News

Read the latest news about the Safer Hastings Partnership, our recent achievements and new initiatives here…

Area Coordination: A new way of working together

January 2006

AREA COORDINATION is a new way for service providers, residents and local councillors to work together to ensure that services meet the needs of individual neighbourhoods.

Under this new approach, service provision within Hastings & St Leonards will be organised around four areas, each made up of four wards.

Coordinated by Hastings Borough Council’s Neighbourhood Renewal Team, this system will work to narrow the gap in quality of life between neighbourhoods. The aim is to tackle crime and raise levels of education, health, employment, housing and environmental standards across the town, concentrating on the areas most in need of improvement.

How will it work?

Each of the four areas will have a strategic board that enables residents and other parties to work together towards achieving improvements in the area. The board will monitor a strategic plan, which will set out the work needed to achieve the targets within the Hastings Community Strategy. These targets will concentrate on the neighbourhoods most in need of improvement. All strategic plans will have a three-year lifespan, with an annual review.

Each area will have an Area Coordinator. This will be a Council officer experienced in the work of Neighbourhood Renewal who will help develop, support and co-ordinate all area-based work.

Each area will also have a team of representatives from local agencies, including the Police, Council Wardens, Environmental Services and others, who will meet monthly to troubleshoot environmental and crime hotspots and other issues as they arise.

Getting to know you and your neighbourhood

Hastings Borough Council would like to thank all the residents who visited the launch event for Area Coordination in November and helped to make it a success. Hundreds of residents came along to the Town Hall to see an exhibition about Hastings, take part in activities and talk to representatives from the Council and other local agencies about their neighbourhoods and priorities for improving them.

Where do you fit in?

If you live in Ashdown, Conquest, Hollington or Wishing Tree wards, your area is known as North St Leonards.

If you live in Baird, Tressell, Ore or Old Hastings wards, your area is known as East Hastings.

If you live in Castle, Braybrooke, St Helens or Silverhill wards, your area is known as Central.

If you live in Central St Leonards, Gensing, Maze Hill or West St Leonards wards, your area is known as South St Leonards.

How can I find out more?

To find out more about Area Coordination and how you can get involved, contact the Neighbourhood Renewal Team on 01424 781339.

Know your Wardens

January 2006

THE GOVERNMENT’S Together Action Initiative tackles a broad range of anti-social behaviour by working in partnership.

The Warden Service Team is focused on forging closer working relationships with Hastings Borough Council’s other frontline services, especially those responsible for tackling enviro-crime, such as overhanging vegetation, graffiti and fly-tipping.

This combines the Council’s Clean, Green, Safe and Active vision and the priorities of the Together Action Area initiative.

One key aim is to help to reduce people’s overall fear of crime by reducing the obvious signs of anti-social behaviour such as graffiti, littering, and abandoned vehicles. To best achieve this, the Warden Service has extended its hours to operate between 10am and 9pm. Covering the evenings enables the Wardens to work effectively in community areas that have regular anti-social/nuisance behaviour problems.

A very wide range of issues are picked up by the Wardens through their routine patrolling, including all types of enviro-crime, low level disturbances such as nuisance neighbours, groups of young people and abandoned vehicles.

The Warden Service has access to vehicles equipped with all the tools necessary to operate as rapid response units and tackle small-scale environmental issues on the scene.

Wardens are gradually feeling the benefit of new powers after a new Government act, introduced earlier last year. The team is now able to issue Fixed Penalty Notices to people who drop litter and allow their dogs to foul the streets.

Since April 2005, lone patrolling has been the norm, unless there is a specific risk. The Senior Warden and Lead Wardens are responsible for making sure that the team focuses 80% of its time in the most deprived super-output areas, including the town centre on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, to support the early evening economy.

Senior Wardens attend local forums and partnership meetings. This provides invaluable feedback on cases that have involved the Service. It also gives the partnership group and forums the chance to flag up important issues to the Wardens and ask for their assistance.

Senior Wardens have worked hard to establish and develop good communications with other Council departments and, in particular, with the Police. Cooperative working with other departments and organisations is key to the success of the Warden Service, which benefits from shared resources and information.

There are numerous examples of the Wardens’ successes that demonstrate the positive difference they make to our town on a daily basis. From the long list of triumphs below, it’s clear to see our Warden Service is something quite special.

Councillor Godfrey Daniel, who holds the portfolio for environment and safety, said, “The Warden Service is the eyes and ears of our community and provides a invaluable service to everybody living and working in our town.

“The Wardens make connections in the community and keep a keen eye on what’s going on. The new powers the Warden Service has been given will enhance their ability to improve our town. I am very hopeful that this year will be as successful, if not more, for the Warden Service.”

