Merlin Betts
News in brief involves a Hex journalist summarising the news displayed in another local media outlet for that week or fortnight. The summaries will likely include personal comments and additional research not present in the original article. If you don’t like that, well, you were warned. Last week’s news in brief was covering the Observer.
This fortnight: the Hastings Independent drills down on housing issues and campaigns, discusses the terrible state of our criminal justice system and spotlights some points of local regeneration (or gentrification).
For some reason they’ve led with St Mary in the Castle on the front page, when the real story is an estimated 125 innocent men sat rotting in Lewes prison.
Where news provides problems, Tim Barton’s book review offers some socially ecological solutions. Meanwhile arts offers distraction, or possibly joy in the details of life.
Quick public service announcement, I used to work for Hastings Independent (I really mean volunteer but, you know, we like to pretend it’s work) for maybe six years. This will lead to some colourful comments.
News
The cockerel calls
Hastings Independent Group (a rogue Facebook page and unregistered political party) bought the back of the paper to complain about the Green control of Hastings Borough Council (HBC), and HBC’s attitude toward government devolution plans.
To clarify, HIP makes most of its money from advertising, and Hastings Independent Group paid to get this information on the back page. Despite the similarity in their names, HIP is very keen to emphasise that they are not connected.
The Independent Group want Hastings and other district councils to remain when the county is carved up, while East Sussex County Council, in its current form, would be dissolved. It would be replaced with a “federal” county model like in Greater Manchester – so probably another council, but one that gives much more power to districts like Hastings. This differs from Labour proposals (a vaguely defined ‘new authority along the coast’) and Green/Tory proposals (a new East Sussex council, not federal – thought to be more popular with Westminster).
I don’t like their paying for an attack ad against the Greens (this isn’t America mate) but The Independents’ plan is the best on the table, as far as HBC goes – and you should say so at any consultation the council invite you to. Will Keir Starmer’s government allow it? Probably not.
Have a look at what our local community assembly thought of the devolution options.
A future for St Mary?
HIP reports that a new St Mary in the Castle Drivers Group (including Hastings Commons) is looking for interested parties to analyze possible futures for the building. A group will be chosen from applicants to receive £10,000 to make a final report that might be used to develop the site.
I can’t see much different (apart from the financial incentive) from this perhaps more informative account of a meeting last year, which seems to predict a new research/planning group.
Pints with Purpose
The Hastings Project, like HIP, is a CIC, except instead of printing papers at a loss, they brew beers to raise money for local causes/charities. They held a drinking fundraiser at the Stade that apparently went pretty well. Future plans include a new beer for Jack in the Green, two pub quiz fundraisers for Jack in the Green (one at the Albion, one at Ypres in Rye), and a beer co-operation with Goat Ledge to raise money for Surfers Against Sewage.
Why not Clean Water Action Group? Do they not need any money? In fact, while we’re at it, what about raising money for HIP? They used to like a drink and need a fundraiser. You could brew a stout called ‘inky black’ or something (not after the ink from print that comes off on your fingers, or the inkwell you might spill while using an old-fashioned pen, but the inky darkness found within the long, dark teatime of the soul).
Graffiti
Cllr Tony Collins writes that graffiti (as opposed to street art) is a more complex problem than it first appears. The ordinary enforcement solutions – CCTV, Community Protection Notices and Criminal Behaviour Orders, even the rare conviction – seem ineffective. There’s a deeper issue causing widespread graffiti that’s much harder to solve – likely the alienation of the town’s youth.
As to clean-up, the council has its work cut out. While reports of graffiti to My Hastings went down from 2023 to 2024, the problem seems as bad as ever. The council’s 24-person clean up response unit also handles fly-tipping, dog mess and other issues, which made up about 13,000 of the 14,000 reports it received on My Hastings last year – graffiti was a relatively minor part of their workload. And the police? They’ve put one community support officer on the graff writer beat. But maybe that’s alright, since we want their officers dealing with more severe crimes? In the end, Tony says you just have to keep reporting, to My Hastings, Crimestoppers or 101.
This article gets so close to actually suggesting something useful, but then doesn’t. Interesting thoughts, however.
Pips ‘community centre’
Pip Hersee has launched a health foods, workshop and event space in the George Street property owned by six generations of his family, previously occupied by Bells Bicycles.
HIP has six to eight pages of local Listings
Whereas in the Netherlands, six to eight ex-slaves (only recently freed) carry Santa around and do his bidding, which may or may not include beating children. If you’d like to be listed, you can email listings@hastingsindependentpress.co.uk.
And you know I always tell folk… when I were a lad… this were all fields… and there were only two or three listings pages in the Hastings Independent. I know. Different times. That were back in… oooh… 2022 I should think. Feels like an eternity.
