Observer Building Returning to Action and Open Days.

I first mentioned this redevelopment in a blog a couple of years ago, but now it is coming to fruition. Indeed, the first of 2 open days at the Observer Building, 53 Cambridge Road TN34 1DT, is being held tomorrow (Saturday the 21st of May) from 11.00 am to 2.00 pm, and a second will be held on Wednesday the 25th May between 4.30 and 7.30 pm. The reopening of the building is planned for August, further information about their wide ranging plans, including homes, shops, workshops, and offices, is at their website, and, should you be interested in visiting on one of the open days, please register on their EventBrite page, which contains further information too.

With congratulations and best wishes to the regeneration team!

The Observer Building was designed by the prolific local architect Henry Ward in the early 1920s, who also designed the Queens Road Town Hall (blog) and Debenhams (blog), as well as being involved in many other local landmarks. 

Henry Ward (1854-1927) was buried at Hastings Cemetery in September 1927.

Hastings Foodbank

Last Friday (7th December), the Hastings Foodbank, which receives support from the The Trussell Trust (website), gave out 1800 meals in just 2 hours, ie 1.2 tonnes of food! The Foodbank provides emergency food and support to people in crisis, and is part of a nationwide network of foodbanks that work to combat hunger and poverty. As can be seen, an increasing number of people have to resort to emergency assistance from foodbanks, even people in work, and consequently emergency food stocks deplete very quickly! Indeed, over 90% of the food they distribute is donated by members of the public. Currently, urgent requirements in Hastings include tinned meat and fish, tinned tomatoes, spaghetti and vegetables, tinned custard and rice pudding, pasta sauce, and teabags 40s and 80s packs; go to the Hastings Foodbank website for more details of requirements and donor sites, which are at: 

Community Contact Centre, Hastings Town Hall, Queens Road TN34 1TL;
Tourist Information Centre, Breeds Place TN34 3AA;

Tesco Extra, Church Wood Drive, St. Leonards TN38 9RB, front of store near exits;

Sainsbury’s, Station Approach, Hastings TN34 1BA, next to restaurant;

Asda, opposite self service points;

Tesco Express, Havelock Road, opposite self service points;

Sainsbury’s Local, Devonshire Road, in main entrance;

The Hastings Centre, The Ridge, in main entrance.

Any of us could need help at some time, many thanks for donations!

Town Centre & Bohemia Action Plan

Hastings Borough Council is holding another consultation exercise, this time relating to their Hastings Town Centre and Bohemia Area Action Plan (website). The consultation finishes at 4pm on Monday 24th of September 2018, and you can see details and acquire comment forms at the Tourist Information Centre, Muriel Matters House, Breeds Place, and the Community Contact Centre at the Town Hall, Queens Square, or online at the website. There is plenty of information to read, and plenty of opportunity to comment on the Action Plan; if you want to share your views with the Council you've plenty of time until the 24th of September, so get going!



100th Anniversary of the RAF today!

So, why was the Council flying the RAF flag today? Well, apart from refuting the naive comments of reactionaries towards Hastings Borough Council, it's the Council's acknowledgement of the Royal Air Force Centenary today, Happy Birthday RAF!

See the RAF website.

Remembrance Sunday Parade and Service 2017

Today's Remembrance Day Parade began outside the Town Hall in Queens Road...

The Parade, from the back, soon to leave to head for Alexandra Park...

Where the Remembrance Service was held at the War Memorial.

Hastings Runners Annual 5 Mile Race

The start and finish at the Town Hall, Queens Road... I couldn't follow the Hastings Runners Keith Chandler 5 Mile Race itself, as I had other plans yesterday, but the provisional results can be seen at this blog site: 

1st - Josh Guilmant, Brighton Phoenix;

2nd - Gary Foster, Hastings AC;

3rd - Marshall Smith, Ashford AC.

Congratulations to all the runners!

Burglar in Town Hall!

Following a break in at Hastings Town Hall, Queens Roads, where £300 of our local taxpayers money was stolen, at around 6.45pm on Monday evening (4th July), Sussex police are seeking witnesses, the male burglar, in his forties, left the building through the main front doors; see the Sussex Police website for further information. 

Hastings Registry Office has moved!

Today I discovered that, no doubt due to cuts, from this week, the Registry Office has moved into the Town Hall in Queens Road (website), consequently, marriages will now be held in the Mayor's Parlour or Council Chamber... 

The Council Chamber

So now we have a nomadic Hastings Borough Council, and meetings will be held in various places, as you can see, on the 1st of February, the Cabinet meeting will be held at the Stade Hall, and the following Environment & Safety Committee meeting will be held at Aquila House on the 4th of February. If you want to attend any meetings, be aware! 

Remembrance Sunday

Bonfire Society there too!

Many younger people, which gives me hope...

All the way to the Town Hall.

Hastings Week starts today!

The 2015 Hastings Week kicks off today with the opening ceremony at 09.35 at the Town Hall in Queens Road, having started forming outside BHS 10-20 minutes beforehand. For more information on what's happening this week, go to the website.  

Stade Saturdays, in conjunction with Hastings Week, carries on with the Classic Car Show at the Stade, and continues on to Sunday (website). 

Hastings Development Management Plan, the latest news.

The independent inspector has examined the Hastings Development Management Plan, issued his preliminary findings, and proposed modifications to enable the plan to be adopted as a 'sound' document (notice).    

He has also recommended that a public consultation should be made for members of the public to comment on his recommendations, this consultation is now running until Friday 27th March 2015. Details of how to make a representation are explained on-line. If you require further advice you can email fplanning@hastings.gov.uk or telephone 01424 451098 and ask for the Planning Policy Team.

