“So far the climate emergency motion feels very much like tokenism from a council determined to carry on with business as usual.” A year after Hastings Borough Council (HBC) declared a climate emergency, the town’s Green Party has condemned the authority for its lack of action. The climate emergency motion was passed unanimously by HBC’s […]
It’s two months since the General Election that saw the Labour Party nationally achieve its worst result since 1935. In Hastings and Rye there had been a strong expectation that Labour could win the seat back from the Conservatives but, just as across the rest of the UK, many traditional supporters abandoned their usual preference to […]
A national homeless crisis is pushing Hastings Borough Council’s (HBC) finances to breaking point, councillors will be told next week. Increasing demand has seen its homelessness budget rocket by £386,000 more than expected. The cost of keeping homeless households in temporary accommodation is now costing the council £2 million a year. And families are spending […]
Hastings has taken a big step closer to bidding for up to £25m from the Government’s new Town Fund by setting up a Town Deal Board. At a public meeting last week delegates from the health, education, business, community and voluntary sectors in the town, as well as officers from East Sussex County Council (ESCC), […]
Since its launch two year ago Peter Chowney has spoken to Hastings In Focus on a number of occasions. Now that he has announced he is standing down as leader of Hastings Borough Council (HBC) we thought it was time to bring some of those interviews together in on place In the run-up to last […]
Unless central government gives councils more cash then local government will not be viable. That’s the view of Peter Chowney, who will step down as leader of Hastings Borough Council (HBC) in March after five years in the job. One local Labour Party member told Hastings In Focus this week: “Peter should be remembered as […]
Who are the main contenders and how will the new leader be elected? With the news last week that Peter Chowney is to step down as leader of Hastings Borough Council (HBC) we’ve been finding out how his successor will be chosen. Officially the council’s new leader will be chosen at a special meeting of […]
While the national fight to select a new leader for the Labour party rages on there will be another battle for control of the Labour party this time here in Hastings. Peter Chowney has announced to his party members that he will stand down as leader of the Labour group and as leader of Hastings […]
The UK’s departure from the European Union next week is an event that is “significant for each of us individually and as a town,” according to Councillor Rob Lee who leads the Conservative group on Hastings Borough Council (HBC). And Mr Lee believes the council should mark the event with a “symbolic gesture”. In an […]
