Here are some highlights from last night’s full council:
HOUSING
We’ve approved Phase 2 of the council’s Housing Programme which will provide around 134 new council-owned homes to help our residents most in need. This includes:
- 25 homes for people who are otherwise sleeping on the streets
- An Emergency Accommodation Centre for short-term stays
- 16 new-build affordable and energy efficient homes – the first this council has built for 30+ years
This programme will not only significantly reduce our temporary accommodation costs, but all these homes will have to meet our Fit-to-Let standards and be minimum EPC-C Energy rated, to ensure they are warm, dry and healthy for their new occupants.
This is an ongoing programme, and with over 550 households in temporary accommodation, more needs to be done. Hastings Green Councillors are also working on:
- Appointing an Empty Homes Officer to help bring empty properties back into use
- Appointing a Landlord Licensing Officer to raise standards in private rentals
- Our longer-term Housing Strategy to build and buy more decent, affordable homes
- Reducing our TA numbers to from over 550 to double figures or below.
Thanks must go to our Housing Team for all their hard work!
We were also pleased that our new cross-party Housing Working Group has been well-received by other parties.
Other highlights include:
FINANCE
- Some good news from Finance where we’ve seen a record income on our investments
- Green Council Leader Julia Hilton confirmed that all group leaders have agreed to work cross-party on Finance to ensure better scrutiny and prevent poor budgetary decisions being made
CLIMATE
- Green Leader Julia Hilton confirmed we are working with other councils who are facing issues with landslides. We will share learning and together lobby government for much-needed legislation to help support landslide victims
- Cllr Jobson’s motion to support a new climate and nature bill will be brought in September (once we know what central Government’s plans are for this previous bill)