Tag archives for Paul McLaughlin - Page 2
Council Reform: Do People Just Not Care?
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN The public consultations on the proposed changes to local government in Hastings and East Sussex are now underway, but so far there is little enthusiasm for what is…
False Claims Spark Outrage and Fear
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN A number of inflammatory posters appeared last weekend outside 67 Sedlescombe Road South in St Leonards, sparking a wave of controversy on social media. The notices, which included…
Hastings Stands Up To Racism
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN The Hastings Stand Up To Racism campaign organised a public meeting to challenge what they regard as new measures by the government to scapegoat migrant workers. Simon Hester,…
New Water Outage Across Ore
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN Some 300 households have been affected by new water outages across Ore. Local residents have been reporting erratic water supply and low pressure since mid-April, with many households…
Calls for Public Inquiry into Ongoing Road Fiasco
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN Helena Dollimore and Cllr Godfrey Daniel have called for a public inquiry into the prolonged delays and disruption surrounding the A21 Gateway project. The key route, intended to…
Wave of Protest
HUGH SULLIVAN and PAUL MCLAUGHLIN Plans for a major new housing development on the former bathing pool site at Seaside Road in West St Leonards have been revealed by prospective…
Save Sandrock Bends
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN Gladman Developments Ltd, part of the Barratt Developments PLC Group since 2022, has submitted a planning application to Hastings Borough Council for up to 65 new homes on…
Not Feeling the Vibes
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN Carib de L’Afrique, the Afro-Caribbean and African restaurant located in the heart of Hastings town centre, is a popular local dining spot. The restaurant was opened in 2018…
Road to Nowhere – Lost in Time
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN Work on the Queensway Gateway Road, the so-called road to nowhere, which began last September and was initially due for completion before Christmas, has faced further delays. The…
Torfield Among First to Get Free School Breakfasts
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN Torfield School in Croft Road Hastings has been selected to take part in the launch of the Government’s free breakfast club initiative which will give all primary-aged children…
Flood Protection Boost
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN The Government has approved funding plans for the construction of new flood protection schemes as well as the repair and maintenance of existing ones, across Hastings, Rye, and…
Explosive Chemical Find Brings Chaos to St Leonards
PAUL McLAUGHLIN and FERDUSARA ALI Emergency services cordoned off roads around the A259 Marina on Thursday evening after explosive chemicals were found in a property. Police declared a major incident…
County Cuts Slam Hastings
PAUL McLAUGHLIN East Sussex County Council has confirmed plans to cut almost £4m from Adult Social Care and Health services next year. Julia Hilton, the Leader of Hastings Borough Council,…
Helping Helpers
PAUL McLAUGHLIN With so many voluntary agencies set up to help the homeless, the long term aim of actually eliminating homelessness may sometimes get lost. And that’s where Citadel Hastings…
New Corporate Plan For Hastings
PAUL McLAUGHLIN The Green-led Hasting Borough Council has agreed a new Corporate Plan for 2025-2030 setting out a vision for Hastings “where residents are proud of their town and feel…
Council Tax set to increase again
PAUL McLAUGHLIN Most local council taxpayers will see bills increase in April by over £100 after East Sussex County Councillors and Hastings Borough Councillors agreed their respective budget plans for…
Water Compensation Reviewed
PAUL McLAUGHLIN In a bruising exchange with local Labour MP Helena Dollimore in Parliament, the CEO of Southern Water, Lawrence Gosden, pledged to review the decision not to pay compensation to…
End Game For Local Councils
PAUL McLAUGHLIN The Councils of Hastings Borough, Rother District and East Sussex County are set to be to be abolished. Taking their place, probably by 2028, will be a new…
Hastings Housing Crisis: No Room at the Inn
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN We all know there is a massive housing and homelessness crisis in Hastings. The growing visibility of rough sleepers on our streets, the simmering anger about the condition…
Reform Politician Sidelined
PAUL McLAUGHLIN The former Hastings Borough Councillor, Lucian Fernando, claims he has been sacked by Southeastern railway because of his political views. Mr Fernando, who represented the Silverhill ward for…
