Hastings Town Deal Open Day showcases progress on £24.3m regeneration programme

Residents, businesses and visitors came together at the Hastings Town Deal Open Day on Saturday 3 October to find out more about the £24.3 million programme of investment transforming the town.

Held in the central atrium at Priory Meadow Shopping Centre, the free event provided an opportunity for the community to meet the teams behind the projects, hear the latest updates, ask questions and find out how the programme is helping to shape the future of Hastings.

The event attracted a steady stream of visitors throughout the day, with representatives from the Town Deal programme team and delivery partners on hand to showcase progress across a range of projects.

Visitors were able to find out more about the West Hill Project, including the new programme of events at Hastings Castle and plans for the new West Hill Visitor Centre, which will include restaurant, café and events space.

There were updates on the Hastings Town Centre Public Realm and Green Connections project and from INSTAR, delivering the town centre Public Art Commission, who showcased visuals for the new town centre sculpture. The team behind the We Dig Hastings project, including Great Dixter, also shared their work, including a trial planting bed on Hastings seafront designed to monitor plant success in the challenging seafront climate. Attendees were able to view a planting wall and speak to the team about the initiative.

East Sussex College Group showcased the newly built Green Automotive Centre of Excellence at the Ore Valley Campus and shared details of the newly launched courses at the facility.

The event also gave the programme team the opportunity to speak directly with local residents and businesses about the wider programme, hear their views and answer questions about projects already completed and those still under way.

Cllr Julia Hilton, Deputy Leader of Hastings Borough Council and lead councillor for Shaping Places and Community Wealth Building, said: “The Town Deal Open Day provided a valuable opportunity for residents, businesses and visitors to find out more about the progress being made through the £24.3 million programme and to meet some of the teams delivering these important projects.

It’s important that people have opportunities to find out more about what has already been achieved, ask questions and share their views as the programme continues to progress. I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to attend and those involved in making the event a success.”

Graham Peters, Chair of the Hastings Town Deal Board, said: “The Open Day was a great opportunity to bring together the community and the organisations delivering the projects across the town.

There has been significant progress across the programme, with a number of projects already delivering benefits and other major schemes continuing to move forward. It was particularly encouraging to hear directly from residents, businesses and visitors about their interest in the programme and the future of Hastings. We would like to thank everyone who came along and contributed to the event.”

For the latest updates on the programme, follow Hastings Town Deal on Facebook and Instagram.