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Hastings Millennium Community
The site
Hastings Millennium Community in East Sussex spans an area of 72 ha across three sites: Ore Valley, Hastings Station Plaza and West Marina.
The Millennium Community ethos has played a critical role in the plan to regenerate the area which has been developed by the Hastings and Bexhill Task Force, a partnership of public-sector organizations: Hastings Borough Council, SEEDA, Hastings and Bexhill Task Force’s regeneration company Sea Space, East Sussex County Council and local people.
Unlocking the development
Substantial private-sector finance was secured for the programme, in addition to government funds contributed by English Partnerships, the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), the Higher Education Funding Council for England, and from Europe through the Government Office for the South East.
English Partnerships announced funding of £15.1m to enable site preparation to commence in November 2004 unlocking the development by the introduction of new highway infrastructure.
Quality places
Hastings Millennium Community is also part of the Government’s Design Coding pilot scheme, this aims to help speed up the planning process enabling the delivery of high-quality housing. Design Coding provides developers with a set of advance instructions that describe many urban design requirements and which will seek to delver a design rationale across the three sites that form the Hastings Millennium Community.
Work has commenced on the Station Plaza site by Laing O'Rourke and will include a Primary Care Trust Centre, an underground street providing access to the new Hastings College of Art & Technology campus buildings together with 103 residential units built to the Millennium Community standards.
At the Ore Valley site, a range of improvements to public spaces will help to create a cohesive, sustainable community where people will have easy access to local amenities. Development on this site will deliver around 150 new jobs and 650 homes, 25 per cent of which will be affordable. All new homes will be built to meet the Millennium Community standards which include BREEAm EcoHomes excellent.
West Marina will be the last phase to be developed and work is anticipated to commence in late 2008. The 2.1 ha West Marina will include 100 waterfront homes, as well as create business spaces, visitor amenities and a college campus.
Community activity
Over £1m has been invested in the refurbishment and conversion of community facilities by English Partnerships. Renamed "the Bridge," the energy-efficient centre houses an internet café, crèche, office space and a multi-purpose hall. It opened its doors to residents of the Ore Valley in early 2006. The Bridge has been a focal point for carrying out community engagement which is a key feature of Design Coding.
