Hastings Town Centre and Bohemia Area Action Plan

Section Four

Spatial Strategy

4.1 Change is essential if the vision and objectives for Hastings Town Centre and Bohemia are to be realised. The Spatial Strategy provides the framework for future development and regeneration to realise the full potential of this area.

Key principles

4.2 The Spatial Strategy is based on the following underlying principles:

• Promotion of balanced mixed use development to include retail, leisure, culture, business and residential uses;
• Provision of enhanced sports and recreational uses which will serve a wider sub-regional market;
• High quality design and townscape improvements which respect the heritage and character of Hastings;
• Creating good pedestrian and cycle connectivity between the key opportunity areas;
• Maintaining an appropriate level of parking and access to support retail, cultural and leisure facilities;
• Improving connections between Hastings Town Centre, Bohemia and the seafront;
• Enhancement of the town centre retail, cultural and leisure offer with an improved primary shopping area and the development of specialist retail zones;
• Creation of a strong entrance to the town centre through the development of the station and transport interchange facilities;
• An extended cultural quarter around Robertson Street and the western seafront;
• The creation of three cultural hubs around the White Rock Theatre and Hastings Pier; the former Convent of the Holy Child Jesus and Hastings Museum/Summerfields Wood;
• Protection and enhancement of open space and the natural environment;
• Promotion of visitor economy and enhancement of the seafront;
• Mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

4.3 The town centre and Bohemia provide opportunities to accommodate future growth requirements in the town. The AAP seeks to accommodate these requirements through the identification of a number of opportunity sites.

4.4 The Council wants to make Hastings a 'greener town' and to revolutionise the way energy is supplied and used within the Borough for the benefit of all^[8]. Recent research^[9] has identified a number of opportunities for the Council to reduce energy consumption within its own estate as well as a number of longer-term opportunities to generate and supply renewable energy. The Council is looking to develop an Energy Strategy to make the most of the opportunities available. Recent innovation means that dwellings have the potential to achieve very high levels of energy efficiency or zero net energy consumption. The Council is keen to support this type of energy efficient development in residential and non-residential development.

4.5 It is critical that Hastings maintains its position as a sub-regional shopping destination if it is to compete with other centres such as Eastbourne and Tunbridge Wells and continue to attract investors. The AAP seeks to do this by strengthening the retail and complementary leisure offer and increasing the quantity and improving the quality of retail floorspace.

4.6 The HPS goes as far as possible in meeting housing need, particularly for affordable housing, but housing delivery is key. The AAP seeks to maximise the delivery of housing within the town centre and Bohemia and to promote new types of housing development which will improve the local housing market and mix.

4.7 Hastings Town Centre will continue to be the business hub of the town. There is the opportunity to strengthen the growing creative industries sector and to provide interesting buildings and spaces which will attract start-up businesses and people looking for an alternative workspace, including affordable artisan "maker" and co-working/shared working spaces.

4.8 The town centre and Bohemia contain a range of civic and cultural spaces. The AAP identifies the opportunities to reconfigure and enhance existing provision to serve a wider sub-regional market.

4.9 The AAP seeks to strengthen the distinctive character of Hastings by building on its key assets. It places culture and leisure at the heart of the Spatial Strategy and provides the opportunity to promote and enhance an exciting range of cultural, leisure and tourist attractions which will strengthen Hastings' brand and visitor experience, (for example with the pier and Skatepark); supported by a programme of events and festivals extending the tourist season.

4.10 The AAP seeks to ensure that new development respects the area's unique heritage and is of a high design quality. The combination of topography and the physical qualities of the built environment and landscape create a distinctive sense of identity and place in the town centre and Bohemia. New development should embrace the highest standards in architecture, urban and landscape design to strengthen this identity and enhance the image and profile of the area.

4.11 Places should be interesting and attractive providing good quality amenity space that promotes health and wellbeing. Features such as landmark buildings at the corner of a street or at the end of a vista, the incorporation of green space and natural features such as mature trees all help to create reference points and interest within a development. New development will be required to contribute to new or improved public spaces and to enhance the Green Infrastructure Network. The development of sustainable and innovative mixed use development will be promoted which makes efficient use of energy and water, utilises energy from renewable technologies and sustainable methods of construction, promotes low carbon modes of transport and incorporates green infrastructure and biodiversity. Where possible, new development will be required to enhance key points of arrival within the AAP area as identified on the Key Diagram (figure 5).

4.12 The AAP provides an opportunity to celebrate and enhance existing green assets to create pleasant and healthy environments. Green infrastructure will be used to soften hard landscaping in areas of deficit and within the town centre to provide an additional layer of interest and value. The unique green and open character at White Rock and Bohemia will be incorporated into new development with a robust network of parks and green spaces. The green network will also form an integrated part of the cycle and pedestrian network promoting healthy living and helping people to make sustainable transport choices.

