Achievements -
Building Successful Town Centres

The following is a brief summary of some of the Town Centre Partnership’s recent achievements that have made a difference to the vitality and viability of Hastings and St Leonards town centres:

BUSINESS GROWTH AND RETENTION

We have secured over £1 million in government funds for town centre businesses and property owners. More than £500,000 have already been distributed in the form of direct grants to 92 town centre businesses and property owners. Sixteen new businesses have started up and 110 jobs have been created as a result of this grant assistance. The grants have resulted in more than £2,296,000 investment in town centre business growth and property improvements.

TOWN CENTRE IMPROVEMENTS

We have improved a number of dilapidated areas in Hastings Town Centre, including York Gardens, Provincial Passage, Trinity Passage, Claremont Steps, and Station Road. New lighting and visitor signage have been installed throughout the town centres as a result of our activities. We secured a higher standard of paving at Kings Road and Pevensey Road junctions in St. Leonards by providing a grant from the Town Centre Improvement Programme for the high quality materials that have now been installed.

FEWER VACANT SHOPS

Our grants programme resulted in 25 vacant buildings being renovated and brought back into commercial use. With our help, many new businesses opened in formerly vacant properties in Hastings Town Centre: The Body Shop, Jempsons, John Bull Confectioners, Waterfalls, Palace Estate Agents, The America Ground Limited, to name a few. Many other businesses have been able to survive or expand because of our intervention and grant assistance. As a direct consequence of our activities, the vacancy rate in Hastings Town Centre has dropped from over 14% in 1996 to 5.75% today.

INCREASED SAFETY AND SECURITY

More than £540,000 was raised for CCTV throughout the town centres. Following our successful bid for government funds through the Single Regeneration Budget, we established the Hastings Watch programme which has helped reduce crime in shops and licensed premises through Shopwatch and Bar Watch. Hastings Watch has also resulted in dedicated town centre policing and crime prevention training programmes for town centre businesses and their employees. Our new Exclusion scheme launched in September 2002 has already targeted several of the most prolific thieves and troublemakers.

BETTER CAR PARKS

Our recommended improvements to town centre car parks were implemented, and more people are using them. Priory Meadow achieved Gold Award standard, and most town centre car parks have achieved the nationally recognised Secured Car Park designation.

CLEANER STREETS

The Council responded to our concerns about town centre maintenance. Both town centres have been designated Grade A areas (requiring the highest levels of cleanliness and litter removal). Gum is now removed from pavements on a regular basis by state-of-the-art equipment. Dilapidated bus shelters have been replaced, and there is better enforcement of the littering and dog fouling laws. A new regime is being developed to ensure upgraded maintenance of all street “furniture”, with an anticipated launch date of Summer 2003.

MORE SHOPPERS AND VISITORS

The annual French Market, radio road shows and the America Ground Festivals are some events we organised that attracted thousands of people into town and increased commercial activity. Our support of other events, such as the recent Coastal Currents Art in the Streets programme have attracted people who would not otherwise have come into the town centre. We coordinate all the public open-air events that take place in Hastings Town Centre. Direct marketing of town centre shops and other attractions via distribution of the attractive Shopping in Hastings and St. Leonards brochures has raised the image of the towns as attractive shopping and leisure destinations.

CHRISTMAS PROMOTION

Without us there would be no Christmas lights in the town centre. We raised the necessary funds to replace the broken lighting schemes with new installations, and are currently working on a plan to enhance the town centres year-round. The annual Christmas Experience, and the promotion of the town centres through the special pull-out feature in the local newspaper, press releases, radio and TV coverage are just some of the ways we have encouraged additional shoppers into Hastings and St. Leonards during the all-important Christmas trading season.