Hastings Town Centre Public Realm and Green Connections Public Consultation - 22nd January to 1st March 2024

Closed 1 Mar 2024

Opened 22 Jan 2024

Overview

The Hastings Town Centre Public Realm and Green Connections project is one of seven projects within the Hastings Town Investment Plan. The project sets out early ideas to improve public spaces in our town centre and make the area more green, attractive, healthy and fun.

We’re outlining plans we think will improve the use of the town centre and make it a place for people to mingle, meet, play and shop.

The Hastings Town Centre Public Realm and Green Connections project aims to:

1. Develop safe, vibrant and inclusive public spaces whilst promoting active and sustainable travel via walking, wheeling and cycling.

2. Encourage better use of public spaces with more seating and more room for public art.

3. Promote biodiversity and greening to contribute to the health and wellbeing of people and to help protect against a changing climate.

 

Proposed concept design

The project focuses on the Havelock Road and Harold Place corridor, creating an active travel corridor to support ease of movement between the train station and seafront. This could include more effective walking, wheeling and cycling routes, clearer wayfinding, safer crossings and less traffic.

At the heart of this plan is a vision to define the central area of the town at the confluence of Havelock Road, Queens Road, Harold Place and Robertson Street as a new destination.  This could be a space designed for flexible use that could accommodate a range of activities, such as pop-up events, activities and festivals. To encourage gathering, the vision proposes more seating, open space and public art to create a focus space. To help protect against a changing climate, greening measures will help to reduce the impacts of surface water flooding.

The east/west connection is also being designed with a focus on improving the public realm and increasing planting in Wellington Place to create a welcoming entrance for those traveling from Hastings Old Town through the underpass under Albert Road.

Increasing biodiversity within the town centre is a key objective for the project and would be achieved with the introduction of biodiverse ecologies joining the urban and coastal landscapes and with the introduction of tree planting.

Realising the vision of bringing the new town centre to life will mean some changes to how people move around the area. Proposed elements of this scheme include, but are not limited to:

  • Widened pedestrian footways along Havelock Road;
  • Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SuDS) planting;
  • Segregated two-way cycle lane from the train station to seafront; and
  • One way northbound bus lane with new bus stops on Havelock Road, alongside the potential re-routing of a buses along Queens Road.

 

You can read through the project brochure here for more information or refer to the link at the bottom of this page in the 'Related' section where you can download your own PDF version.

Your browser does not support inline PDF viewing. Please download the PDF.

 

Find out more and have your say

Here are other ways you can get information about our proposals.

Public consultation events

We will be holding four in-person public consultation events where you can find out more about the proposed schemes and speak to the project team. You will find dates, venues and times listed in the 'Events' section at the bottom of this page.

*Please note that due to a heating issue at the Community Hub at Hastings Town Hall, the event on 6th February will now take place in the atrium in the Priory Meadow shopping centre. For more information, refer to the 'Events' further down this page. 

Where to get a printed copy of our consultation brochure

The printed brochures also include a paper copy of the survey and a freepost envelope. You can pick up a copy at these locations during the consultation period:

Hastings Library, Brassey Institute, 13 Claremont, TN34 1HE

Summerfields Leisure Centre, Bohemia Rd, TN34 1ET

Muriel Matters House, Breeds Place, TN34 3UY

How to respond

You can respond to the consultation by following the link below to the consultation survey. It is recommended that you refer to the brochure when completing the survey.

Alternatively, you can complete a paper copy of the consultation survey, which can be found at address above or at any of the consultation events. Please return it using our freepost address. There is no need for a stamp.

Why your views matter

We want your views on these ideas and value your contributions to the project. This public consultation is an opportunity to provide feedback on the early design ideas shown in the consultation brochure and add your comments to the plans. Construction of the overall scheme may be phased based on the funding available, but we want your feedback on the entire area.

Please submit your response by 11.59pm on Monday 1 March 2024. Responses received after this time may not be considered.

What happens next

Once we have collated and analysed all responses to the consultation, we will produce a consultation report. This report will summarise and consolidate the feedback received and will be published and available to the public in late Spring 2024.

Events

  • Town Deal Open Day

    From 27 Jan 2024 at 10:00 to 27 Jan 2024 at 16:00

    Priory Meadow Shopping Centre,
    Queens Rd,
    Hastings,
    TN34 1PH

  • Public consultation exhibition

    From 6 Feb 2024 at 12:00 to 6 Feb 2024 at 17:00

    Due to a heating issue at the Community Hub, this public event will now take place in the atrium at the Priory Meadow shopping centre.
    Priory Meadow Shopping Centre,
    Queens Rd,
    Hastings,
    TN34 1PH

  • Public consultation event - Asda

    From 21 Feb 2024 at 13:00 to 21 Feb 2024 at 15:30

    Asda Superstore,
    Battle Road,
    Saint Leonards-on-Sea
    TN37 7AA

  • Public consultation event - Tesco

    From 21 Feb 2024 at 16:00 to 21 Feb 2024 at 18:00

    Tesco Hastings Extra
    Church Wood Drive
    St Leonards-on-Sea
    TN38 9RB

Areas

  • Hastings

Audiences

  • Anyone from any background

Interests

  • Environment
  • Road safety
  • Public Transport