Housing
All quiet at Clifton Court
Housing Association Orbit – which owns the 53 home property – has been in mysterious discussions with unnamed ‘authorities’ (for the most part, not including our council) since Clifton Court was vacated in July 2023. Many, perhaps all of the 53 flats are in a good state of repair and can readily be lived in, as we found out during a protest last year. But Orbit emptied them and wants to demolish them nonetheless, delaying 53 households on the 1,000+ strong housing list (most, but not all currently in temporary accommodation) from finding a home. Hastings Borough Council seems fine with this situation, and is almost eager for its planning department to – at long last – receive proposals for the site. Orbit claim to be “acutely aware of the current demand for affordable housing in Hastings”, yet still they delay. Also, their new builds tend to include many shared ownership properties – which are not affordable, not social rents, and are essentially sold into private hands. In other words, these won’t address demand for affordable housing.
Hugh Sullivan (a longstanding newswriter at HIP) had a word with me about this one. You might not want to read my 4,000 word piece on the state of things at Clifton Court, but as I told him when I saw his draft, I don’t think his piece in HIP quite does the job either – and that was before it was edited. This is why I’ve basically summarised my piece rather than his.
Orbit apologises
For recently blocking refuse collection at the neighbouring Hermitage with its erection of a fortress around the Clifton Court car park (bit late, Orbit. Protestors, architects and councillors have already been in the building, didn’t you see the banners?).
The Old Bathing Pool site
The council’s favoured developer for the site, West Marina St Leonards ltd (a co-operative effort between Generator Group and Country Gate Properties), will present plans at Electro Studios, 15.00, Tuesday 29 April. Not a great time for anyone working. Their leading opponents, West Marina Partnerships (these names are far too similar), whose recommendations for the site have apparently been ignored, will present their case earlier today, Sunday 27 April, 14.00 at Marina Park, Seaside Road. Something of an overview of the situation here.
Ideally I’d write this on Thursday when the paper unofficially comes out, and upload it Friday, so the dates mentioned make more sense. But the time lapse shows how stupid it is that a fortnightly paper fills itself with dates that’ll be irrelevant by the time a lot of people read it. Or maybe more of you pick up and read a copy of HIP on Friday than we ever realised?
Save Sandrock Bends
Their public meeting happened Thursday 24 April. Read more here, “Ancient Woodland Proposed for Private Housing” or on their website. The site is an important wildlife corridor, would likely present a serious flood risk if built on, and the developer has no meaningful plans for affordable homes.
The council housing strategy
Hastings Borough Council is still developing its housing strategy and wants to hear from you. Labour want them to find land for 722 homes (last year it was 490, so that’s quite a leap), but Hastings is already densely urbanised, and besides, the problem we’re facing is not the lack of houses, it’s the unaffordable prices, the Airbnbs and the empty properties!
Some of my pals at Hastings Housing Alliance (HHA) and Acorn have sat in on their behind-closed-doors meetings, which were until recently entirely dominated by big local landlords. I mention this because you can also email HHA and Acorn with your concerns, and they might well pass them on. Whereas I doubt the landlords would’ve ever represented you.
Mourning the loss of Four Courts
We have a fair bit of coverage of the situation at Four Courts here at Hex, so I’m frustrated to read the Labour Councillor for Conquest Ward (well, everyone at the council apparently…) treating it like a done deal. Where’s the fire? Where’s the fight?
Cllr John Rankin recalls some history of the blocks, built in 1963 and locally christened as “The Wimpey Towers”, and then there’s a moment of hope when he reminds us that Southern Housing haven’t applied to HBC for permission to demolish yet (i.e. hinting at the likelihood that SH haven’t thought through their plans at all – they’re also entirely unfunded.)
But Cllr Rankin ends up wistfully referring to the plot as if it were already demolished, hoping that any new housing doesn’t completely annihilate the green and community spaces there. He mentions how difficult it will be for many families to find new homes – but not how frustrating their getting priority will be for families on the housing waiting list, or Southern Housing’s internal high-priority waiting list, all of which will be ignored while these 400 households are moved. Instead he says we must document how these families used to exist, and what culture they used to have, before the demolition. Yes, write poetry as the bodies are sent over the top, I’m sure it’ll stop the killing. It wasn’t that long ago that Explore the Arch were celebrating Four Courts as a living community. What changed?
Criminal justice
Innocents jailed, cases unheard.
