New Homes Plus Protection for the Environment?
Can HBC’s New Local Plan protect the environment and provide homes for the homeless? DEE WILLIAMS, citizen journalist, investigates
Hastings Borough Council’s New Local Plan tries to find a way to achieve growth for the economy with increased retail and local industry, whilst providing a growing population with suitable housing and at the same time protecting urban green spaces and the surrounding areas of natural beauty which bound the zone on all sides. All to be achieved on a tight budget and with an eye to climate change emissions.
Objective 1 contains a number of aspirational statements which are difficult to achieve. The most contentious of which is likely to be ‘ensuring new development only occurs where there is adequate capacity in existing services, facilities and infrastructure or where this capacity can be reasonably provided.’
Added to the mix is the fact that HBC has a legal duty to co-operate with Rother District Council and East Sussex County Council who also face significant demands with limited resources. And that’s before the recent news of a complete reorganisation of local councils. The government requires HBC to apply ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ rules as contained in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Failure to do so allows developers to overturn decisions by appealing to the Planning Inspectorate and such action can be costly to defend.
The current plan was set to deliver at least 3,400 net new dwellings between 2011–2028.
Keeping all the plates spinning is not an easy task and in their development strategy they identify the following problems.
“…comparatively low house prices; declining affordability for local people, a bias to smaller dwellings; imbalanced in-migration; a large private rented sector and high levels of deprivation.” (4.9)
The comparatively low house prices encourage movement into the area from more expensive zones such as Brighton and London. The large private rented sector includes properties for holiday lets which brings income from tourists into the area. Meanwhile high levels of deprivation include the increasing number of families who find themselves homeless due to rising rents and landlords deciding to sell up due to changes to the rules.
In 2023, Cllr Barnett said in an article in the Argus: “It has gone from 170 people needing temporary accommodation two years ago. Now there are over 1,000 people here. It is a shock. And in a town of 90,000, that’s a massive percentage.”
In an i Opinion piece written by Vicky Spratt in November 2024, Hastings is described as the ‘hidden homelessness capital of the UK’. “So many families have either been evicted or unable to find a home they can afford to rent that one in 28 children in Hastings is now homeless and in emergency temporary accommodation – usually bed and breakfast, hostels, hotels or shared accommodation.”
A lack of social housing results in long waiting lists for a property. According to HBC social housing information, the total number of households waiting for a property on 31 December 2023 was 1,547. The total number of properties let through Sussex Homemove from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023 was 189. There is a wait of up to eight years for a two-bed house.
Hastings is undoubtedly suffering a housing crisis. So what is to be done?
According to government statistics, Rother Council completed just 153 homes in 2023/24. At that rate it would take 22 years to complete 3,400. A key problem is a lack of brownfield sites, which are the only areas you can build on if you wish to preserve the natural habitat.
Unfortunately, brownfield sites are few and far between and include areas that are unsuitable for development, such as the former West St Leonard’s Primary School site on the Bexhill Road. This site spends much of the year sodden with water, and rumour has it that anthrax sheep are buried there.
If you can’t expand outwards due to restrictions from areas of natural beauty and you can’t build high without damaging the historic nature of the town, then you are forced to look for patches of land within the already developed area for new build properties, putting a strain on local amenities. Trying to please the environmentalists, the existing residents and the homeless is a tough task, if not mission impossible.
Campaigners continually draw attention to using empty properties as a solution to the problem. This option was considered in the 2014 local plan. “Empty homes are a wasted asset, and a good deal of progress has been made by the Council in tackling empty homes in recent years. However, whilst bringing empty homes back into use does not increase the overall housing stock, it does increase the efficient use of the existing stock. In 2010 there were estimated to be approximately 400 long term empty homes in the town. By long term, we mean homes that have been empty for two or more years.” (4.20)
HBC do not have the funds to use compulsory purchase orders to bring empty properties back into use so are reliant upon private developers or new owners to take up the challenge. Their retrospective council tax charges do not encourage new buyers to take these projects on.
“If, when you purchased or leased your property, it had already been empty and unfurnished for two years or more, you will have to pay a 200% council tax charge, or if empty and unfurnished for five years or more you will have to pay 300%.” However, they add that, “the additional charge can only be removed by bringing your property back into use.” This would not apply to properties that require structural repairs. “No reduction is given on uninhabitable properties requiring or undergoing structural repairs.”
Restoration projects are complex and incur VAT charges not placed upon new builds. Are developers simply waiting for the properties to be beyond repair before making a move?
If the failure of OWENS is anything to go by, then more retail and office space is likely to become available. Could these be repurposed as housing or will they just be left to fall apart?
Having pretty much failed to deliver on the previous local plan, HBC is on more comfortable ground as they draw up plans for the new one. Local councils are very good at running consultations, filing reports, debating decisions and creating lengthy documents full of aspirational intentions. And taking their time about it. Will it deliver any better than the last?
For more, see New local plan | Planning Policy | Hastings Borough Council
Local group Standing up for Nature (Hastings and Rother) are holding a series of debates on how to protect the environment whilst tackling the housing crisis. They wish to provide a community voice to be included in the new HBC local plan. If you would like to get involved, then sign up here for information on forthcoming events.
“The government wants Councils to build new housing but our valued green spaces are under threat. Are there other ways to provide more homes? Join us to formulate creative suggestions to respond to council policies on building development and land use for the next 20 years. We’ll be discussing new builds, refurbishment, and use of empty homes, as well as key green spaces and wildlife corridors that need protection. This is your chance to tell the Council what you think and to give them ideas, solutions and to let them know you care!”
Search ‘Standing up for Nature Hastings and Rother’ on Facebook.
The HBC current local plan was adopted in 2014 and was due to complete in 2028. It contains seven main objectives.
Achieve and sustain a thriving economy
Ensure everyone has the opportunity to live in a decent home, which they can afford, in a community in which they want to live
Safeguard and improve the town’s environment
Addressing the impacts of climate change
Supporting sustainable communities
Provision of an efficient and effective transport system
Making best use of the Seafront and promoting tourism
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