From:                                                       Development Control (DMW)

Subject:                                                   FW: Hollington Youth Hub

 

 

 

 

 

From: Cllr Paul Barnett
Sent: 12 November 2024 14:25
To: Kiran Sajjan

 

Cc: Christian Williams

 

 Subject: Hollington Youth Hub

 

                             

 

Dear Kiran

 

I am writing as the ward councillor for Hollington to object to the planning application you have received for the development of the Youth Hub.

 

I have four reasons for this objection:

 

  1. Insufficient consultation. Residents have been given no detailed information by ESCC about the proposals. Some were invited to two information meetings, very few attended. The one I went to had two residents there, both of whom objected to elements of the scheme. No one who attended was told that the sports hall would be reduced in size, and no information was available to take away and share with others. We were told that this was not consultation but information (and that the consultation had already taken place, though I was not aware of that). Subsequently, when we were sent the planning application by HBC (not by ESCC), we saw it said that these meetings were popular and well attended. That’s not true. The application also said there would be no loss of sports facilities. That’s not true. And the designs make it very hard to compare what is being proposed with the existing building. I asked the design team to send me these details, but all I got were proposed space sizes, not how that compared with existing.
  2. Loss of sports facilities. HBC officers have informed me that the size of the sports hall will be reduced by 25%. This will prevent the following sports from taking place in the new building: badminton, basketball, fussbal, judo, five a side football, bowls, volleyball. This is unacceptable in the most deprived community in Hastings, a community who love sport and who have asked that sports be a key element of this new facility. There are few other sports facilities nearby, and those there are are at risk, including the adjacent community centre where protracted negotiations with ESCC have not provided a signed lease or any security for the community who manage it.
  3. Car parking: residents are concerned about the total lack of parking in this application, in fact a reduction is proposed compared to the current building,to zero. Given that all the adjacent streets are always full with residents cars, and there is pressure on delivery vehicles tom the shop next door finding parking space, several resident shave told me they object to no provision being included in this scheme. The application states that parking can take place on the adjacent community centre car park, which is small, hard to access and turn in, badly lit and often full. Plus (see above) there si no security for this car park, if ESCC redevelop this site there will then be no community parking at all. For the new Youth Hub to be viable long term, as there is no prospect of ongoing additional revenue subsidy, it will need to attract visitors from outside the immediate area, and there wont be anywhere for them to park. That is likely to leave vulnerable young people having to walk to the building after dark in an area many will not be familiar with, quite unacceptable for a new Youth Hub.
  4. Safe design. Residents are convinced that the new designs will not prevent young people climbing onto the roof, in fact the design will encourage it. There is a long history of young people accessing the roof of the community centre next door, causing serious damage and putting themselves at risk. For a new Youth Hub to be welcomed by local residents, the design should prevent this happening in future, but the stepped flat rooves wont do this.

 

 

Given the misleading information in the planning application, I ask that the foraml consultaion period be extebded and accurate and detailed information be provided to lcoal cllrs and llocla rsidn t snad community organisations.

 

I also ask given this objection and the strength of feeling in thye local communit that the application is considered by the planning committee not under deleagted powers by officers.

 

Thank you,

Paul Barnett

 

 

 

Cllr Paul Barnett

       Hollington Ward

       Leader, Hastings Independents

 

Hastings Borough Council

Muriel Matters House, Breeds Place, Hastings

 

 

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