Hastings Tories slam Labour council’s Covid-19 response as ‘bungled’

He said: “As the rest of the country is busy opening up facilities and helping businesses open their doors, Hastings has failed to do so.

“It has taken an age to open up even a few of the toilets in the borough and many remain closed with seemingly no date for them to reopen.”

The council said today (Monday, June 22) that the authority’s priority throughout the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis has been, and still is, to keep residents safe and support the town’s businesses.

But Cllr Lee said: “Many other seaside towns have taken the Government’s advice from last month and opened up recreational facilities, such as tennis courts and importantly toilets for the residents to use, but not here.

“Hastings has also been slow to approve the discretionary grant scheme, which other towns had up and running weeks ago causing distress to small business owners and the local economy as a whole. Frankly, the whole situation has been bungled by the Labour leadership in the town hall.”

Hastings and Rye Conservative MP, Sally-Ann Hart, has also written to the leaders of Hastings Borough Council, Rother District Council and East Sussex County Council calling on them to open up their area to visitors and support local businesses.

She said: “As we have got control on the health pandemic, with infection rates coming down and death rates falling, now is the time to be supporting our businesses and getting the local economy firing on all cylinders again. That is why I am calling on all local authorities to do more to encourage residents and visitors back to our high streets and supporting local businesses.”

“I fear that if we don’t build confidence in people that our high streets are safe places to be with the correct social distancing guidance being followed, then we will see businesses fold and jobs lost. As the local MP I will not see that happen. I am encouraging people to now visit out towns, support our local businesses and get our economy moving again.

“I trust in the common sense of the British public to ensure that social distancing measures will continue to be followed, and precautions taken with regular handwashing, face masks on public transport and the use of hand sanitisers when out and about. We simply cannot continue to keep out town centres shut to visitors. Businesses need our support now.”

Hastings Borough Council leader, Kim Forward, said: “Our priority throughout this crisis has been, and continues to be, keeping residents healthy, supporting businesses financially, and helping them keep their employees safe.

“Many vulnerable residents have been assisted through the Hastings Community Hub, which has been a great success, and I’m really delighted how the voluntary sector and other partner agencies in the town have helped us make this happen.”

Cllr Forward added that the council had paid out ‘nearly £20m’ in support grants and its new discretionary scheme has been developed to allow as many other businesses as possible to apply.

She added: “It’s great to see the high streets re-opening. We are keen to see our shops do well and the council is backing the buy local campaign, which is based on the fact that if everyone in the borough spent just £10 per week in local shops rather than online it would lock £20m into the local economy each year.”

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