Time to ‘turbo-charge’ community spirit says MP
Now is the time to be supporting local businesses.
Hastings and Rye’ MP, Sally-Ann Hart has written to the leaders of Hastings Borough Council (HBC), Rother District Council and East Sussex County Council calling on them to open up our area to visitors and support local businesses.
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Hear our full interview with Sally-Ann hart by following the link below
Mrs Hart says: “As we have got control on the health pandemic, with infection rates coming down and death rates falling, now is the time to be supporting our local businesses and getting the local economy firing on all cylinders again. That is why I am calling on all local authorities to do more to encourage residents and visitors back to our high streets and supporting local businesses.”
“I fear that if we don’t build confidence in people that our highstreets are safe places to be with the correct social distancing guidance being followed, then we will see businesses fold and jobs lost.
“As the local MP I will not see that happen. I am encouraging people to visit out towns, support our local businesses and get our economy moving again.”
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Mrs Hart says she is ‘dismayed’ that HBC continues to run marketing campaigns telling people to ‘stay away’, and that the public toilets remained closed until Monday of this week.
“I am asking the leader of HBC, Councillor Kim Forward, to drop this marketing campaign. I trust in the common-sense of the British public to ensure that social distancing measures will continue to be followed, and precautions taken with regular hand washing, wearing of face masks on public transport and the use of hand sanitisers when out and about. We simply cannot continue to keep our town centres shut to visitors. Businesses need our support now,” Mrs hart told Hastings In Focus.
“Furthermore, I am concerned that increases in on street car parking charges are being brought in. Now is not the time to do this. By putting up these parking charges it will discourage visitors from coming to our area and thereby have a knock impact on local businesses with a decreased footfall. So, I have also today written to the Leader of East Sussex County Council, Councillor Glazier, asking him to think again.
“We can be proud in our area for having one of the lowest rates of Covid-19 infection and death rates, and it has been through the hard work and sense of community that has achieved this. We now need to turbo charge this community spirit into supporting our local businesses and ensuring we all come out of this health pandemic stronger than before.”
its great to see Hastings coming back to life , however Sally-Anne its all well and good saying that we want to encourage people back to visit , but until the government announces that restaurants , bars and B and B’s can reopen we will struggle to attract anywhere near the usual volumes seen at this time of year.
Get the government to make a decision on this , while I understand this is a continually changing situation , we need some indication of when this places can reopen for business.
As for an increase on parking charges this seems very short sighted and may well lead to less visitors willing to pay an increase to park here.
many thanks
ian
I totally support the line taken by Hastings Borough Council saying to people they will be welcomed in the future but not until it it is safe. The council and residents should be proud of having such low numbers of Covid-19 in Hastings and we have seen pictures of places like Camber Sands where people were flocking . Let’s not forget how many businesses have benefited from the grants given out by Hastings Borough Council
For whatever reason, Hastings and its surrounds have been blessed with less COVID-19 patients and deaths than our neighbours. It is equally true that the nation must start spending to generate government and LA revenue. Despite the confusion generated by the UK government, on balance, they are right: We need to open up the town for tourism – but cautiously!