Bowls Green & Pavilion for Lease - Alexandra Park

Walking back through Alexandra Park (blog) this morning and I noticed the Bowls Green and Pavilion had a 'For Sale' notice on the fence. Now, please excuse me for not having noticed before, but I had a chat with a gentleman and his partner/wife/friend who told me that it hasn't been used as a bowls green for over a year now, basically to do with Government funding cuts to Hastings, and Hastings Borough Council spending priorities. This year would have seen the bowls club running for 120 years, but no, sadly! And I had been thinking it wasn't being used because of Covid-19 lockdowns...

Part of the pavilion is already being let as a food & drink kiosk, but within the pavilion is still available a large main room, kitchen and changing room. Details of the lease available can be found at the Council's website, the rent appears to be negotiable.

Southern Rail plans yet another timetable "shakeup"

As if this isn't already a political battle between the Government and unions and rail users, and, make no mistake about it, it isn't just about the Government attacking the unions, it's also about using us Southern rail commuters and other rail users as pawns in their battle against the RMT, as I've suggested before... and it really is time to bring the railways back under democratic control, not allowing Government ministers' friends to make even more money out of taxpayers and rail users, as they do now (see BBC website).

East Sussex: Budget cuts and a 4% council tax rise.

Conservative-run East Sussex County Council have approved a 3.99% rise in their part of your council tax for 2016-17, and £20 million cuts, defeating opposition amendments to reduce cuts in social care and charity funding. 

The Leader of the Council, Keith Glazier, said that having "already had to save £78 million since 2010, we have cut our spending to the bone..." See the BBC website for more on this story.

So, thanks to Central Government austerity cuts, we have yet another Council Tax rise to come, but for less service...     

Library Consultation now happening.

East Sussex Libraries are now consulting on reduced opening hours, including Hastings libraries, a direct consequence of Government cuts to local government expenditure. I have just completed a paper copy I collected at the library in Claremont, but it can also be completed online, or downloaded from, the East Sussex County Council website.  

Don't lose your voice, libraries are very important for civilisation, let alone society, however much, or little, one uses them...

Cross-Party Consensus on Cuts!

Surprised?!? 

The leaders of all the political parties represented on East Sussex County Council have come together to write and sign a letter to the Prime Minister expressing their concerns over government funding cuts. Despite having already made cuts in East Sussex of £78 million since 2010, a further £70 to £90 million cuts now have to be found by April 2019! 

The letter criticises the Government's funding cuts to local government spending, which does not take account of the "varying needs" of different areas in the UK, for example, East Sussex's ageing population makes the people of the county particularly vulnerable to cuts. The Council Leader, Conservative Keith Glazier, said that the cuts the council were facing would "significantly reduce the quality of life for many people in East Sussex." 

For more on this story see the BBC website or the Eastbourne Independent website.  

East Sussex Announces More Cuts!

East Sussex County Council leader, Conservative Keith Glazier, has announced that the council needs to make 20% cuts over the next 3 years because of central government cuts to local authorities, ie £81 million worth of cuts... He said "Let's make no bones about this... we will have to stop doing services."

For more about this, see the BBC website.   

Sorry, but more cuts to come!

This time from East Sussex County Council...

Yep, it was bound to come soon, following the Government's plans to introduce more "austerity cuts", so not surprised here. The County Council are seeking up to £90 million worth of savings, after already having cuts of £78.4 million since the coalition took control of government in 2010, so a total of up to £168.4 million cuts over the 9 years to 2019, and we'll have to wait and see what cuts come Hastings Borough Council way... 

To see the Report and further recommendations, go to their website. 

Railway service to Hastings, oh no...

Don't hold your breath, if you're waiting for a faster service to London from Hastings, we're not even mentioned in Network Rail upgrades, and, locally, we continue to have the worst railway service in the country, with Southern Railway coming out with the lowest satisfaction rating in the latest rail passenger satisfaction survey! 

For more information and analysis, see the BBC.  

Sad goodbye to Old Town Hall Museum...

I know it was April 1st yesterday morning, but it was no joke, the Hastings Old Town Hall Museum wouldn't be opening anymore due to central government financial cuts, and the consequent need for Hastings Borough Council to make savings, in this instance, by bringing all the Museum's exhibits under one roof, up in Bohemia Road. 

Built in 1823, the town hall until 1881 (and 1st Hastings police station during that period), and a museum since 1949, now waiting to see the next phase of its history, a sad day... 

Council Cuts?

The Government announced earlier today that councils in England will see their overall spending power fall by an average of 1.8% from next year. However, Local Government Minister Kris Hopkins told MPs "we continue to ensure that no council will face a loss of more than 6.4% in spending power in 2015-16." 

This is the case for Hastings (link, thanks to the BBC for the figures!), which will face a loss of 6.4%. Indeed, councils say that central funding is being cut by 8.8%. 

The spending power figure combines regular central government funding with one-off grants, council tax, a proportion of business rates and other fees and charges. However, most local authority funding comes from central government, with about a quarter raised through council tax. 

The National Audit Office (NAO) estimates that by 2016, government funding for local government will have dropped in real terms by 37% since 2010, though Hastings will see a much higher loss than this average, probably closer to 60%. 

I shall have to get to the first Hastings Borough Council Cabinet Meeting in the New Year, which should be very interesting. Of course I shall report on council meetings I attend in January, so keep in touch!