Campaigners plea for ‘genuine and urgent’ engagement from Hastings’ council
Members of the Save Our Bathing Site (SOBS) and West Marina Group will be at the old bathing pool site tomorrow from 10.3am to launch its latest petition against the council’s plan to build high density housing there.
Hastings Borough Council (HBC) has announced that under its new leader, Kim Forward, and as a result of the effects of the Coronavirus crisis it is undertaking a review of all major projects, including re-development of the former bathing pool site that has lain empty since the pool closed in the late 1980s.
Members of both groups are hoping to gather signatures for the petition which asks to council to ‘genuinely and urgently’ engage with local residents and other interested parties to develop a clear community-led action plan for what is described as, ‘this unique site and the area around it’.
Lucie Mason says: “Please join us if you can, invite friends and share on social media, if passing please stop and add your names. We need HBC to reconsider the potential of this amazing area before its too late.
“We are waiting for the online E-Petition to be approved on HBC’s website and there will also be a copy of the petition in Sussex Fruits on Bexhill Rd. If anyone knows of other locations willing to support this campaign or are interested in getting more involved please let us know.”
Find out more by following this link https://www.facebook.com/groups/SaveOurBathingSite/
Local people have been outraged at the council’s plan to building around 150 homes on the site in a complex of five, five storey blocks and say the site’s unique position as the last seafront area available for development is far better suited to a leisure-based purpose to encourage tourism into the town.
Here is another fine example of the lack of council democracy where they have been refusing to listen to the the community. And no doubt many of these residents voted for this ruling council.
it is really inconceivable to think who in this council has managed to convince them 150 units on this site is sensible, practical and workable. And even really needed in this part of St. Leonards.
As for the petition I certainly do wish it all the success it deserves in conveying to this council how inane this development is. However, having been involved in two petitions in the past concerning controversial developments, I don’t hold much hope. Both of those petitions were ignored by the council.
They were like a Red Rag to a Bull with HBC. May I also point out this Ward has two Conservative councillors so their support for this campaign is going to be ignored by their opponents – Labour.