"Boot up the backside was what we needed"

News update: Scott Ellis co-ordinates an October meeting for residents that want to do something about the town of Hastings.

From Friday 8th October's Hastings & St Leonards Observer, the letter that grabbed my attention the most was the one given the headline:"Boot up the backside was what we needed".
I quote the beginning and the end of that letter and then copy the correspondence since with Scott Ellis of Homesdale Gardens:
This town has become an absolute disgrace.Ithas become a breeding ground for The Jeremy Kyle Show. Surely now, after the defacing of the Banksy and the burning of the pier, it has to be the final straw.
...
We need to at least be on par with decent seaside destinations both here and abroad to attract the right type of visitors to the town.
Maybe the destruction of the pier is the boot up the backside we need. Let's force boring councillors to give their decision making over to a local team of talented, passionate, creative and visionary individuals with backbone, drive and clout, who can then spend a few years moulding Hastings into the aspiring seaside resort it once was and should be.
Anyone interested in ruffling some feathers and forming a group to discuss this further please mail me at scott@rockettmedia.co.uk 

I wrote to Scott as follows:
Dear Scott

Out of all the letters in the Observer yours was the only one I wanted to re-publish.
Permission to blog your letter & email address, please on www.sussexcommunity.blogspot.com ?

Please also vote on whether you want £500k to be spent on incarceration of those who burned down Hastings Pier:
www.sussexcommunity.blogspot.com

Restorative Justice, to me, is the creation of a quality of connection where everyone's needs matter, pain is allowed expression and dreams are at least shared, whether or not they are subsequently enacted, together or apart.
Best wishes,
Paul
 
Scott replied:

Please feel free to publish my letter and anything in this email. It's the first time I've ever written a letter to a newspaper, but it got to the point where enough is enough. I've had lots and lots of mails in support and will probably be holding a meeting next Saturday early afternoon for all those who want to get involved. Time and place to be arranged, I'll let you know via email in the week. I hope you can attend, the aim of the meeting is to try and formalise things a little and discuss what direction the group will take. Of course the pier is in all our interests to get rebuilt to the highest standard, but for now I think it's best to focus on a shorter term plan to try and make Hastings a nicer place for residents and visitors, then we can add our weight to the bigger money projects (ie the pier, ice rink, bathing pool) as we grow. I've pasted below a response I've sent out to many of the locals who have shown an interest....

My plan really is to get some ideas together from people like yourselves and condense them into a shortlist which everybody who's shown an interest is in agreement on.

Once these are identified, then arrange for us all to meet in a week for a chat and try and set something a bit more formal up for a further meeting with some of the councillors and others who may have some clout.

Whether the councillors be willing to come and get an earful from us remains to be seen, but where there's a will there's a way! We'll have to hijack them at their offices if not. All we need really is to convince them that our ideas are good for the town (which they will be) and get them to show a bit of interest and backbone in getting them implemented.
Surely it's in these councillors interests to do this to make a bit of a name for themselves(?)

I think the ideas generated should be for short to medium term practical things that won't cost the council too much to put into place. As money can't be the reason for them not to act, we can put some pressure on them immediately to get the ball rolling.I've listed a few below to give you an idea on what I'm thinking, and would welcome your input from any additional thoughts or views/improvements you might have.

Re the Carnival.  Get the whole thing properly co-ordinated and add some eye candy for excitement (ie stilt walkers, fire eaters, ridiculous costumes etc). We have lots of design degree courses running in Hastings and Brighton, lots of artists and creative people living in the town. Let's get them properly involved, have a group heading things up and co-ordinating, run some design competitions with local secondary schools/college/university etc. Arrange some local workshops with the costume and float designers who are involved with Notting Hill/Mardi Gras(Brighton). Anything has to be better than the crap we have already.

Any scruffy properties on roads in Hastings and St Leonards within 1mile of the town centre or seafront to be given 12 months to give them a compulsory lick of paint and a tidy up. This would make it look like there's a bit of pride about the place. Maybe some kind of monetary incentive like reduced council tax(and maybe some of the herberts doing community service could also get involved in painting and/or improving communal areas)

Old Town Licensing.  Extend the noise curfew until later and encourage a more European approach to things. (A few moany residents in George St are suffocating the place). 'If you don't like noise then don't move to an area full of pubs, bars and restaurants'.

No taxis or vehicles allowed on George St on Fri or Sat evening.

The fountain roundabout needs sorting out. The edges of it are broken and scuffed from lorry wheels and years of neglect. It needs knocking down and rebuilding. Maybe a big stunning piece of artwork or sculpture in the middle, properly lit up so that it becomes a talking point and a landmark. (The television was invented in Hastings, maybe a tribute to the evolution of TV or a John Logie Baird or something?)

Strictly enforced bigger fines for dog owners who mess the place. Three strikes and you lose your dog. (Maybe that's a bit extreme but you know where I'm coming from!)

Proper encouragement made to replace tacky and cheap looking signage above shopfronts and in shopwindows with something classier and a bit more fitting to a stunning seaside location. Brighton, Bournemouth don't have this problem, it's made Hastings look cheap and nasty for years. Time to inject a bit of quality and style...

Any empty shops in the town centre or seafront to be used in a constructive manner (ie free display area for local students/artists, small business, entrepreneurs) until they find tenants. This should be compulsory.

A serious attempt be made and proper incentives given to attract a big 4 or 5 star hotel chain to look at opening in Hastings to start raising the profile of the place a bit.

The town website is rubbish. This needs to be a million times more attractive as it's the Hastings shopwindow to the whole world. And promoted properly online too to attract the right clientele.

Obviously these are just ideas at the moment and can be elaborated on or sidelined depending on the interest from within the group. I hope you both find them of interest, I'd be keen to hear your thoughts.

Kind Regards,
Scott.