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Report to:
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Lead Member for
Transport and Environment
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Date of
meeting:
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23 September
2024
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By:
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Director of
Communities, Economy and Transport
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Title:
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Hastings Town Centre
Public Realm and Green Connections – update
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Purpose:
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To consider the
outcomes and recommended next steps following further discussions
with Hastings Borough Council regarding Hastings Town Centre Public
Realm and Green Connections project.
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RECOMMENDATIONS: The
Lead Member is recommended to:
(1)
Note the
consultation outcomes of the stakeholder and public consultation as
set out in the 15 July 2024 report;
(2)
Note the outcome of
further discussions with Hastings Borough Council following the
Lead Member’s decision on the 15 July 2024 to defer the
decisions regarding Hastings Town Centre Public Realm and Green
Connections; and
(3)
Approve
incorporating two-way bus and cycle movement in Harold Place and
Havelock Road into the revised scheme scope and progress to
detailed design, including considering further opportunities for
planting and sustainable urban drainage into the scheme, and
construction.
1
Background Information
1.1.
In November 2019 the Government’s Towns Fund programme
allocated £24.4m to Hastings Borough Council. In November
2023 East Sussex County Council entered into a grant funding
agreement with Hastings Borough Council (HBC) to receive
£9,754,458 of Towns Deal funding as the delivery partner for
Hastings Town Centre Public Realm and Green Connections project.
The scheme focusses on the Havelock Road and Harold Place corridor
in Hastings town centre supporting the ease of movement from the
rail station as a key gateway into the town, through the heart of
the town centre and across the A259, which runs parallel to the
seafront promenade, to the beach beyond.
1.2.
Between 22 January and 1 March 2024 the County Council publicly
consulted on the proposed designs for the project. A consultation
outcome report was considered at the Lead Member for Transport and
Environment decision making meeting on 15 July 2024 which
recommended to incorporate two-way bus and cycle movement on Harold
Place and Havelock Road into the revised scheme scope and progress
the project to detailed design and construction.
1.3.
The Lead Member for Transport and Environment resolved to defer
consideration of a decision on the scheme to a future meeting in
order that further discussions could take place between the County
Council and HBC.
2.
Supporting Information
Outcomes of strategic discussions
2.1.
Following the Lead Member’s decision at the meeting on 15
July 2024, HBC requested discussions with the County Council,
Southern Water, Homes England and the local bus operator, to
further understand how the Hastings Public Realm and Green
Connections project could integrate within the Borough’s
wider vision and strategy for the town.
2.2.
HBC and County Council officers met with Southern Water on 24 July
2024 to discuss Southern Water’s plans for the town centre
over the next 5 years. Southern Water reiterated comments they made
during the consultation period, that there is planned investment in
Hastings and Bexhill from 2025 to 2030 to include highway treatment
works, interventions to take roof run off, and stormwater overflow
management. Until the funding period starts in April 2025, the
specific scope of works and site areas are unknown. Southern Water
has agreed to put in place a point of contact for the project
design team to keep updated on scheme developments. Southern Water
have confirmed that proceeding with the Hastings Public Realm and
Green Connections project will not negatively impact funding for
their upcoming Southern Water Stormwater Management Taskforce.
2.3.
HBC have been working with Homes England (HE) over the last 12
months on developing a Strategic Regeneration Investment Framework
(SRIF), detailing potential opportunities for investment in
housing, leisure, and employment regeneration in the town centre.
HBC officers met with HE on 13 August 2024 to discuss the SRIF
timescales and funding availability. HE advised that they are not
currently able to confirm funding for investment plans but have
agreed to meet with HBC Lead Members and senior officers to review
the proposals in mid-September 2024. A verbal update on the
discussion points from this meeting will be provided at the Lead
Member for Transport and Environment meeting on 23 September 2024.
The County Council had already been working with the consultants
developing the SRIF to ensure that the Hastings Public Realm and
Green Connections project aligns with the emerging wider vision for
the town, however, further opportunity for integration can only
take place once the allocation of SRIF funding is confirmed.
