Reader’s Letter: Don’t let Hastings become another Ashford - say yes to the BID

I was town centre manager in Hastings from 2005-2018. I guided Hastings to Business Improvement District (BID) status in 2016 and was the first BID manager up to January 2018.

It’s probably fair to say that when the BID was created, few could see how it would benefit Hastings. But 5 years on the BID board and staff should be congratulated, having done so much for the town centre in the most difficult circumstances. There’s no doubt Hastings would be a different place without it. The BID company not only survived the Covid era itself, but also helped many local businesses to survive it. That alone deserves a second term. The key to the BID is its proactive and accountable approach to the management of the town centre, with local businesses and other stakeholders setting the priorities for local investment. This is in marked contrast with those towns where the responsibility for the town centre lies entirely with the local council.

In Ashford, for example, the town centre partnership was scrapped years ago and local investment is now largely directed by the grey suits of Ashford Council. Whilst contrived centres like the designer outlet are expanding, Ashford town centre has become increasingly grey and uninteresting.

Some people think the grass is greener there. I can assure you it isn’t. I live in Ashford - I know.

Voting ‘Yes’ for the BID will protect and enhance the investments of the past and sustain the business-led perspective. If it fails now there is no fallback. The future of the businesses in the town centre will be left in the hands of a cash strapped public sector.

The result could be catastrophic. It’s difficult to see how even the basic elements of town centre management could be sustained, let alone improved. Take safety, for example. Cuts in police and council budgets have already resulted in fewer street patrols and a less effective CCTV service. If the vote is lost the Business Watch scheme could also be lost, leaving the town centre without a proactive, business led crime deterrent. I can’t imagine the consequences of that.

Other police and council priorities could also mean the removal or reduction of basic facilities and a further withdrawal of services. Try to imagine Christmas without Christmas lights in Hastings’ streets. I urge traders not to risk becoming Ashford-on-Sea or risk their livelihoods for a relatively small levy charge.

The bid levy is not an additional business rate. Unlike business rates, 100% of the BID levy remains in the town and is spent on services directed by the BID members themselves. By contrast I’ve never yet met anyone who can tell me what percentage of business rates are returned to Hastings or what they are spent on.

Times are tough for some businesses at the moment but it could get a lot tougher if the BID’s second term is rejected. Having read the excellent prospectus, I would commend it to the town. For me, a Yes vote is a no brainer.

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