NEWS IN BRIEF
Businesses Fined
Following investigation by immigration enforcement officers, two businesses in Hastings have been fined for employing illegal workers.
Edi’s Car Wash Ltd in Battle Road have had a £40,000 penalty imposed on them, as has Halsho Stores Ltd, previously trading in Bexhill Road. Both companies were found to be employing staff not entitled to work in the UK or undertaking insufficient checks as to their immigration status.
Homes Development at Northeye
Homes England is carrying out community consultation on prospective house-building on the site of the former prison at Northeye, west of Bexhill. The site was bought by the Home Office in 2023 for £15.4 million as a potential immigration detention centre, but transferred to Homes England in February this year.
There was a general drop-in session offered at Little Common Community Centre last Saturday, and a guided tour of the prison itself scheduled for yesterday (Thursday). Homes England has, however, made it clear that it plans to demolish around 70 existing buildings within the site “at the earliest opportunity”. It claims to have, or that it will have, “detailed strategies” to combat known asbestos contamination and “protect nature”.
The site is allocated for up to around 300 homes in Rother District Council’s emerging Local Plan.
Best Beach
In a survey issued by AA Roadwatch last week, Hastings Beach was rated among the top beaches in the south-east – only Hayling Island and Hove scored better on an index weighting average: Google review scores and search volumes, car parking costs, lifeguard services, RNLI lifeboat station proximity, average water temperature and monthly hours of sunshine.
The quality of water at Hastings pulled down the overall score. However, average sea temperature in July (18.7C) was the highest among any of the top 20.
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