Town Centre Strategy

The aim of the Town Centre partnership is to work together to create and maintain an accessible, safe and high quality town centre environment, fostering a climate for new investment and building an image of the town centres as desirable places to shop, recreate, visit and work. Each year, the partnership develops and then delivers a focused and dynamic programme of action to achieve the following:

Objective 1

Hastings and St Leonards Town Centres recognised as desirable destinations for shopping, tourism, leisure and business

• Broaden and strengthen the retail, leisure and commercial base in the town centres.
• Promote the take-up of vacant retail and commercial property.
• Build a positive image of Hastings and the town centres as attractive, safe and vibrant places.
• Promote and support the use of the open spaces for cultural and community activities and public entertainment.

Objective 2

Improved physical and built environment

• Encourage renovation of dilapidated buildings and effective management of vacant property to prevent deterioration.
• Promote excellence in streetscape design and improvements.
• Create quality public spaces and welcoming gateways.
• Enhance the unique characters of town centre quarters through imaginative refurbishment and sensitive urban design.
• Secure alternative uses for derelict sites and under-utilised properties.
• Promote and facilitate a co-ordinated approach to maintenance of and improvements to the built landscape.

Objective 3

Enhanced commercial activity and improved business performance

• Broaden and strengthen the economic base in both town centres.
• Promote high standards of customer care and encourage business excellence.
• Improve the town’s evening economy by attracting quality leisure facilities that appeal to a broader population base.
• Actively market the town centres for new retail, leisure and commercial use.
• Secure a commercial mix that enables the town centres to compete successfully with other commercial centres in the area.

Objective 4

Reduced crime and increased feeling of safety

• Establish and maintain effective measures to reduce retail related crime and drink related disorder.
• Facilitate positive relationships between police and businesses.
• Achieve nationally recognised standards for safety in all town centre car parks.
• Establish and maintain CCTV systems throughout both town centres, encouraging effective use of CCTV in detecting crime.
• Upgrade management standards and compliance with licensing laws in town centre pubs and nightclubs.
• Identify issues affecting night-time safety and implement strategies that bring more people into the town centres at night.

Objective 5

Improved vehicular and pedestrian access

• Increase accessibility for all visitors, whether arriving on foot, by bicycle, bus, car, taxi or train.
• Identify access, parking and traffic management problems affecting commercial activity and implement effective solutions.
• Encourage attractive and viable public transport services that meet the needs of town centre workers, residents and visitors.
• Ensure plentiful short-term parking and affordable long-term parking convenient to both town centres.
• Improve the provision of bus services in the town centres at night.

Objective 6

Effective partnerships working for the common good of the Town Centres

• Maintain an effective partnership steering the regeneration of both town centres.
• Establish greater awareness of the achievements of the Town Centre Management partnership.
• Regularly inform businesses and town centre interests about town centre issues and forthcoming projects.
• Ensure consultation with town centre stakeholders and community sectors regarding town centre developments and issues.
• Network with agencies involved in town centre issues to encourage an integrated, partnership approach.

Objective 7

Measure the performance of the Town Centres and the partnership by monitoring…

Retail turnover · Car park usage · Pedestrian footfall · Visitors · Public transport usage · Commercial vacancy rates · Improved buildings · New business openings · Crime statistics · User satisfaction surveys · Membership of town centre management.