BDP develops plan for Hastings

Hastings is giving its town centre a £1.75m facelift and has appointed the Building Design Partnership to draw up feasibility studies.

BDP won an undisclosed creative pitch against consultancies. The Hastings Regeneration Partnership confirms that the fee for feasibility studies is £105 000, which includes property and transportation studies conducted by Donaldsons and MVA Consultants respectively.

BDP is drawing up two strategic studies on the development of the town centre and specific sites in Hastings. The first will set out a vision for the centre and how to enhance its usage by residents and visitors, including better links to the seafront. It will suggest ways of raising the town’s profile and turning it into a more attractive place to work, live and visit.

The second study will look at the potential for developing several specific sites, including the land around Hastings Station, a vacant hotel situated between the town centre and the seafront and a former printworks.

The studies are scheduled for completion by the end of June, says BDP planning director Ian Charie.

The next stage of the development programme will be public consultations in the summer.

Once funding for the project has been agreed, the Regeneration Partnership and the Borough Council will discuss plans for specific design work, such as street furniture and signage, says a Hastings Borough Council spokesman.