At last week’s local elections, Hastings residents gave the local Green Party eight new councillors, bringing the total to twelve. We feel honoured by your trust and energised by the responsibility that entails. Throughout the campaign you told us you’d had enough of bickering between parties, disliked all negative campaigning and wanted us to work together to get on with the job of improving our town. We take that message seriously. As the biggest group on the council, we will negotiate with the other political groups to form as cooperative and collaborative an administration as possible.
I would like to thank the officer team for a smooth well-run election and count, and for their handling of the major incident resulting from the failure of yet another piece of Southern Water infrastructure which left most of Hastings without water over one of the busiest weekends of the year. The 41st Jack in the Green festival was celebrated regardless – ironically under a downpour on Monday – and thousands joined in.