£1m Hastings Town Deal Accelerator Fund Projects
The Hastings Town Deal board was successfully awarded a bid for a £1m allocation of grant funding from Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) in advance of the approval of the Town Fund.
£80 million boost to towns - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) *national towns
The funding was used to kickstart the programme and four projects were delivered:
The Courtyard
Restoration of the long-disused courtyard space into units for new market-style shops and food outlets.
2. East Sussex College Group - Hastings
A new events and conference space and training hub for students on the ground floor of East Sussex College Groups Station Plaza building.
There were some additional activities which had to be scaled back due to financial constraints and the impact of Covid-19.
3. Increasing the number of electric vehicle (EV) charging points
Installation of additional fast electric vehicle charging points in seafront and town centre car parks. This allows opportunities for visitors with electric vehicles to travel more confidently to our town as well as contribute to ambitions in the Council's Climate Emergency Strategy.
4. Lower Alley
This project was for a range of interventions at the Southern end of the Alley that runs parallel to the Observer Building. Funding contributed to stabilisation of the cliffs that overlook the alley, as well as two main renovations. These were the renovation of 10 Claremont which is now home to local cheese shop Cheese on Sea and affordable rented space in the basement and the renovation of Rose Cottage, previously an old stables, which is now a hireable workshop space and home to two artist studios. Other interventions also included adding murals to the alley garden, and greening the courtyard space with plants and flowers.
Hastings Town Deal chair, Graham Peters, said:
"The delivery of these projects was an excellent start to the wider Town Deal process and an exciting time for our town, leading the way for regeneration and investment in Hastings. I am really pleased to see four projects were successfully completed using this funding, which have enhanced public spaces, offered new opportunities for local businesses, and enhanced training areas for people in the local area. These aspirational regeneration projects will help Hastings, its businesses, and its young people to maximise their opportunities in the area”.