Facing up to the financial challenge

Naturally I am worried about the latest public spending cuts announced by Chancellor George Osborne in his comprehensive spending review.


Local government takes the largest reduction with a 10% cut in 2015/16 on top of the 33% cut it has already experienced. But things are worse for Hastings. The council has already had to cope with a 50% cut in the grants it receives from central government since 2010; 10% more will be very challenging.

This is because the extra grants the council has received due to the town’s extra needs have been cut still more extensively. Hastings is one of seven councils that have experienced the largest reduction in revenue spending power. And the remaining extra grant the council gets (for efficiency support) runs out in 2015 – so that could really be a very difficult budget year.

For the current financial year 2013/14 the council had to shed 40 posts (although we managed to limit the number of compulsory redundancies to less than a handful) and in fact employs about one third less staff than in 2010.

Hastings is more vulnerable to cuts in government grants than other south eastern councils as half its income comes from the government. Other areas with more properties in higher council tax bands raise more money from their local people. In Hastings most properties are in council tax bands A and B and the tax is based on the value of people’s homes.

Also we are quite a constrained local authority area – surrounded by the sea and areas of outstanding natural beauty. That means our capacity to allow for new housing is much less than some leafier areas. But the government incentives councils to allow for more housebuilding by paying a new homes bonus for each new home. So Hastings stands to make a lot less than others through this funding source.

Yet at the same time demand on council services is rising with homelessness figures rising for example, with residents facing more challenges retaining their homes with welfare and benefit changes.

But we haven’t just been sitting back and complaining. Our two major contracts – for waste collection and for parks and gardens – have been relet in partnership with other councils saving us £1m a year. We have re-organised the senior management in the council saving £350,000 a year and we have looked at every area of our activity to make it as efficient as possible.

But from 2015 I am still worried that whereas up to now we have asked local people which services they would least like to see reduced, with our income continuing to decline we may have to look at which services do we cease to deliver at all.

City of culture - the work goes on

Another cultural evening at Stade Saturdays

Unfortunately we've just missed out on being shortlisted for the UK City of Culture - the final four are Dundee, Leicester, Hull and Swansea. I believe from a standing start  a real quality bid was worked up in a short space of time. Local authority staff, our cultural advisers, our schools and many local people put a lot of effort in to make the bid what it was. We cannot let that momentum dissipate.

Some really outstanding ideas emerged from all that energy. The cultural collaboration agreed between our secondary schools, the idea of putting artists or performers into every school really stand out. And on the national plane the idea of the cultural long-march from Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire down to Hastings, retreading the steps of Harold and his army in 1066, really gripped the imagination.

We may not be the city of culture but Hastings with its surrounding 1066 area remains the most famous town in the country. We intend to build on that and on the enthusiasm created locally by the bid to see which of the projects in the bid we can still deliver. But we are looking now to 2016 - the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. We only went with 2017 because that was the city of culture year.

I believe the Hastings and 1066 brand can still get public and private funding for major cultural initiatives even without the city of culture badge, And that’s the challenge now before us,

And don’t forget we have been shortlisted for the Academy of Urbanism top town award and we find out if we have got that in November. In fact I had to appear on BBC Radio Derby to discuss our merits along with representatives of the other two on the shortlist, Buxton and Cork.

Just going for the city of culture has put us on the map, has raised the positive profile of Hastings in TV, radio and the press. We couldn’t have paid for the publicity it has brought us. Now we will work up our own plans to continue promoting this image recognising that culture remains a vital lever to move our area on.

A week in the life of a city of culture

The opening of the Jerwood Gallery

With just days to go before the UK City of Culture 2017 shortlist is announced, Hastings & 1066 Country is celebrating a week of top news to strengthen its case to be included in the final four.

In the last few days TV and radio star Graham Norton has added his public endorsement for the bid, joining Keane and Eddie Izzard who have already pledged their support. “Being named city of culture is an enormous honour for any area but I can think of nowhere more deserving than 1066 country,” Graham enthused. “Bexhill and Hastings and the surrounding areas are packed to bursting with energy, creativity and attractions. Make it official and declare 1066 country the City of Culture.”

Part of the attractions and creativity is the town's Jerwood Gallery with its nationally important collection of 20th and 21st century art. This week the building has been recognised for its architectural excellence in the Royal Institute of British Architects annual awards.

Just along the seafront from Jerwood is the location for a major new public art feature and again just this week the winning design has been announced. By next Spring Henry Krokatsis’ Helter Skelter will be in place – a 13-metre high commission that will really stand out on the shoreline. A little further along the promenade is the burnt out Hastings Pier and the Pier Trust has just announced that the restoration and rebuilding will start by the end of July.

Just one of these events would be news in itself, but to get three major announcements in as many days is quite incredible, and is evidence of just how strong our bid is. And only a week ago Hastings was voted finalist in the top town category by the prestigious Academy of Urbanism.

There is already huge interest in our bid with its 1066 cultural long march retreading Harold’s steps of 950 years and groundbreaking plans to develop world class cultural education in our local schools

Large cities would be proud of achievements such as these, and we've done all this ourselves. I say let us be UK City of Culture 2017 and we will really put on a show that won't be forgotten!