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Agenda and minutes
Contact: Email: Towndeal@hastings.gov.uk
Items No. Item Welcome and apologies
2:30
Minutes:
Everyone was welcomed to the meeting.
Hannah Collins, Communications Manager at Hastings Borough Council will be covering Town Deal communications matters for the interim was welcomed to the meeting. Hannah explained that shops in the town centre are slowly re-opening following the recent flooding and thanked everyone for their help.
Apologies have been received from: Graham Peters, Darrell Gale, Kate Adams, Richard Moore, Richard Watson, Sonia Blizzard and Victoria Conheady.
Declarations of interest
2:35
Minutes:
Jess Steele pointed out that with the funding re-allocation item on the agenda, there is a clear interest for project leads present, including herself. She also declared an interest in the Hastings Castle project due to her recent involvement in the project and a proposal she is currently putting together.
Minutes of the last meeting and matters arising PDF 108 KB
2:40
Minutes:
Accepted as an accurate record.
Matters arising:
· Page 3, item 91, second paragraph under ‘Town Deal programme update’ – Homes England is organising stakeholder engagement meetings and should be contacting Hastings Commons if they haven’t already
· Page 4, 3rd paragraph under ‘Decisions of the Town Deal Investment Panel’ – Right to Buy information is included in the programme update report (item 4)
Programme progress update PDF 246 KB
2:50
· Town Deal Programme update
· Decisions of the Town Deal Investment Panel
· Re-allocation of Town Fund monies and update on redevelopment of Priory Street Car Park and the West Wing of the Priory Meadow Shopping Centre
· Future of the Town Deal Board
· Business case progress report by theme
· Communications update
· Equalities Impact Assessment
· Programme finance update
· Staff changes
Additional documents:
- Item 4 Appendix 1 Hastings Castle - 1 page summary , item 96. PDF 119 KB
- Item 4 Appendix 2 Draft discussion TF reallocation paper Jan 2023 , item 96. PDF 344 KB
- Item 4 Appendix 3 Towns Fund Supplementary Guidance on the role of Town Deal Boards in the delivery Item 4 phase , item 96. PDF 601 KB
Minutes:
· Town Deal Programme update
Pranesh Datta, Economic Development Manager at HBC explained that Right to Buy has been considered in depth by HBC in an early project, York buildings. Although the scheme carries some risk, this is minimal for the first 10 years and only increases in year 11. It is difficult for the council to avoid this as the legislation exists and it is important for the council to engage while it has the opportunity to try and address the housing crisis and work within the boundaries that exist.
Questions on the housing crisis will be dealt with outside of this meeting and referred by HBC colleagues to the housing team.
The possibility of putting properties into a trust or putting a local occupancy clause on the properties should be considered due to the risks involved. This will be referred to the housing team and reported back to the next meeting. Action: Pranesh
· Decisions of the Town Deal Investment Panel
Ian Sycamore, External Funding Manager at HBC explained that Hastings Castle project business case was approved by the Town Deal Investment Panel at its meeting on 15th December 2022.
It was clarified that the investment panel is a subgroup of the town deal board, and its decision is to approve the project business case which has been assessed externally and the concept of the project as it currently stands to proceed, is to be noted by the board. This approval does not exclude other ideas of concepts that may come up in the future to support the project. Assuming the Department for Levelling Up, Homes & Communities (DLUHC) approves the project summary document, the project can proceed to the next stage of development.
The investment panel’s decision was noted by the meeting.
Nigel explained that he has reviewed the summary document and monitoring and evaluation plan for the project, and a DLUHC decision should be received in a week or so.
· Re-allocation of Town Fund monies and update on redevelopment of Priory Street Car Park and the West Wing of the Priory Meadow Shopping Centre
Pranesh summarised the reasons and context for re-allocation, the options and the next steps to the meeting.
There was general agreement that a significant uplift to the Public Realm and Green Connections project should be supported. The following comments were made:
· The public realm project has already been identified as having best value for money and a high level of certainty. Major improvements are needed in the town centre and anything to improve the public realm, make it more attractive and to help to avoid future flooding should be done
· Other unfinished existing projects could benefit from re-allocation of some of the funds. Consideration should be given to re-allocating 80% to the public realm project and 20% to others, not just to complete the projects but to help them become highly successful and thrive
· Re-allocating 75% of the funds to the public realm project and 25% to other projects should also be considered due ... view the full minutes text for item 96.
Project updates
3:25
· Hastings Castle – Kevin Boorman, Marketing and Major Projects Manager, HBC
· Updates from other project leads present
Minutes:
Hastings Castle
Kevin Boorman, Marketing and Major Projects Manager from Hastings Borough Council explained:
· Following recent approval of the business case, the project is still in its very early stages
· A statement of significance has been produced as the castle is a scheduled monument
· Engagement with various organisations has taken place, including schools and colleges, Hastings Academy, Hastings Youth Council, many local attractions, English Heritage tourist guides, Hastings Area Archeology Research Group and at the town deal open day on 15th October
· An online survey attracted around 1000 responses
· HBC cabinet approval for the project will now be sought
· Project costs is one of the huge challenges. The project is still a concept and firm proposals and drawings are still needed. Work is not due to start on site until the third quarter of 2024 so will be difficult to get firm costs for the work at this stage
· A project design team and architect will be appointed to get some firm plans costed up, bearing in mind the risks and sensitivities for the site and making the West Hill lift accessible by doing some work at the top of the lift will be a challenge
· The bridge from Ladies Parlour across to the castle had to be removed from this phase of the project as this would be difficult and too risky to provide and was in danger of impacting the whole project
· An update will be given to the town deal board once the project is worked up a bit further
Jess added that she has met with Kevin and there have also been a number of community meetings and a potential answer to challenges that have been raised to do with access and public space. St. Mary in the Castle is at the foot of the castle and could be the visitor centre which could be connected by a lift and would address the access problems. The project group has been convened by Hastings Creatives and hosted by Hastings Commons and the next meeting is taking place tomorrow (19th January at 2:30pm at the Observer Building). A proposal will be submitted to HBC by 4th February which is the deadline for expressions of interest for the St. Mary in the Castle.
Date of next meeting: 11:00, Thursday, 27th April 2023
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