Richard Body, of Richard Body Law ltd, describes how local magistrates courts, which deal with about 90% of Hastings crime, are being forced into a backlog because the government won’t pay for legal advisers to support the magistrates’ work. This has been happening for years already. Worse, Eastbourne court has been shut, and Hastings doesn’t do custody cases anymore, so most cases have to go to Brighton – a persistent slog for local solicitors and a massively increased burden on fewer legal staff. Brighton takes on cases from all of Sussex – the queueing/backlog is insane.
Worse still, more serious cases go to Lewes Crown Court, where you might wait six months in jail for your case to be heard, and 50% of the time defendants are found innocent, meaning a lot of innocent people spending tortuous months in overcrowded prisons (see below). On bail, people have had to wait 14 months for trial – leaving a lot of folks in anxious uncertainty about results. Richard says this could be helped by paying for part-time judges to help, but the court budget won’t cover it. The bigger problem is that there aren’t enough young barristers and solicitors taking on criminal cases – because legal aid won’t pay them enough to be competitive. The staff available for cases is in constant decline, making the future of our criminal justice system look pretty bleak. Wasn’t Kier Starmer supposed to be a lawyer? Shouldn’t he have noticed something like this?
Crime and punishment.
This is mostly stats or overlaps with Richard, and my summary will miss parts. See the full thing here if you’re interested. Total crime rates in Hastings have stayed steady, but violent and sexual crimes – as a portion of that steady total – have gone up by 173% (though this could partly be people reporting more crimes than they did before, and not necessarily more crimes happening). In 2014, a mere 14% of reported crime was resolved. In 2023, it was down to 4%. Precipitation on Monday is predicted at 27%, with the wind at half corner, fierce-mild. And that’s all from the weather desk. Over to you, Merlin.
Thank you, Merlin. In Lewes prison, more than half of the 578 men contained were awaiting trial. A recent inspection revealed increasing violence, self-harm and drug abuse. Prisoners caught in cycles of homelessness and/or repeat offending. Many prisoners are effectively kept in isolation, leaving their cell only an hour or two per day. Overcrowding means some prisoners are held with sex offenders or higher risk prisoners who are normally kept separate from the main population. The government’s early release scheme also seems to be ineffective, shortening sentences for seemingly unreformed dangerous criminals. While civil county courts don’t do criminal cases, their backlog is as bad or worse than the criminal courts. Expect Kier Starmer to launch the new Purge Bill white paper by October.
Your Day In Court. Random day of cases at Hastings Law Courts. If you like that sort of thing, here it is. Kent also wrote a piece of flash fiction entitled “The Nightmare Scenario”. I like to imagine we could mix the fiction and the vox pops in with the factual information, rather than separating it out so it seems lonely and weird. But here I am separating out my personal comments in italics, so…
Arts
Rita Braga, music history, Jenny Lind
Arts Editor Victoria Kingham and insanely productive artist and organiser Jude Montague give a potted history of Brazil and its music since the early 1800s. It’s good, and if you’re interested you should read it. This combines with a preview of Rita Braga, an intriguing and very capable Brazilian musician, who’ll be playing at the monthly Adventures in Pop (hosted by Jude and Matt) at the Jenny Lind on 6 May. They round it off with a capable overview of Brazilian musical influences and groups in Hastings.
Theatrical soap opera concludes
Local “staged drama” DFL, was started by Hastings Theatre Project on Pirate Day 2024. The story has been informed by audience feedback and Hastings’ events calendar. Knowledge of the previous episodes is not required, but you can read recaps (with pictures) on the Hastings Theatre Project website. There are three chances to catch the finale performance on 3 May, starting at 14:00 at Ladies Parlour (the grass bank next to Hastings Castle). And there will be a party afterwards. Head to West Hill Community Centre at 5pm. Wine will be present.
Hastings Rocks Film Festival
Interview with volunteer Matt Cottrill. It’s like a Q&A, talking headsy, voxy poppy vibe.
Saxony Blues
A short review of Max Baille’s style and a recent performance. He sounds capable. If you like this sort of thing, you’ll probably know and enjoy him already.
Opera South East do Gilbert and Sullivan
Three dates this weekend (25, 26, 27), so you’ve already missed them (and none were in Hastings). HIP – for lightning fast, spur-of-the-moment news! Catch it quick before it’s gone!
Secret Hastings
Ex HIP editor Nick Pelling reviews a surprise/secret show by Mykki Blanco. Sounds like it was a great night. Organised by Mike Willis at Henry Ward Hall/His Place Community Church. If you want to be on the list for gigs like this, there’s a whatsapp group you should probably join.
Hastings Comedy Festival turns ten!
It’s going to be great. All the best people will be there. Really. It’s too good. I just know it’s going to be so great. And there are too many acts to list here. 9-15 June, look on hastingscomedyfestival.com.