2.4.
County Council officers and HBC officers met with the Leader of HBC
and local bus operator directors on 12 August 2024 to further
discuss the impacts that the proposed design options –
one-way northbound or two-way on Harold Place and Havelock Road
– could have on the bus services in Hastings and future
investment across the wider network. If a one-way design option
which increased the journey times of routes through the town centre
is progressed, there remains a risk of having a negative impact on
bus services across the wider network. To retain the existing
service pattern and offset the potential increased journey times of
between 1 and 3 minutes per bus, would have a significant financial
impact that could see additional subsidy being required to maintain
operations. This would also impact current policy and strategy
objectives as part of the East Sussex Bus Service Improvement
Plan.
2.5.
The local bus operator remains committed to working with the County
Council and HBC to support the regeneration of the town centre to
review options for timesaving across the network. However, at this
time any such bus priority measures to enable bus journey time
savings are unidentified and unfunded, and a commitment to
implement such improvements prior to the construction of this
scheme would be required to mitigate against these risks.
2.6.
HBC has indicated a preference to see a town-wide transport review
to understand the strategic opportunity for changes to the
transport infrastructure in the town. Such a study would need to
consider the County Council’s existing transport policy
framework and a wide range of interventions set out in the emerging
fourth East Sussex Local Transport Plan and its accompanying
Investment Plan under the four themes – tackling climate
change and enhancing the local environment; safer healthier and
more active travel; integrated and accessible transport for all;
keeping East Sussex Connected. A comprehensive study of this scale
and scope could take up to 18-months to develop and significant
additional funding would be required to undertake this. At this
stage there is no scope in the Hastings Public Realm and Green
Connections project to either fund or undertake this major
transport review.
2.7.
Based on the outcomes of the requested discussions detailed in
paragraphs 2.2 to 2.6, the two-way movement for buses and cyclists
on Havelock Road and Harold Place (Option 2) remains the preferred
and recommended option to incorporate into the scheme design to
maximise the benefits of the existing funding opportunity as part
of the Hastings Towns Deal.
Delivery Risk
2.8.
The officer recommendation considered at the Lead Member’s
July 2024 decision-making meeting set out a compromised option
taking into account public consultation feedback and minimising the
impact on accessible sustainable transport, supporting local
businesses, residents and visitors, whilst still maximising
significant benefits for the town centre through improved active
travel connections, increased green spaces and flood mitigation
planting as well as public realm improvements. The two-way design
option meets the majority of the external funding Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs) and project objectives alongside others set out
in the original business case considering the usage and
accessibility of the town centre. This design option also provides
opportunity to assess further greening interventions which could be
possible on Havelock Road, such as the use of pinch-points in the
carriageway to allow for additional Sustainable Urban Drainage
planting. County Council officers will
continue to work with HBC officers to review these options,
alongside continued engagement with key stakeholder groups such as
the Garden Town Team and local business representatives.
2.9.
The decision to defer consideration of the scheme to allow for
further discussion between County Council and HBC has resulted in a
pause to the contract with the project’s design consultancy.
Due to the close end date of the existing contract and the lengthy
process which would be needed for an extension, there has been a
requirement to terminate the existing contract. If a decision is
made to proceed with the detailed design and construction of the
Public Realm and Green Connections scheme a procurement exercise
would need to be undertaken to re-procure design consultants which
could take up to 4 months.
2.10.
The County Council have signed a grant funding agreement (GFA) with
HBC, as the Town Deal accountability body, with a project delivery
end date of March 2026. A change of project scope would hinder the
project’s ability to meet funding KPIs and place the existing
funding agreement with HBC and the government at risk. The project
is also in receipt of match funding of £400k from the South
East Local Enterprise Partnership from the Hastings and Bexhill
Movement and Access Corridor Package specifically for improvements
to the Havelock Road section of the scheme. This funding would have
to be returned to the package if the Havelock Road element was
removed from the scheme’s design and/or construction
plan.
Financial resource implications
2.11.
