Local plan to map out direction of future development across Hastings

On Monday (January 4), Hastings Borough Council’s cabinet agreed to move ahead with a consultation on what should be included within the authority’s new and updated local plan — a document which guides how and where development can take place within the town.

Any new version of the plan is expected to see significant growth for Hastings,  with the consultation draft including a minimum target of 4,275 new homes by 2039.

But cabinet members also spoke of their ambition to make the document into the town’s “climate change plan” by including new policies intended to reduce carbon emissions alongside house building.

Cllr Peter Chowney said: “This will go down in history, I hope, as the plan that tackled climate change and that will be true with a lot of other local authorities too.

“This is the most important thing a district or borough council does to tackle the most important issue that is facing us and our species and the planet, so I think it is a very significant moment. 

“This will be our climate change plan and if you think there isn’t enough in there about tackling climate change it can be strengthened, I’m talking here to members of the public, do put your views in and do say that. 

“It will strengthen our hand with the inspector to say local people want more in here about [climate change], they want this issue strengthened.”

The draft version of the plan includes a number of policies intended to address climate change, including those requiring energy efficiency measures in new developments and, where possible, adaptations to existing developments.

It also lays out the council’s ambitions to bring new renewable energy infrastructure to the town – particularly wind power.

The draft plan names three sites – land south of Wilting Farm, Queensway and land at Breadsell – as potential wind farm locations, although it says further feasibility assessments would be necessary. 

Other policies would seek to protect open spaces in the borough – particularly undeveloped coastal areas and the town’s ancient woodlands.

Cllr Maya Evans, cabinet member for natural environment and leisure, said: “As we all know the Green New Deal, the Green Industrial Revolution, is the way forward. 

“It is not just the £12bn the government is suggesting, we are looking at more like £300bn worth of regeneration in this country in terms of Green New Deal jobs. That will definitely be something Hastings can take and flourish. 

“We are in a fantastic location to develop lots of green jobs, not just in terms of retrofitting our poorly-insulated Victorian housing but also taking advantage of our wonderful natural environment, our oceans, all the green space around us. For example, we could really get into eco-tourism and that could be a renaissance for our town.” 

In its current form, the local plan also aims to encourage sustainable transport options, such as walking and cycling, as well as generating more local renewable energy.

As part of this the council intends to focus new development in a small number of key areas which already have good sustainable transport links.

These are named in the draft plan as: Hastings Central (which includes the town centre); Bohemia; Little Ridge and Ashdown House; and West Marina and West St Leonards. 

According to council papers, the new local plan would be expected to provide sites for a minimum of 4,275 new homes by 2039 with additional homes delivered to be in the Hastings Central Focus Area as part of mixed-use developments.

These include the allocation of the ESK building and Priory Street Car Park as a single site for a mixed commercial and residential development. It could provide up to 120 residential units as well as new employment space, the draft plan says.

Other new sites which could be allocated for mixed-use developments in Hastings Central include the Debenhams building and the council’s own offices at Muriel Matters House. 

The local plan could also see sites elsewhere in town allocated for major housing developments.

These include the land surrounding the Summerfields Leisure Centre, which could be allocated for around 250 houses. A replacement sports centre would need to be provided as part of this development, the draft plan says.

A full list of the sites being considered for allocation will be provided as part of the consultation, although a draft version is currently available on the council website.

None of the sites are confirmed for inclusion in the new local plan at this stage, although some of the sites have been included in previous versions of the document.

Even if allocated, the sites would need to go through the planning process, although being included in the local plan would weigh strongly in favour of such developments.

Consultation on the draft local plan is due to begin in the final week of January and run for eight weeks until the end of March.