County Cuts Cost Hastings
PAUL McLAUGHLIN Hastings could be left to ‘pick up the pieces’ from the County’s massive Social Services budget cuts, according to Borough Council leader Julia Hilton. East Sussex County Council…
Southern Water Plans for Hastings Evoke Sceptical Response
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN In the week when Southern Water unveiled “ambitious, multi-million pound investment plans” to upgrade water infrastructure and quality across Hastings, Moody’s, the global rating agency, downgraded the privatised…
Budgeting for Broken Public Services
PAUL McLAUGHLIN analyses how the budget will affect the people of Hastings and tries to garner local political reaction Local Labour MP Helena Dollimore has welcomed the Chancellor’s plans to…
Housing Targets Row
PAUL McLAUGHLIN The simmering row between the Green-led council and the local Labour MP resurfaced this week after Hastings Borough Council (HBC) formally responded to the Government’s plans to change…
Privilege to Serve
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN The Labour Government has held power for just over 100 days, experiencing a remarkable rollercoaster of highs and lows as new ministers navigate the intense scrutiny of a…
Adult Social Care is not a Luxury
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN The Leader of East Sussex County Council (ESCC) has issued a stark warning to local residents to expect some deeply unpopular cuts to adult social care services next…
Town Deal boost for Hastings Commons
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN Hastings BC has awarded the £1m Towns Fund grant for the Town Living Project funding to Hastings Commons, to support the delivery of 12 affordable, sustainable and energy…
Dine & Dash Heroes
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN Diners at the popular La Bella Vista restaurant in Grand Parade, St Leonards, last Saturday evening (12 October) witnessed a violent attack which resulted in extensive damage to…
Housing Action Man
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN talks to Hastings BC’s Deputy Leader and Housing & Community Wellbeing Portfolio Holder, Councillor Glenn Haffenden, on the vital importance of housing to the future of the town…
Politics Returns with End of Summer Truce
PAUL McLAUGHLIN The relationship between council leaders and the local MP can often be a tricky one, even when they are from the same political party. When there is harmony…
Finally, a Road to Somewhere
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN Work to complete the Queensway Gateway link road is set to begin after a £ million investment from the Government. The infamous “road-to-nowhere” was supposed to have been…
Council Offers Landslide Toolkit
PAUL McLAUGHLIN Hastings Borough Council has prepared a ‘toolkit’ leaflet for residents concerned about landslides in the wake of those that impacted, separately, the neighbourhoods of Old Roar Gill and…
Housing Targets ‘Ridiculous and Unrealistic’
Green-led council at odds with Labour MP over government plans PAUL McLAUGHLIN Government plans to tackle the housing crisis by overhauling the planning system and introducing mandatory targets for all…
£55 million Funding Gap in County Council Finances
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN East Sussex County Councillors were presented with a bleak financial report for the year ahead at a meeting of the full council last Tuesday (9 July). The annual…
A Vote for Change
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN Helena Dollimore is the new Member of Parliament for Hastings and Rye. The Labour and Co-operative Party candidate topped the poll in the General Election with 19,134 votes…
New MP Raises UBAT Concerns
PAUL MCLAUGHLIN Helena Dollimore, the newly elected MP for Hastings and Rye, has raised her concerns about the ongoing dispute between local members of the National Education Union (NEU) and…
Guy Harris: Alive and Kicking
PAUL McLAUGHLIN writes the last of in-depth profiles on our local prospective parliamentary candidates who will be contesting the General Election on 4 July Older residents of the town may…
Green Takeover, Independents Frozen Out
PAUL McLAUGHLIN The appointment of an all-Green Cabinet by Julia Hilton, the leader of Hastings BC, has sparked discontent among the Hastings Independents group of councillors. The Greens and the…
NO LIKELY WINNER
Will Town Elections Result In New Coalition? PAUL McLAUGHLIN & HUGH SULLIVAN This year’s local elections for Hastings Borough Council (HBC) will be held next Thursday 2 May. Polling booths…
Jack-in-the-Green Future ‘At Risk’
PAUL McLAUGHLIN The future of the Hastings traditional Jack-in-the-Green festival has been put in doubt because of a lack of funding and commitment from Hastings Borough Council(HBC), according to founder and…