OK, excuse me for being way behind the news, and I realise this isn't on the seafront, but I do live close by, hence the first photograph here, but! Yes, you probably do already know that
Primark is coming to Hastings, and is to be situated in the old BHS store, with the fitting of the store commencing this Spring, and likely opening in the Summer (news
website), good news I think, maybe not for other clothing stores though...
There was a meeting at the White Rock Theatre of
Hastings Pier 'Shareholders and Supporters' yesterday, which unfortunately I couldn't attend, but it looks like the meeting was very positive. I've seen that many ideas were shared, and proposals agreed to, notably that
Friends of Hastings Pier is to be rejuvenated, as soon as I see any further information I shall share this, and if you are a shareholder, or wish to support the future of the
People's Pier, you may wish to join their facebook closed group (
page).
Hmmm... There are a number of drainage pipes still sat on the beach by Denmark Place, opposite the Carlisle pub, Pelham Street, outside which, in December, the road was flooded for a few days, apparently because of water backing up from the water drainage outlet that was damaged by Storm Brian in October...
When will they be replaced?!?
The move of the
Roebuck Surgery in the old town High Street to a Health Centre within the Ice House building in Rock-a-Nore Road is going ahead (
website), again this may be old news to many people, but I hadn't taken a photograph down there for a while now! The main opposition appears to have come from 1) That public transport does not go to the door, though it didn't in the High Street, but it was a bit closer there. 2) That traffic gets overwhelming in Rock-a-Nore Road at times, notably in peak season, and where will parking be for staff and patients?
I believe that Rock-a-Nore Road is being widened, effectively by taking away the pavements, levelling the surface across the road with walking space designated for pedestrians. Planned better, the car park at the end of the road could easily allow for more spaces, and an electronic system could also be set up to let drivers know that the car park is 'full' at the mouth to Rock-a-Nore Road. With the widening of the road, 'dropping off' spaces outside the Health Centre could be allowed for too.
What this needs is sensible planning, though, and we've seen for years how the road can clog up because people drive down to a full car park in peak season, or at other busy times, and then have to drive back with multiple traffic lights as you rejoin the main road. However, little has been done to solve this problem previously, perhaps replace the lights with a small roundabout, but something definitely needs to be done now...