Significant staff resources have been invested in the project to
date by the County Council and there is a financial implication to
continue leading on the delivery of this scheme in the context of
the risks outlined in paragraphs 2.8 and 2.10. As stated in the
grant funding agreement the County Council could be liable to pay
back some or all the funds claimed if the funder is not satisfied
that the project will be delivered within the agreed timescales
and/or target outputs, or progress towards delivery of outputs is
unsatisfactory. Further delays to the project or significant scope
changes also pose a financial risk to the County Council. Agreement
to these changes can be sought from the government but would need
to be led by HBC as the local accountability body for the funding
and agreement to any changes is not guaranteed.
Communication and Engagement
2.12.
As referenced in paragraph 2.8 in this report, County Council
officers will continue to work with HBC officers on the development
of a stakeholder communications and engagement strategy as this
progresses. This will include further engagement with the Garden
Town Team, along with co-design workshops at key stages of the
detailed design stage to seek valuable input from key
stakeholders.
Next steps
2.13.
To proceed with the scheme and accept the risks stated above the
County Council would require support from HBC to proceed with the
recommended two-way bus route on Havelock Road and in the
submission of a formal Project Change Request (PCR).
2.14.
This PCR would request an extension to the funding deadline to
allow for sufficient time for detailed design and construction.
County Council officers would also work to procure consultants to
deliver detailed design and construction support. During detailed
design, consideration would be given to opportunities to maximise
benefits on Havelock Road, including greening and Sustainable Urban
Drainage Systems. These measures will need to be balanced with
sufficient transport and active travel provisions and be subject to
Road Safety Assessments.
3.
Conclusion and
Reasons for Recommendations
3.1.
The Hastings Town Centre Public Realm and Green Connections project
funded through the Hastings Town Deal represents an enormous
opportunity to support the ease of movements between the rail
station, town centre and seafront via the Havelock Road and Harold
Place corridor and improve the town’s public realm. The
County Council, as delivery partner, entered into a grant agreement
with Hastings Borough Council, as the accountable body for the
funding, to receive £9,754,458 of Towns Deal monies towards
the project.
3.2.
Consultation on the project proposals were undertaken between
January and March 2024. Following the consultation outcomes,
including the concerns regarding the detrimental impact on bus
operations in the town centre, the preferred recommended scheme to
retain two-way movements on Harold Place and Havelock Road was
presented at the Lead Member’s decision-making meeting on 15
July 2024.
3.3.
Following the Lead Member’s decision to defer consideration
of the consultation outcomes and next steps, further positive and
constructive discussions between parties stated in section 2 of
this report have taken place and have demonstrated that wider town
centre initiatives will not be dependent on the progression of the
Hastings Town Centre Public Realm and Green Connections project.
The risks to project delivery and funding do however remain
significant and the pause to the project to allow time for further
discussions has resulted in the need to re-procure design
consultants and seek a Project Change Request via Hastings Borough
Council and Government.
3.4.
The Lead Member is therefore recommended to note the outcome of
further discussions with Hastings Borough Council following the
Lead Member’s decision on the 15 July 2024 regarding Hastings
Town Centre Public Realm and Green Connections;
3.5.
Approve incorporating two-way bus and cycle movement in Harold
Place and Havelock Road into the revised scheme scope and progress
to detailed design, including considering further opportunities for
planting and sustainable urban drainage into the scheme, and
construction; and note the consultation outcomes of the stakeholder
and public consultation as set out in the July 15 2024 Lead Member
for Transport and Environment report.
RUPERT CLUBB
Director of Communities, Economy
and Transport
Contact Officer: Ellie
McDaniel
Tel. No. 07514 721387
Email: ellie.mcdaniel@eastsussex.gov.uk
LOCAL
MEMBERS
Councillor
Daniel
BACKGROUND
DOCUMENTS
Minute 16.
Agenda for Lead Member for Transport and Environment on Monday,
15th July, 2024, 10.00 am | East Sussex County
Council
Minute 43.
Agenda for Lead Member for Transport and Environment on Monday,
20th November, 2023, 10.00 am | East Sussex County
Council