Recently, Wardens approached a teenager who was hanging around during school hours. Suspicious that the boy was out of school, the Wardens make checks with the Police. The boy in question had in fact been involved in a burglary and the police were able to arrest him along with two accomplices.

Another Warden was able to reason with a group of young people in Hollington who were annoying other residents. The Wardens always try to engage with young people around the town, encouraging them to view their behaviour from someone else’s perspective.

On another occasion, a Warden used sport to engage with a large group of young people who were playing football and causing disturbance to elderly residents. By joining in their game, the Warden was able to gain their confidence and offer them advise them about Council organised sport activities.

An informant trusted a Warden with some crucial information recently, which led to the arrest of someone wanted for serious offences.

The Pocket Park in Hughenden Road is looking a lot cleaner and brighter recently thanks to the work of the Wardens. The service worked alongside Police Cadets, the Refuse and Cleansing team and the Castle Ward Forum to arrange a community clear up of the green space.

A vigilant Warden spotted a man with a dog that he suspected might be stolen. He notified the police and followed the man to his address. The dog was in fact stolen and Wardens were able to reunite him with his owner.

Recently a fox fell down cliffs at the rear of Eversfield Place and became trapped. An intrepid Warden borrowed a ladder and climbed in to the enclosed yard at the foot of the cliff to release the fox.

Wardens were called upon in two major emergencies this summer – the Warrior Square Station fire and the gas explosion in Cinque Ports Way. On both occasions, Wardens helped marshal the cordon and deliver information to nearby residents.

The Lead Warden for Ore has been instrumental in tackling an arson problem at the rear of Malvern Way shops. He’s formed links with the Ore steering group and is looking to arrange road shows to help combat the problem.

The Greater Hollington Partnership and the Police requested an increased Warden presence in Hollington following the recent road traffic deaths, and we immediately rescheduled rotas to accommodate this, including assisting with the funeral processions.

The Wardens helped one very hot dog this summer. Understandably distressed, the dog had been locked in a car during extreme hot weather. Wardens got authorisation from the police so they could get air and water to it until the owners returned to the car.

Wardens always make a special effort to attend community events. Last year they were at the Area Coordination event in the Town Hall, the Community Safety event for the elderly in St Leonards, the Neighbourhood Renewal event at Down’s Farm Community Centre as well as Silverdale School’s bonfire. The team also regularly attend youth events and clubs across the town.

To contact the Warden Service, call the Together Action Line on 0800 0854 500.

For more information about the Warden Service, click here...

Drugs treatment changing lives

January 2006

EVERYONE gave up on Brian. At the age of 39, he had been using heroin for more than 20 years, and had nowhere on his body left to inject, except his groin.

Other clients at Addaction had seen him around, too often. He had been in and out of prison, and was sleeping on a friend’s sofa. Brian was arrested for theft and this time was put on a Drug Treatment and Testing Order (DTTO), as an alternative to prison, which meant attending treatment for over a year.

“I was in care from the ages of four to 16 in Maidstone. I was 12 when I started sniffing glue. I was first arrested aged 15, for theft. I was abused in one of the homes. I was drinking alcohol and doing drugs, and got on to heroin and was doing about £70 a day, into my neck.

“The DTTO programme was quite strict. I was doing well and I heard someone say I was a role model. Me, a role model! I felt happy for the first time.”

Brian completed his DTTO programme and has now been off drugs for more than two years. His health has improved, he has not re-offended and he has made a comfortable home for himself in a rented bedsit.

Addaction has been helping the residents of Hastings and Rother to address drug problems in the community for more than 15 years.

“My team is committed to the community and aims to provide a first class service,” says Ben Fitzpatrick, Project Manager at Addaction. “Drugs treatment has an important contribution to make to regeneration in the borough. For every local individual we help, there will be many others reaping the benefit of that help.”

In 2005, more than 200 local residents obtained the treatment help they needed to tackle their drug misuse and change their lives. The needle exchange was visited by 420 people. Many of these clients now pose less risk to themselves and to others because of health interventions.

“The work we are doing impacts on crime figures and is helping to make Hastings a safer place to live,” says Ben. “For every £1 spent on treatment, £9 to £18 is saved in the costs of drug misuse.”

Addaction, which is a charity, was founded by a mother who later lost her son to heroin use.

In a recent national survey, Addaction discovered that most of its clients started using drugs when they were about 17 or 18 and had dropped out of school and lost career opportunities. “When they were young, many clients thought taking drugs was cool, or a way to get through painful times. But then drugs and dependency became the problem,” says Ben. “Our job is to help them to address their drug dependency and break the cycle of drug-related offending.”

