Category: Latest news

Placemaking made easy – should Hastings follow this guide?

With £20m to spend over the next ten years, Hastings is one of around 75 towns across the country with an opportunity to put communities in control of significant budgets that might make a real difference to high steeets, through regeneration, safety, and transport interventions. Broadly speaking this can be put under the umbrella term…
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How Hastings might spend £20m over the next ten years (2024-2034) from the ‘Long Term Plan for Towns’ funding allocation

What is the ‘Long Term Plan for Towns? The plan was launched in October 2023, and the Prime Minister has stated it is to help deal with run-down town centres, empty, boarded-up shops, discarded rubbish, appalling antisocial behaviour and people left angry and frustrated by the neglect. Fifty towns around the UK were selected to…
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Trinity Triangle maintenance club – Dec 2023 free cleaning and basic repairs offer

If you own or are responsible for a building in the Trinity Triangle you could benefit from the upcoming Trinity Triangle Historic Action Zone (TTHAZ) Maintenance Club winter clean. The winter clean is scheduled for 4th December for around one week, where Sam and his team from Eco Clean East Sussex have been contracted to…
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A history of Priory Stream, Priory water, and the many culverts of Hastings – plus the storm tunnel and its workings (and associated interesting facts)

History underground Hastings and history go hand-in-hand – but whilst Harold and his ill-fated battle are the main thing that comes to mind (along with the town being the birthplace of TV), there is some fascinating stuff going on underground in the sewers and culverts that carry water from the hills to the sea. We…
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From helping police investigations to lobbying for improved highways maintenance – here’s a few weeks in the life of a Business Improvement District Manager

Time for an updated diary blog By John Bownas – Hastings BID / Town Centre Manager A while back, during the COVID crisis, I wrote a detailed blog post about what I’d been doing over a two-week period. Some of it was unique to that time, and some was still day-to-day business as usual. Now…
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Hastings Music Audience Survey 2023: Results

With over 500 respondents, this is probably the most detailed and accurate survey ever carried out of the gig-going habits and preferences of Hastings’ many live-music lovers. Based on statistical assessments the results from a survey of this size ought to be accurate indicators of most people’s views to within around +/- 3%. The survey…
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Second term ballot proposals

Pictured: Peter Rolfe, Business Ambassador and John Bownas, BID Manager (click links for what we do) During March, local businesses get the chance to vote on proposals for a second term of the Business Improvement District – ‘Love Hastings’. Love Hastings is promising: Levy bills reduced by 16% to 50% (depending on rateable values) An…
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Snap survey shows how Hastings will be hit as part of projected £4BN ‘Plan B’ loss predicted for UK hospitality sector

In a snap survey carried out by Love Hastings over half of the hospitality businesses who responded said the current ‘Plan B’ restrictions may cost them an average of around £10,000 each in lost takings over the Christmas period alone.  The survey was triggered by a call from the UK Hospitality trade association to ask…
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Pirate Galivant 2021 – full programme

WIN AN X-BOX by following the treasure trail around the town and collecting all ten letters to crack the pirate code! Friday 16th July In Ye Taverns Nags Head 8.30pm – Lovinia Belle ‘The Drag Pirate Queen’ Goats Ledge –  Evening Pirate Shenanigans – pirate cocktails & food specials The Fountain on Queens 8.00pm –…
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A day in the life of Hastings’ Business Ambassador

This daily diary covers the first week of non-essential retail being re-opened after lockdown and paints a typical picture of the wide range of work that a BID Business Ambassador gets involved in. ” Flexible working is key in these unprecedented times and ensures I’m in the right place at the right time for BID businesses.…
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A week in the life of a Business Improvement District Manager

This daily diary covers the first week of non-essential retail being re-opened after lockdown and paints a typical picture of the wide range of work that a BID manager gets involved in. MONDAY: 7am bright and early and the town flower troughs get an early morning check, with the ones that feel a bit dry…
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Buy Local

“The ‘buy local’ message has always been high on our agenda. Research shows that 65% of every pound spent in a local shop remains in the local economy. That means if everyone in the town made the decision to spend just £10 each week locally rather than onlineor with a national supplier we would lock…
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Hastings Christmas lights

Town centre Christmas lights

At Love Hastings, we are responsible for choosing, buying and managing the Christmas lights programme for the town centre. The areas included in the programme are Robertson Street, Cambridge Road, Wellington Place, Castle Street and Queens Road. In 2018 we chose to invest in brand new lights for Queens Road and Robertson Street, which marked…
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Artshelter

Artists living or working in or around Hastings were recently offered the chance to display their works on the backs of bus shelters around the town. The currently empty 100cm x 62cm frames have been made available to the Love Hastings ‘Artshelter‘ project and provide a great opportunity to brighten up the area. Any sort…
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The Crypt

THE CRYPT IS BACK! – Bigger and better than ever…

For those who remember The Crypt at its sweaty peak, it’s now back on the Hastings live music scene… After closing in 2011, The Crypt in Hastings is re-opening its original doors on Havelock road on 15th November.  There will be thousands of people with long-lasting memories of seeing some of the biggest names in British music pass through…
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Town centre planters

New planters for year-round greenery and colour

We’ve been working with Rotherview Nurseries to design a series of trough planting schemes that will result in some great-looking displays all year round. The first of almost 100 troughs were installed in Havelock Road recently and these will soon be followed with more in Queens Road. The remainder will follow over coming months as…
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Hastings Bonfire

Hastings Bonfire 2019 – what you need to know

Saturday 19th October – 7:15pm It’s one of the busiest nights of the year, and the town centre will see an increase in visitors over the weekend. The torch-lit procession is quite possibly the largest of it’s kind in the world and the town will start to get increasingly busy from the late afternoon. Hopefully…
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Queens Road Hastings

BID funding helps bring a new splash of colour to the town

The annual arts festival Coastal Currents is back again this year, and we worked with the organisers to allow local artists the chance to create some amazing mural works that will leave a lasting legacy in and around the town centre.  Visitors to Queen’s Road will have undoubtedly spotted the lovely portrait that has gone…
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Hastings Pride bunting

Pride bunting in Hastings town centre

Love Hastings is delighted to support Hastings Pride 2019.  Part of the support we offered, included purchasing reusable Pride bunting for the town centre. This was kindly installed by East Sussex Highways. We have also contributed to the costs of the event, including road closures and insurance. Find out more about Hastings Pride here.

Hastings Pride

Hastings Pride

In the early hours of June 28, 1969, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club located in Greenwich Village in New York City. The raid sparked a riot among bar patrons and neighborhood residents as police roughly hauled employees and patrons out of the bar, leading to six days of protests…
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