Bizarre but True replaced!
Dean Stalham is pairing up with American entrepreneur and music biz afficionado Patrick Lyons to create a kind of arts hub thing. It seems to be called MeU HQ! Dean will be hosting punk poetry nights under the banner of Stretched Lips, beginning on 27 April – today! Frances Saunders (an excellent local playwright, screenwriter and teacher) will run his radio station from the premises, and host drama and writing workshops for young people, plus resurrect his play The Tenant for performance on site (I saw it at the Stables, it was harrowing in a really good way). A programme of live music is also expected.
Much to my surprise – clearly I’ve not been paying attention – Bizarre but True on St Andrews Mews has gone out of business. I went to some lovely poetry nights there run by Flight Feathers in support of Poet Town – a new book showcasing Hastings poets. The blokes running it were really lovely, despite trials and tribulations like being one of the businesses thrown out of the Debenhams building following the failure of OWENS.
Local artists selected for national exhibition. Andrew Harston and Christopher Hoggins will feature in Outside In’s National Open Exhibition. The theme for the show is shelter. Andrew lives out of a campervan which – for a time – the council wouldn’t let him stay in, and Christopher was thrown out of the home he’d been in for 13 years, at the same time discovering that he’s autistic. So you can say both of them have an illuminating take on the significance of shelter. Find them on Instagram @andrewharstonart and @chris_hoggins.
St Leonards Church Weekend Market
Saturdays and Sundays, 10-4, on the London/Pevensey Road turning.
I owe this man a plug from ages back when I interviewed him and didn’t write it up (sorry – I also owe you a write-up). Last time I visited the market it was quality vintage clothing, handicrafts/jewellery and a nice bit of food. It’s also a pretty pleasant space to wander about or have a coffee in, below the church. I want to call it an undercroft but it’s technically ground level, so I’m not sure if that works.
Literature
An honourable mention to Pete Donohue’s literature section, the only part of HIP still truly flying the flag.
Social Ecology
Are you concerned about the impending apocalypse? Or even just Labour’s plans for so-called ‘devolution’? Well so is Tim Barton (longstanding HIP contributor and owner of Bookbusters, Queens Road) who reviews Eleanor Finley’s recent book Practicing Social Ecology. The theory of social ecology finds its practice in examples across the world, but also acts on our community and politics in Hastings, giving us real and flexible democratic solutions to the town’s major problems. The question is just whether enough people will adapt in good enough time. As ever a very informative review including local political analysis, have a read.
Like Deja Vu
Oli Spleen
The present I hold only in contempt
For it is now and now and always now
Whereas the past embroiders on itself
With recollection’s corners worn by time
The future holds its openness unwrit’
It is a breath that has yet to be breathed
Or that of death, to suffocate diseased
When what was planned reveals the opposite
Now’s sad stone certainty, I scrutinise
Whereas the times of joy just seemed to fleet
Sit back on life, relax and close your eyes
Until nostalgia brings life back, complete
Food
Do you enjoy the combination of asparagus, crab and radish? Well, heck, this is for you.
Marina Allotments
Edwina gives them a review, discusses the weather, and advises on growing asparagus. Some fun tidbits – they have a pizza oven, composting toilet, nut grove, and hazel coppicing. If you don’t know hazel coppicing (and I’m not sure I do either) it provides for the traditional methods of hedgelaying (I think) which generally make for much better land maintenance and ecology. I follow Paul Lamb @westcountry_hedgelayer, and feel obliged to plug him and his methods.
Sport
Hastings Pirates form club, possibly to hit Spanish privateers and Royal Navy Officials.
Originally the South Coast Pirates, with no fixed abode, the baseball club was reformed into Hastings Pirates by the players (after a near miss with a Navy Frigate off the coast of Nassau) and now live at Claremont School. The team are something of an underdog, or a roving sloop with small-bore cannon, finishing last year at the lowest knot of UK baseball’s chip log. But that hasn’t dampened their powder!
The team are very happy to be associated with Hastings, and their new kit will be green (like the scales on a mermaid’s tail!) like a certain Jack, and bearing an RX insignia after the town’s smuggling fleet. Single A baseball (which they play) allows teams of mixed genders and ages. While the club doesn’t currently have any female players, they’ll readily welcome anyone who can contribute a doubloon or a good arm to their diverse crew (read: anyone who likes baseball). Despite being pirates, they don’t really make any money, and have a crowdfunder to get a new home plate and repair/improve important equipment.
Hastings United relegated from Isthmian Premier League to South-East Division after draw with Essex visitors Hashtag United.
If you’d like to discuss the news or have any thoughts on this segment, please do comment below!