Cabinet to discuss draft budget proposals
 Hastings Borough Council’s draft budget will be discussed by Cabinet members on Monday 12 February at Muriel Matters House from 6pm.
The draft budget shows an improving picture for the council’s finances, partly due to the numbers of households needing emergency accommodation starting to stabilise, and also savings that the council agreed to make across other services in December. As the council expands its housing acquisition programme over the coming year there will be further savings from not paying out large amounts of money to private providers.
The budget for 2024/25 also no longer includes costs for building the hotel at Cornwallis Street after Cabinet agreed in principle on Monday 29 January to sell the car park land to Whitbread for them to build the hotel at their expense.
The budget includes a 2.99% rise in the borough council element of council tax (an increase of 17p a week and £8.93 a year for a band D property).
Proposal to increase council tax for empty homes
 Hastings Borough Council’s Cabinet is due to discuss proposals to bring forward the period from two years to one year when an unoccupied and substantially unfurnished dwelling can be charged a premium of 100% council tax.
The proposal is a change to the current policy which charges an additional 100% on properties that have been empty for two years. The changes follow the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 which allow councils to charge a premium on properties that have been empty for year, rather than two years as is currently the case. The Act also allows for a 100% premium on second homes from April 2025 which the cabinet will also be discussing.
If agreed the change is designed to encourage taxpayers to use properties as their main home or allow others to use them as a main home. It is also hoped that the policy will allow more empty or unoccupied homes to be brought back into use helping to tackle the housing crisis and bring in additional income for the council.
Have you thought about how to vote?
 There are local council elections for Hastings Borough Council on Thursday 2 May, with half of the council seats up for re-election, one councillor in each ward. There will also be an election for the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) on the same date.
To have your say in who represents you on the local council, you must be registered to vote, and for the first time in Hastings, you must bring an accepted form of photo identification to vote at a polling station. This is due to new rules brought in across the country by the government in the Elections Act 2022.
To encourage everyone to think about how they are going to vote in the elections, the council is running an awareness campaign about the changes being brought in.
If you don’t have an accepted form of photo ID you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate which will allow you to vote at a polling station. Applications are made to the council and a certificate will be posted to you. The deadline for applying is 5pm on 24 April 2024 for these elections, but we encourage you to apply as early as possible if you can.
Elections staff needed
 We are looking for staff to help us at the various scheduled elections on Thursday 2 May 2024. Find out more about the different roles available and apply online.
Have your say on public realm consultation
 You might have heard about plans to change the town centre through the public realm and green connections Town Deal project. There are two public open sessions for you to find out more from the project team before you complete the consultation.
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Wednesday 21 February, 1pm - 3.30pm - Asda, Battle Road, Saint Leonards-on-Sea, TN37 7AA;
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Wednesday 21 February, 4pm - 6pm, Tesco, Church Wood Drive, St Leonards-on-Sea, TN38 9RB.
East Sussex County Council, Hastings Borough Council and the Hastings Garden Town Team are working on plans which include greener connections for walking and cycling through the town and improvements to public spaces.
The public consultation on the proposed concept designs is open until Friday 1 March. Full details including the project brochure, public events and how you can respond to plans can be viewed on the East Sussex County Council website.
The online survey is open until 11.59pm on Friday 1 March.
Printed brochures including a paper copy of the survey and a freepost envelope and are available at Hastings Library, Summerfields Leisure Centre, reception at Muriel Matters House, Breeds Place, and the Common Room in Cambridge Road.
Please let family and friends know about this consultation too, the team want to hear from as many people as possible on the proposals.
Have your say on East Sussex County Council transport plan
 There are only two weeks left to have your say on East Sussex County Council's public consultation on the draft Local Transport Plan for East Sussex.
You can find out more at a public drop-in event at Hastings Library on Saturday 10 February from 10am to 5pm.
The plan looks ahead until 2050 and sets out how East Sussex will connect people to places around and through the county by walking, wheeling and cycling, using public transport, traveling by car, or by new ways to travel.
The deadline for comments is Sunday 25 February.
The Guildhall Trust take over White Rock Theatre
 The Guildhall Trust is delighted to unveil its new programme and plans for The White Rock Theatre since becoming the venue’s new operator on 1 February 2024. It has exciting plans to develop the programme on offer, build community partnerships, and increase engagement with schools, young people and the creative sector.
Aiming to present the best in live entertainment in East Sussex, The Guildhall Trust plans to introduce a broader selection of live music and shows; develop The Sussex Studio into an intimate performance space with its own unique programme of music, comedy, drama, dance and family theatre; introduce new events including a Games Fest in 2024; deliver a wider Get Involved set of activities for the community; and invest further into the building. The Guildhall Trust will also be introducing Dance Live!, the school and college dance event that is taking the country by storm, and is excited to announce a brand-new pantomime for 2024 – more details of which will be announced soon.
Included in the 2024 line-up are the comedians John Bishop, Al Murray, Ben Elton, Chris Moyles 90s Hangover, Jimmy Carr, Jo Brand and Frank Skinner; live music such as Jools Holland and the London African Gospel Choir; and dancing at the Silent Disco.
Photo courtesy of www.sarabowreyphotos.com.
Southern Water Bulverhythe work
Southern Water have been carrying out planned work in the Bulverhythe area to replace a pipe that has repeatedly burst.
The work is due to be completed by tomorrow (Saturday 10 February), with tankers due to leave the site this weekend. Some equipment will need to be in the area for another week.
They have apologised to residents and those affected for the inconvenience.
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