Last year, Caroline Flint, now Public Health Minister, came to open Addaction’s capacious new premises in Wellington Place. This modern, centrally located service could not have been opened without support from the local council, or the commitment invested by the East Sussex Drug & Alcohol Action Team (DAAT), who commissioned the service.

The service works closely with the local NHS, providers of medical treatment such as methadone prescribing. Ben says, “We see ourselves as part of the solution to local drug problems, along with the police, probation and the health services.

“We know change is possible even when our clients don’t because they have had no experience of it. It takes courage to face up to drug dependency. It’s not a soft option. So when we do see successes, such as Brian’s story, we feel very rewarded. When someone goes on to lead a productive, normal life, it motivates you.”

Click here for more information about Addaction...

Late & Live

January 2006

LATE NIGHT entertainment and shopping has brought life back in to the evening economy in Hastings. Since March 2005, Thursday Late & Live has provided longer shopping hours and fortnightly entertainment in the town centre.

Late & Live means shoppers take advantage of longer opening hours, giving a big boost to our evening economy. An exciting range of free entertainment is provided; everything from a community drumming party to the Glyndebourne Opera, and over the weeks a range of the UK’s best street acts have come to town to wow crowds after dark.

The quirky entertainers included daredevil acrobatics, an Elvis trio, cool Latin jazz and even a full-size mechanical metallic horse!

Council Leader Jeremy Birch said, “Late & Live is a great success, it has proved popular among shoppers, but among businesses too for bolstering the evening economy. It’s all about encouraging people to come in to town after dark, to attend organised events where they feel safe to enjoy themselves.”

Thursday Late & Live is coordinated by Hastings Borough Council, Town Centre Management and South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).

For more information about Late & Live, click here

4,000 vehicles destroyed

January 2006

IN NOVEMBER 2002, Hastings Borough Council became the second local authority outside of London to adopt DVLA powers in respect of Untaxed Vehicles.

Acting under the provisions of the Vehicle Excise Duty (Immobilisation Removal & Disposal of Vehicles) Regs 1997, the team from Parking Services has identified more than 3,000 untaxed vehicles on the streets of Hastings and St Leonards.

Untaxed vehicles are clamped and impounded the same day if the owner does not pay the £80 declamping fee. Once impounded, the fee rises to £160, with £15 per day added for storage costs. If the owner cannot be traced or fails to come forward, the vehicles are destroyed. Since November 2002, only 35% of owners have reclaimed their cars, the rest have been disposed of.

In addition, since November 2002, 1,927 abandoned vehicles have been removed, with only five per cent being later claimed by owners. The remaining 95% have been disposed of. A further 197 vehicles have been clamped for parking offences. Only 42% of these vehicles are reclaimed by their owners.

The overall impact of this particular initiative of the Council is significant in reducing vehicle related crime and a massive 44% reduction in deliberate vehicular arson. Parking Services work in partnership with the Police to remove vehicles, but the support network involved in the reporting and sighting of potential vehicles ranges from Parking Attendants and Wardens to Park Rangers and the general public.

The aim is to remove at least 95% of vehicles reported as abandoned within 24 hours and Parking Services have been successful in this endeavour. This means that it is rare these days to have unsightly and potentially dangerous vehicles littering the streets.

Members of the Public can report an untaxed or abandoned vehicle to Parking Services by phone on 01424 783372, or by emailing: abandoned-untaxedvehicles@hastings.gov.uk.

Click here for more information about reductions in car crime in Hastings...

Fire and health services join forces

January 2006

HASTINGS and St Leonards Primary Care Trust (PCT) and East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESF&RS) have joined forces in a bid to save lives by helping people to quit smoking and so reduce the number of fires in the home caused by cigarettes and matches.

Firefighters pass on details of the PCT’s smoking cessation service when they carry out safety visits in homes where one or more of the occupiers smoke, while the PCT gives details of ESF&RS’s home safety visits to attendees of their smoking cessation clinics.

Ivan Rudd, Head of Health Improvement for the PCT, said, “Working in partnership with the Fire Service makes perfect sense when you realise that we both want to stop people smoking. Hopefully this initiative will help us to build on our recent success helping record numbers of local people to quit.”

Mark Webb, Station Manager of Bohemia Road Fire Station, said, “Smokers are at increased risk of having an accidental fire in their homes. We are confident that this partnership approach will reduce the number of fires caused by smoking materials.”

If you would like help to stop smoking, ring the Hastings and Rother NHS Smoking Helpline on 01424 457153.

If you would like firefighters to carry out a home safety visit in your home, call 0800 177 7069.

For more information about Fire Safety, click here...