
Party positions polarised in West St Leonards
As the local election campaign enters its final phase, Chris Connelley takes the political temperature in West St Leonards, where two major planning issues are polarising party positions.
As the local election campaign enters its final phase, Chris Connelley takes the political temperature in West St Leonards, where two major planning issues are polarising party positions.
Does West St Leonards deserve better than Hastings Borough Council (HBC) is offering? Local residents and others certainly think so. The pandemic prevented a gathering, so there was a visual protest recently, in advance of the presentation of a petition to the Full Council on Wednesday 16th. Bernard McGinley reports, and took the pictures.
Local residents opposed to the council’s plan for a large housing development on the old bathing pool site in West St Leonards met last weekend with local MP Sally-Ann Hart, who, they report, supports their campaign. After lengthy delays the council has yet to sign an exclusivity deal with its chosen developer. Bryan Fisher of Save Our Bathing Site (SOBS) provides an update.
Prompted by what are widely seen as inappropriate council plans for the old bathing pool site in West Marina, the West St Leonards community is now seeking to organise itself to have a greater say in what happens in its area. These efforts are being headed by the West St Leonards Forum, on whose behalf Bryan Fisher has issued this press release.
Help Shape West St Leonards! That is the rallying cry from West St Leonards Forum as, against a background of local opposition to council housing proposals on the old bathing pool site and Bulverhythe recreation ground, they urge the community to get behind the development of a neighbourhood plan . Meetings to discuss the proposal will be held on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The Forum’s Bryan Fisher explains.