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Agenda item
Project updates
· Project lead updates
11.20
o Hastings Commons, Jess Steele and Kit Godfrey
11.30
o Town Centre Public Realm and Green Connections – Ellie McDaniel, ESCC and ARUP
Minutes:
4.1 Hastings Commons – Presenters Jess Steele and Kit Godfrey
· Key points:
o A community-led approach to neighbourhood transformation focused on the assets in the White Rock area.
o Brings spaces into use to create environments where people can enhance their lives, shape their neighbourhoods, look out for each other and the place.
o Hastings Commons now owns over 8000 square meters of difficult and derelict property which is being transformed into affordable homes, capped rent work spaces and social spaces.
o The Town Deal project involves 3 buildings: Eagle House and 12 Claremont (both going out to tender in January 2024 with construction starting in March), and the Observer Building (the OBX creative technology hub is now operational and Hastings Commons has secured planning permission to build 12 flats within the building)
Q&A / Comments:
Q. Emma Smith asked about the technologies involved in the project and if this is linked up to local businesses and companies in the sector.
A. Jess confirmed yes and that there has been a lot of outreach, which is ongoing. At first it was more generic outreach but now it is through the OBX connects events. The project is constantly trying to inspire new thinking so that new businesses or organisations get interested in the field.
Q. Emma also asked if any universities have been involved in any way.
A. Jess confirmed that the project is not connected to any particular universities.
Emma will put Jess in touch with others who are doing this kind of work in other parts of the region.
4.2 Town Centre Public Realm and Green Connections – Ellie McDaniel, Mike Wood and Thomas Weake
· Key points:
o The project aims to improve the public realm and green infrastructure along Havelock Road and in the town centre.
o Pending final contract signing, Arup has been appointed as consultant for the next stage of design and consultation.
o The next stage of the project is split into 3 stages: 1) evaluation and engagement for RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) stage 2 – this is already underway, 2) develop the design to RIBA stage 3 incorporating stakeholder feedback and 3) submit a planning application that will support the next stages of design.
o The concept design report, the work carried out to date to understand the assets, challenges, opportunities, constraints and vision of the area were summarised for the meeting.
o A summary of the design plans will be circulated in due course.
Q&A / Comments:
Jess commented that it is good to finally see this happening but stressed the importance of the connection to other things, including the integration with Priory Street and Cambridge Road, which is critical, although Homes England is interested in those areas. We can’t just wait for Homes England and have two totally separate approaches to the space; it does need to be seen in context.
The Garden Town needs a social programme running alongside the physical, not just a community engagement person who comes in and does some engagement. Ongoing engagement and development in the maintenance of the space is needed and how to get people in the town get involved in that maintenance. The Garden Town team has been working on that but a proper social programme with resources needs to be connected to this capital programme.
Julia Hilton explained that she is part of the Garden Town team that put the project’s original expression of interest together which was always about the wider plan for the whole town, the green connections and community gardens. The biodiverse planting in Sheffield was co-designed with Nigel Dunnett, and maintained by Green Estates who are a social enterprise that started in 2014. Nigel is a key part of the team and is keen to be involved in developing the planting palette for Hastings. The way the planting is designed is low maintenance, but we need to think about how we train for the future gardens.
Kate Adams asked about the access to consultations that will be carried out due to Project Art Works work with individuals with very complex neurological impairments and sensory disabilities, and how will the project connect with other greening projects as Project Art Works has designs underway for the space between its two buildings.
Lourdes commented that the scheme will provide a lot of benefits across the health economy and asked that consideration be given to the links to health and sustainability and the policy areas around these.
Sean asked about consultation with the business community, particularly those within the affected areas. A presentation could be made at a future Chamber of Commerce meeting as part of the consultation process.
Work will need to be done to address issues raised here including maintenance of the scheme, the skills needed, the links with the various policies and anything that comes out of the consultation process when it starts. Fortunately, in terms of Homes England, the timing of these two commissions are similar and this project will slightly dictate what happens around the Station Gateway sites. The council will work with Homes England to ensure the two projects are joined up.
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