-Term Plan for Towns. 

The Treasury Management report shows that there has been no additional borrowing in 2024-2025, which will lead to savings in future years due to lower minimum revenue payments (MRP) and interest payments; interest payments of more than £1.6m which is £251,000 more than the budget target; and that the council has £17.8m of funds in long and short-term investments. Cabinet is being asked to consider the report, but no changes are proposed to the Treasury Management Strategy. They are also asked to approve the actual 2024/25 prudential and treasury indicators in the report. 

The report on the Hastings Castle and West Hill Cafe project asks for approval from Cabinet to start the process of declaring the existing Castle Hill Local Wildlife Site a Local Nature Reserve and to prepare and submit an Expression of Interest to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and subsequent Development Grant Application to support the delivery of the long-term vision for the Hastings Castle and wider West Hill site. The council committed to declaring the area around Hastings Castle as a Local Nature Reserve in the new Corporate Plan. Funding through the National Lottery Heritage Fund would secure potential funding to improve the access, interpretation and the long-term sustainability of Hastings Castle and the West Hill. The value of this funding is not known, so a future report will come to Cabinet after any successful bids. 

The Museum Committee minutes give an update on the newly-formed Community Panel, and an upcoming exhibition entitled Plants Make Places. 

The report on Plan for Neighbourhoods updates on how this programme replaces the Long-Term Plan for Towns, and will provide almost £20m of funding over ten years. A new Chair for the Hastings Board, which will oversee the programme, has been appointed and there will be work over the summer to put together a submission for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for delivery of the programme. 

Cllr Glenn Haffenden, leader of the council, said: “I’m really pleased to see so many positive reports on the agenda for this Cabinet meeting. Finances are still tight, but the Treasury Management Report is positive with increased interest payments, and we have some exciting updates from the Hastings Castle and West Hill Cafe project and Hastings Museum & Art Gallery, and the Plan for Neighbourhoods means additional funding coming into our town. 

“We will, of course, be starting the meeting with questions from the public so if you have something you would like to ask you are welcome to come along in person.” 

The meeting will start at 6pm at Muriel Matters House, and will be streamed online. You can read the full reports.