The Inspector's Preliminary Findings, included in the consultation document, can be seen at the HBC website page, or a hard copy can be obtained at the Community Contact Centre, Hastings Town Hall, Queens Road.  

Hastings Borough Council Watch - February Part I

I attended the Council Meeting yesterday evening, the longest council meeting that I've attended so far whilst writing this bog, as in nearly two and a half hours, and it was a humdinger, honest! 

The primary purpose was to have the 'Corporate Plan', budget and 'Capital Programme' approved by the full council, which were all approved, with amendments from the 'Opposition' falling by the wayside. It would have been very entertaining, if it hadn't been so serious! I shall write a more full account very soon (other commitments have overtaken me today, sorry), which will include an assessment of the ideological battle going on at the Town Hall (which may not be as you think!), and details of another Council tax rise, sadly... 

Council Watch - February

Yesterday evening I went to observe the February 'Cabinet Committee' of Hastings Borough Council in that room above the entrance as you look at my photograph, that is, the Council Chamber. As I've related before, it is quite a grand room, let alone building, and typical of a Victorian municipal building in its grandeur. There is a high ceiling leading into that roof space, and 4 foot high wooden paneling around the room, but it really does need a fresh lick of paint on the walls!  

Anyway, it was an interesting meeting, very little party political posturing on this occasion, though some evident a few times. There was one decision reached that was of great importance to people requiring social housing, plus the adoption of a 'Discretionary Council Tax Relief' policy, as required by statutory regulations, a letter relating to which is to be sent to our M.P. All decisions made this day were unanimous, as I said, very interesting...

 

The setting up of a pilot 'Private Sector Leasing Scheme' as part of the "establishment of a Social Lettings Agency" was agreed last night. It had been recognised that councils around the country have implemented Social Letting Agencies managing housing supplied by the private sector, for example, Havering Council have been running such a scheme for over 10 years, and members of Hastings Council have liaised with Havering.

Also, a feasibility study, including consultation with the housing charity Shelter, found that there is a significant demand for affordable social housing in Hastings, and that there is a large supply of private rented accommodation that could meet the demand. Indeed, many private landlords have already expressed interest in the leasing scheme, as they are dissatisfied with some letting agencies' services, as are many tenants.  

This scheme would mean property owners leasing accommodation to the Council, who would sub-let to those in need of housing. The full cost would be met through rental income and Housing Benefit, and was agreed to be cost effective. Phase 1, the 'pilot' programme, will be for the year from the 15th of April, when between 60 and 100 properties are to be incorporated into the scheme. If successful, the scheme will be enlarged and extended in following years. Congratulations to the Council on this venture!    

Finally, the committee agreed to recommend the adoption of the Council's 2015/16 Pay Policy to the full Council, also patting itself on the back for being a 'Living Wage' employer, that is, all Hastings Borough Council employees earn a 'living wage', nice one!

Hastings 'Gothic' Town Hall

The 'new' town hall was opened in Queens Road by the mayor, Mr William F Revill, on 7th September 1881, replacing the smaller town hall in the High Street (built in 1823), which is now the Old Town Hall Museum; itself under threat of closure because of recent spending reductions dictated to Hastings Borough Council by central Government. 

Hastings 'new' Town Hall

The architect was Henry Ward (1854-1927), who briefly worked under the guidance of local architect Walter Liberty Vernon when he first moved to Hastings, soon succeeding Vernon, and working for 50 years in Hastings, becoming a prolific architect, based in his practice at 8 Bank Buildings, Hastings. 

As a young architect Ward entered the winning design in the competition for the new Hastings Municipal Buildings. The site of the building was an awkward shape to deal with, and the winning design was a clever piece of ingenuity. It brought Ward recognition that ensured his election as an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects, an honour conferred only following significant professional success. 

Council Chamber

Consequently, one of his first designs was the Grade II listed 'Gothic Revival' Hastings Town Hall, which originally included the local Police Court and cells at the end of the ground floor corridor. The bench was at the east end of the room, with the dock in front, and the west end given over to a public gallery. Next to the court room was the police station, which took up the central part of the Station Road frontage. 

External walls were built using local blue stone, having Bath stone dressings, and the roofing was green slates. Inside, the staircase included scagliola marble columns and stained glass windows. The southern chimney place is made of Bath stone, having a carved statue of St Michael (the 'patron saint' of Hastings) and large painted tiles of Kings William and Harold. 

No more clocks -

Early sign of austerity measures?

Having recently visited the 'Council Chamber' I can confirm it is a reminder of Victorian municipal splendour, the Victorians certainly didn't hide their lights under bushels! Sadly, it is now showing slight signs of neglect, needing a fresh lick of paint at least, presumably another result of austerity measures. Indeed, the clocks outside the town hall disappeared ages ago, due to the expense of fixing them apparently. 

The opening ceremony for the town hall was followed by a luncheon in a large marquee in the adjoining cricket ground, with over a hundred guests enjoying fine food and the entertainment of a local band. Indeed, the first council meeting at the new town hall received a petition protesting about the cost to ratepayers of such an expensive event. The council refused to discuss the petition... 

Ward's Grave

Henry Ward died at the age of 73, at home in 22 Magdalen Terrace, Bohemia Road, having designed numerous other local buildings in his career, including many churches, the Observer Building, Bexhill Town Hall, and a few days after his death the Plummer Roddis department store (now Debenhams) was opened. 

A man of substance, locally a significant architect, he was buried in September 1927 at Hastings cemetery.