Decision details

To accept the Hastings Town Deal funded grant for East Sussex County Council to act as a delivery partner for Hastings Borough Council for the Hastings Town Centre Public Realm and Green Connections project. This project has £9,754,458 of funding from Hastings Town Deal and £400k from the Local Growth Fund.

43.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.

DECISIONS

43.2     The Lead Member RESOLVED to:

(1) Approve East Sussex County Council, as the scheme delivery partner, entering into a grant funding agreement with Hastings Borough Council in relation to the £9,754,458 of Town Fund allocated for the delivery of the Hastings Town Centre Public Realm and Green Connections project: and

(2) Delegate authority to the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and Assistant Chief Executive, to negotiate and agree the terms of the grant funding agreement between Hastings Borough Council and East Sussex County Council.

REASONS

43.3     In 2019 Hastings Borough Council successfully secured £24.4m from the Government’s Towns Fund programme towards driving the economic regeneration of Hastings to deliver long term economic and productivity growth, through investment in urban regeneration, infrastructure, and connectivity.

43.4     The Hastings Town Centre Public Realm and Green Connections project builds on the character of Hastings and will deliver a high-quality public realm improvement that will support revival of its centre whilst also bringing nature into the town and promoting active travel.

43.5     The County Council, acting as the scheme delivery body, will enter into a grant funding agreement with Hastings Borough Council to defray the funding allocation to the County Council, progress the consultation, detailed design and construction by the end of the Towns Fund period on 31 March 2026.

43.6     A grant funding agreement will also reiterate precisely what the body is being asked to do and provide reasons for proposed course of action.