Opportunity Areas

4.13 The Spatial Strategy is based on eight Opportunity Areas (OAs). The aim is to enhance the distinctiveness of these areas and to create zones of activity which will add to the diversity of the town centre and Bohemia and create new destinations. These areas will provide a range of development, facilities and activities and proposals will be required to be sensitive to and enhance existing character. The areas are interlinked and contain complementary facilities and land uses. The Opportunity Areas are identified in figure 3 and comprise the following:

• OA1: Station Gateway and Priory Quarter: the gateway to the town and the focus for business and education;
• OA2: Wellington Place and Castle Street: a high quality retail area with attractive public spaces and good connections to the seafront;
• OA3: Queens Road: the northern gateway to the town with a thriving high street and a range of independent shops and small businesses;
• OA4: Priory Meadow: the retail heart of the town;
• OA5: White Rock and America Ground Cultural Quarter: a focus for the creative and visitor economy with new workspace and cultural venues;
• OA6: White Rock Park: an urban park providing a range of leisure and cultural facilities and a network of open spaces;
• OA7: Bohemia: a new mixed use neighbourhood providing innovative new housing and civic services in a parkland setting;
• OA8: Former Convent of the Holy Child Jesus, Magdalen Road: restoration and reuse of the listed buildings and possible creation of a new neighbourhood with links to Bohemia and St Leonards and a network of green spaces.

4.14 The key proposals are summarised below and illustrated in the Key Diagram (figure 5).

OA1: Station Gateway and Priory Quarter

• An extended primary retail area to create an enhanced retail offer/extended retail core to accommodate future requirements for growth in retail capacity
• Improved transport hub and interchange offering a wider range of services and with the potential to accommodate HS1 in the future
• Retention and improvement of parking provision

• Enhancement of pedestrian environment, cycle access and public realm including new public spaces
• Mix of town centre uses to create a vibrant commercial quarter for the town
• Enhancement of station area as a gateway into the town and improved pedestrian links into the town centre and Bohemia

OA2: Wellington Place and Castle Street

• A strengthened retail area
• Improved retail quality and offer
• Enhancement of historic character
• Improved public realm and public spaces including Harold Place to provide a focus to the town centre and an attractive gateway to the seafront
• Enhanced pedestrian environment and links between retail core and seafront
• Improved pedestrian environment

OA3: Queens Road

• Enhancement of the retail area and northern gateway into the town centre
• Intensification of land uses to enhance character and appearance of area including encouragement of new retail uses
• Improved public realm and pedestrian environment
• Promotion of active frontages onto Queens Road
• Development of creative hub and workspace around the Britannia Enterprise Centre

OA4: Priory Meadow

• Enhancement of primary shopping area
• Extended retail offer through the development of new retail floorspace
• Improved public realm and public spaces

OA5: White Rock and America Ground Cultural Quarter

• Improvements to the seafront and visitor facilities
• Enhanced cultural hub around the theatre and pier to create a stronger arts/ community focus
• Enhanced cultural hub around the Trinity Triangle/Claremont
• Reuse of underutilised areas to provide new and improved leisure and cultural facilities
• Improved public realm and public spaces, pedestrian and cycle connections to the wider town centre and station

OA6: White Rock Park

• Restoration of White Rock Gardens as a focus for sport, leisure and cultural uses
• Improved pedestrian connectivity and cycle access including enhanced links to seafront and new east-west and north-south links within White Rock/Bohemia
• Improved public transport and vehicle links

OA7: Bohemia

• Mixed use residential community
• Protection and enhancement of Summerfields Wood
• Network of green spaces, cycle and pedestrian routes
• Heritage quarter focused on Hastings Museum and Summerfields Wood

OA8: Former Convent of the Holy Child Jesus, Magdalen Road

• Restoration of Convent buildings and potential development of adjacent land to create a new cultural hub and residential community
• Improved pedestrian connectivity and cycle access including enhanced links to seafront and new east-west and north-south links within White Rock/Bohemia
• Improved public transport and vehicle links

Opportunity Sites

4.15 A number of opportunity sites have been identified within each Opportunity Area. These sites are illustrated on the Key Diagram (figure 5) and will accommodate the following uses:

• in the region of 12,400m² net of comparison goods floorspace within or adjoining the primary shopping area;
• in the region of 3,500m² net of convenience goods floorspace within or adjoining the primary shopping area;
• in the region of 820 new homes including a range of housing types and tenures as part of mixed use development schemes;
• employment and education space including workspace for creative industries;
• opportunities for cafés and restaurants adjoining the primary shopping area and wider seafront/Bohemia area;
• new and improved leisure and cultural facilities;
• hotels and visitor facilities;
• new and improved public spaces and pedestrian/cycle links.

4.16 The proposed uses for each Opportunity Site and the indicative capacity of each site are summarised in table 2.

Figure 3: Overview of Opportunity Areas and Sites

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