Hastings Town Centre and Bohemia Area Action Plan

Appendix 2

List of reasonable alternatives and preferred approaches

Reasonable alternatives in Sustainability Appraisal (SA)

A key element of the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) process is the appraisal of 'reasonable alternatives' for the Area Action Plan (AAP). The SEA Regulations^[21] are not prescriptive as to what constitutes a reasonable alternative, stating only that the SA Report should present an appraisal of the 'plan and reasonable alternatives taking into account the objectives and geographical scope of the plan'.

Options appraisal

In response to this, a number of alternative approaches have been considered for the AAP through the SA process to date. These were developed through two workshops undertaken with key officers involved in the AAP process in August and November 2017 as well as during the preparation of the draft AAP.

Listed below are the reasonable alternatives (options) appraised as part of the SA process, also referenced is the preferred approach taken forward in the AAP (shown in brackets). The SA appraised reasonable alternatives focused on the broad distribution and approach to development as well as broad policy approaches, as listed below:

Appraisal of options for retail provision

Option TC1: continue to concentrate key retail and office uses in the town centre core and town centre edge (preferred approach)

Option TC2: facilitate new town centre use in the parts of the AAP area outside of the town centre core and town centre edge

Appraisal of options for housing numbers

Option H1: deliver numbers proposed through the existing HPS Policy DS1 (i.e. at least 3,400 net new homes for the period 2011-2028)

Option H2: facilitate enabling development, delivering an additional 670 homes (preferred approach)

Option H3: facilitate higher densities, delivering between 670 and 2,778 additional homes

Option H4: meet residual unmet need, totalling an additional 2,778 homes

Appraisal of options for the broad location of housing

Option HL1: focus housing delivery on Hastings Town Centre

Option HL2: focus housing delivery at Bohemia (preferred approach)

Appraisal of options for green infrastructure provision

Option GI1: continue the approach for green infrastructure provision in the AAP area facilitated through Policy HN7 of the DMP

Option GI2: initiate the AAP specific approach to green infrastructure provision to support policy HN7 (preferred approach)

Appraisal of options for leisure provision

Option L1: business as usual - Summerfields, Falaise Fitness Centre, outdoor provision at White Rock Gardens

Option L2: move Falaise Fitness Centre into Summerfields

Option L3: relocate Summerfields and Falaise into a purpose built facility (preferred approach)

Appraisal of options for the A259

Option P1: improve pedestrian crossings across the A259 (preferred approach)

Option P2: facilitate comprehensive reconfiguration of the A259

Appraisal of options for housing delivery at Bohemia

Option WR1: deliver new housing in the northern part of the Bohemia area (preferred approach)

Option WR2: deliver new areas of housing in the southern part of the Bohemia area

Appraisal of options for Horntye

Option HT1: Horntye remains as an existing sports facility

Option HT2: Horntye is redeveloped for housing (preferred approach)

Option HT3: Horntye is redeveloped for another use (e.g. employment)

Appraisal of options for the White Rock Theatre

Option WRT1: allocate land for a new theatre which meets appropriate standards

Option WRT2: retain a degree of flexibility for the future of the White Rock Theatre (preferred approach)

Option WRT3: initiate a change of use for the site for specific (non-theatre) use

Following on from the assessment of reasonable alternatives the SA report that accompanies the Hastings Town Centre and Bohemia Area Action Plan Preferred Approaches document for public consultation sets out an appraisal of the AAP (at Regulation 18 stage) under the eight SA themes - biodiversity, climate change, historic environment and townscape, land, soil and water resources, community vitality, health and wellbeing, transportation and air quality, economy and employment and provides an overall conclusion and recommendations on these themes for the next stage of plan making.

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