Cash boost will kick-start life-changing housing plan
Building new homes at Bulverhythe gives Hastings Borough Council (HBC) a real chance to make a difference to local people’s lives according to Councillor Andy Batsford.
Mr Batsford, HBC’s lead councillor for housing, was speaking after the announcement that HBC has been awarded up to £6.9m from Homes England to develop the council-owned land off Bexhill Road. The funding is part of the Local Authority Accelerated Construction Programme that helps councils prepare land for the development of new homes.
The council says that for the Bulverhythe development, the extra cash means addressing local residents’ fears of annual floods and for other Hastings families in need of homes, it releases land to build homes in a place near shops and schools. Planning and technical support is also to be paid for.
The Homes England funding will help deliver around 190 new homes and 40 per cent will be made available as ‘Affordable Housing’ according to HBC. The council says this will provide local residents with the opportunity to buy a home through shared ownership or to rent through a registered provider at an affordable price. Affordable rent is based on the Hastings local Housing allowance (LHA) rate.
Mr Batsford said: “We are in a housing crisis and more and more families in the town are struggling to find suitable housing. We have growing numbers of families living in temporary accommodation. Many young adults are living with their parents because they’re unable to get a foot on the proper ladder. This development gives us a real chance to make a difference to local people’s lives.
“The council is committed to encouraging local feedback on large developments. As promised, we have started a public engagement process. This makes sure that people interested in the project can share their views and help shape this exciting new place to live.
“Before the council submits a planning application, there will be a further public consultation event on October 31st. The council will share emerging proposals followed by a Pre-Application Forum at a later date. Further information can be found at www.hastings.gov.uk/new-homes.”
Stephen Kinsella, Chief Land and Development Officer at Homes England, said: “This funding will enable the council to prepare their site for development and bring forward the construction of new homes, which will be built out at pace using modern methods of construction.”
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This council needs to keep to its promises – they promised a full public consultation before any plans were made for the old bathing pool site off the Cinque Ports way in West St. Leonards…now we learn they are about to sign the lease with the development company…Cllr. Chowney informs us that the public consultation will take place after the lease has been signed….you really could not make this up.,,,would any developer sign a lease without knowing the conditions??? Does this council take us all for fools? Likewise with the proposed development at Bulverhythe the council promises consultation with local residents…who could believe this fairy tale?
Here is a site that has to be fraught with flooding and drainage issues and a few hundred yards from a nice big old landfill site. I can see a chunk of this money being spent to sort out the flooding problem here that I know even encroaches in to the gardens of houses backing onto this site. As for the planned “Consultation” mentioned. I don’t give much hope with HBC listening to the residents if they raise objections. These consultations are really an exercise for councils and councillors to say we did go to the public. We heard what they said but we are going to build it anyway. I expect if and when they sort this site out it will be sold off to a private developer.
When the old college site at Archery Road was up for development elven years ago there was intentions to have public consultations. All there turned out to be was one group meeting with the principal planning officer.
And as Lady Marigold has pointed out with the old bathing pool site the news of a “Consultation” with the public after HBC has signed a contract with a developer. You got to be having a laugh here. surely that cannot be true. You couldn’t make that one up could you.
Why do successive governments keep giving this council grant money which they inevitably put to no good use whatsoever…check out the hisotry of monies received by Hastings council over past decades and you will be shocked….where in the name of the Almighty has it all gone…all that money and still the leaders of this council shriek poverty and deprivation…you can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all the people all of the time.