NEWS IN BRIEF
Teenage Educational Centre at Former Debenhams Building
Planning permission has been granted by Hastings Borough Council for an area on the first and second floor of the former Debenhams store on Robertson Street to be used for educational purposes. The proposed tenant is London Learning Consortium, based in Croydon, who offer fully-funded courses, apprenticeships and work-related programmes for 16-24 year olds.
A separate area of the former store, accessed from Robertson Terrace, has been earmarked for use as a sports bar. A premises licence was obtained for this from the Council’s licensing panel last October, but no planning application has yet ensued.
Gulzar Faces Fraud Trial in November
Hastings pier owner Sheikh Abid Gulzar and his business partner Manasdeep Singh face a three-week trial in Lewes Crown Court in November this year on ten counts of fraud totalling £150,000.
The prosecution is being brought by water retailer Castle Water, who allege that the two defendants dishonestly avoided water bills in their management of a number of hotels in Eastbourne and Hailsham between 2018 and 2024. The pair denied the charges at a hearing in Hove earlier this month.
Gulzar, who is now aged 80, announced last October that he intends to sell Hastings pier. It is registered as an Asset of Community Value, but the six-month moratorium period allowing a potential community buy-out will expire on 15 April. Campaign group Friends of Hastings Pier, who have led previous attempts to re-purchase it, have kept tight-lipped on any negotiation that may be taking place.
Food Waste Collection
Under Simpler Recycling regulations introduced by the government last year, both Hastings Borough Council and Rother District Council will be commencing weekly food waste collections from next week – though not immediately along all streets. All households will receive a council letter confirming their respective start date and collection day and should not begin using the food caddies which have been delivered to them until these are notified.
Transport Investment by County Council
East Sussex County Council approved last week a programme of transport and road safety investment totalling £31m for the financial year 2026/27. However, the money for most of the package has been taken from national schemes previously branded as ‘levelling up’.
For instance, £5.5million is allocated to town centre improvements in Hastings. But it appears that this is part of the Town Deal Public Realm and Green Connections project for which funds were assured back in 2023. A separate figure of £1.276m is given for junction improvements at Station Approach and Havelock Road.
A figure of £1.07m is earmarked for walking and cycling improvements in Bexhill.
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The proposals for Hastings town centre are really problematic, and nobody has covered this. Increased traffic, pollution and congestion, and obstructions to pedestrians in an area where it gets very crowded at times. HIP, can you look into this?
Bea Rogers