One in ten shops empty

Figures released this week show that at the start of September there were 34 empty units in Hastings and a further 18 in neighbouring St Leonards - representing around 10 per cent of all shops in the town.

Unemployment locally remains one of the highest in the country, with recent figures showing there are 15 people claiming JobSeeker’s allowance for every one current vacancy.

A total of 24.3 per cent of working age adults are out of work and on benefits - making Hastings the seventh worst town or city in the country and the worst in the south.

That is set to improve when Asda opens later this year, with supermarket bosses claiming the new Silverhill store will create hundreds of full and part- time jobs.

However, separate research shows that 42 per cent of all jobs in Hastings are in the public sector - leaving the town vulnerable in the event of likely government cuts.

In fact, only last week, all 140 members of staff at Hastings and Rother Primary Care Trust were told their jobs were at risk amid pressure to half its spending.

Councillor Jeremy Birch, the leader of Hastings Borough Council, though remained upbeat - saying the empty shop figures for Hastings were better than other similar towns in East Sussex.

Eastbourne has 13 per cent of its stores empty, while Lewes had 11 per cent of units not in use.

He said: “Times are tough across the whole country but we are battling through and these figures show that we are hanging on in terms of our retail trade.

“I am determined that we will support business owners here in Hastings and St Leonards and make every effort to fill empty shops.”

He added that the local authority had already supported businesses with a series of grants, adding: “We are working with organisations like 1066 Enterprise in order to see more start-up businesses springing up across the town.”