Latest news with #HastingsBoroughCouncil
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Celebrations as two beaches in same town awarded Blue Flag status for the first time
Hastings has been awarded the Blue Flag and Seaside Award status for both Marina and Pelham beaches for the first time. The awards, presented by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, recognise the best beaches in England. This marks a significant achievement for the town in its efforts to improve and maintain the quality of its coastline. Julia Hilton, deputy leader and councillor responsible for tourism at Hastings Borough Council, said: "We are delighted that Pelham has joined Marina beach in receiving both the Blue Flag and Seaside Award for the first time. "Hastings Borough Council is proud of the quality of the beaches we have in our town. "We work hard alongside fantastic volunteers to keep our beaches clean and maintain the water quality, so it is great to see this work being recognised." The Blue Flag and Seaside Award status is not easily achieved, with strict criteria to be met. This includes excellent bathing water quality, with regular sampling and testing for microbiological and physical-chemical parameters. Councillor Hilton acknowledged the challenges faced with Southern Water, but praised the maintenance of the award status as a "great achievement." She added: "One of the key Blue Flag requirements is excellent bathing water quality. "This includes having sampling points in the areas on our bathing beaches most used, as well as near potential pollution sources on these beaches, such as streams, rivers, or stormwater outlets, to ensure these do not affect water quality. "Samples must be taken regularly at these bathing beaches and tested for both microbiological and physical-chemical parameters." Councillor Hilton also encouraged residents and visitors to help keep the seafront tidy by disposing of rubbish responsibly and reporting full bins on My Hastings. She said: "You can all do your bit to help keep our seafront tidy by putting your rubbish into bins or taking it home with you. "If the bins are full, please report these on My Hastings so our waste teams can empty them." She also reminded beachgoers to check the RNLI website for safety advice and to follow the guidance of on-duty lifeguards.
BBC News
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Agatha Christie - Queen of Crime exhibition coming to East Sussex
An Agatha Christie exhibition is set to open in East Sussex. The display, by Gale Goddard, explores the life and legacy of the English author, known for her detective novels and short stories. Titled Agatha Christie – The Queen of Crime, it is set to open on Saturday at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery. Exhibits include displays such as Poirot's dinner setting on the Orient Express, Christie's 1926 disappearance, and Egyptian artefacts linking to Death on the Nile. Original items, books, and objects will also be shown. "Agatha Christie is one of the world's most loved crime writers," said Julia Hilton, leader of Hastings Borough Council, adding that lots of people will be excited to see the display. She said there were suggestions that Christie visited the area, with Hastings and St Leonards referenced in a couple of her books. The exhibition - which is free to enter - is planned to run until 10 August.
BBC News
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Dinosaur gallery reopens at Hastings Museum
A newly-refurbished gallery featuring objects from prehistoric times has reopened at a museum in East Dinosaur Gallery, which welcomes visitors back from Saturday at Hastings Museum, has had its first major overhaul since it was installed in its current location in revamp sees new additions and some that have been locked away in the museum's stores for decades. Julia Hilton, lead for culture and tourism at Hastings Borough Council, said she was "delighted" the gallery was open in time for the school Easter holidays. The display draws on work by geologists and palaeontologists to tell the prehistoric stories hidden within the museum's fossil include a bespoke display case created using repurposed cabinets from the former Old Town Hall gallery retains old favourite features, including the Pepper's Ghost illusions where fossils transform into lifelike models at the press of a project was supported by Arts Council England as part of the museum's National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) funding.
BBC News
02-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Hastings council considers a ban on sleeping in vehicles
People could be banned from sleeping in vehicles across Hastings after the borough council proposed an extension of a public space protection Monday, Hastings Borough Council's cabinet agreed to hold a formal consultation on proposals connected with the town's Anti-Social Behaviour Public Space Protection Order (PSPO).Residents will be asked to share their views on whether to renew the existing PSPO for another three years and whether a ban on sleeping in cars and vans should be introduced across the proposal has received strong criticism that it would effectively "criminalise homelessness", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. In a report to cabinet, officers noted how the council had received "numerous complaints" about people sleeping in vehicles and caravans in St Helens Road, Cinque Ports Way, Sedlescombe Road North and Napier Road, among other said enforcement of the prohibition would be made on a "case-by-case" basis, with the issuing of fines to be "a last resort". Resident Jane Tegg told BBC Sussex: "I think it's a very good idea. I'm behind it all the way because I don't like the caravans here. "This is a nice area here and we don't want these nasty-looking caravans parked."She added that she thinks they are "an eyesore" and she worried about "what they do with their effluents and stuff". 'Van is life-saver' But another resident, Trish, who has a flat in Hastings but referred to herself as a "van-lifer", said the proposed ban was "atrocious"."Freedom of speech and freedom of going where you want to go and travelling where you want to go is being stamped out," she said."I was bedridden for six months. I couldn't move, I couldn't walk. So this is the reason I got my first van."I like to wake up at the crack of dawn and watch the sun rise over the sea. It's my life-saver when I'm in extreme pain."No van-lifers want anything to be disturbing the nature. People like us clean up after ourselves. Yes, you get the rogue ones that don't care about the environment and yes they should be stopped."
The Independent
22-03-2025
- The Independent
Residents still can't go home days after explosive chemicals found at house
Residents evacuated from a St Leonards street are still unable to return to their homes following the discovery of explosive chemicals in a nearby house. Police were called to the A259 Marina road in the East Sussex town on Thursday. A 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of producing illegal substances and making an explosive substance for an unlawful purpose and a major incident was declared on Friday while an operation continued to make the chemicals safe. A Sussex Police spokesman said: 'The chemical incident near St Leonards seafront continues as multi-agency partners work to safely bring this incident to a close. 'On Friday afternoon (March 21) the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team desensitised the chemicals found in the property on the A259 Marina and they are conducting a thorough search of the property for any further hazardous material. Emergency services at the scene on the A259 Marina (PA) 'The scene is not safe until this search has been completed in full and this will continue into tomorrow. 'Public safety is our priority and the 100-metre cordon remains in place. 'We will allow residents to return to their homes as soon as it is safe for them to do so. 'We understand how unsettling it is for the 73 people displaced but thank the public for their patience and understanding. 'We continue to liaise with Hastings Borough Council at the rest centre at Royal Victoria Hotel.' The spokesman added that an update on the Hastings Half Marathon, which is due to be run on Sunday along the road, would be provided as soon as possible. Chief Inspector James Scott said: 'We appreciate there has been a degree of uncertainty but this is a live incident and we are updating people as we have the information. 'Keeping people safe remains our priority. 'We understand there is speculation around the circumstances of this incident, however we can confirm that the chemicals are not part of any large-scale drugs production and the incident is not believed to be terror-related.'
