This meeting included for discussion an update on the council’s financial position, an update on the council’s Climate Change strategy and action plan, a review of charges for council services and proposed decisions on a number of urgent items.

Finances

The Cabinet were provided with a report on the council's finances. The report forecast that the council’s spending for 2024/25 would exceed its budget by £1,882,673. £1,052,234 of this was said to be due to an unexpected increase in the number of households accommodated in temporary accommodation. The report authors noted that:

Significant efforts need to be made to reduce overspend and identify offsetting savings. The challenge to deliver a balanced budget is ever-increasing in light of the struggle to deliver cost savings in temporary accommodation.

Climate Change

The Cabinet were provided with an update on the council’s progress against its Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan. The report said that the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the borough in 2022 was 235.7kTCO2e¹, a reduction of 19.2kT compared to the previous year. The council’s emissions for 2023/24 were said to have been 256.6 Tonnes CO2e², a reduction of 21% compared to the previous year. The report said that the council would need to significantly reduce its gas consumption to reach its Net Zero target for 2030. The report said that 95 solar panel installations and 89 battery installations have been delivered in Hastings as a result of the Solar Together Sussex scheme. It also described the council’s involvement in a number of other schemes including:

• The Home Upgrade Grant 2 (HUG2) scheme which is said to be on track to upgrade 50 properties by April 2025
• The Energy Company Obligation - Flexible Eligibility (ECO4 Flex) scheme under which 21 properties in Hastings are said to have been issued declarations of eligibility
• The Warm Home Check service which is said to have provided energy advice to 2,116 Hastings residents and small measures to improve energy efficiency in 147 properties in the borough since April 2024.

The report recommended that the council advertise for a new Climate Change Officer. The Cabinet were also asked to note the actions that are scheduled to take place in the next year, which include a review of the Strategy and Action Plan.

Fees & Charges

The Cabinet were provided with a report on the council’s fees and charges. The report described how charges for some services had previously been set in a way that made the council less competitive commercially. It then listed new fees and charges for council services, noting that these would generate £64,000 in additional income for the council.

Extension to the Public Convenience Cleaning Contract

The Cabinet were asked to approve a two-year extension to the council’s public toilet cleaning contract with Wetton Cleaning Services.

NPO Funding Extension

The Cabinet were asked to approve the museum's application for an extension to its National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) funding from Arts Council England. The Museum’s existing NPO funding is due to end in March 2026, and the report requested an extension to March 2027. The report described how NPO funding had been used to deliver a programme of projects at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, and how the programme was scheduled to continue if further funding was secured.

Bexhill Road Retail Park

The Cabinet were asked to approve the granting of a new lease on Unit 2B at Bexhill Road Retail Park. This part of the meeting was not open to the public. The agenda for the meeting said that details of the proposed lease were commercially sensitive.

Household Support Fund

The Cabinet were asked to approve the launch of a sixth phase of the Household Support Fund scheme. This scheme is intended to provide financial support to vulnerable households in the borough. Hastings Council has been allocated £219,570 from East Sussex County Council to deliver the scheme locally. The report recommended the adoption of a number of eligibility criteria for the scheme and a payment level of £200 per household. It also requested that the Chief Finance Officer be given the authority to approve criteria for future rounds of the scheme. This part of the meeting was classed as an urgent item, because:

Christmas time is an expensive period for most and we expect that the majority of the target group would prefer to receive payments before the festive period begins.

Appointment to the board of East Sussex Energy Infrastructure and Development Ltd

The Cabinet were asked to approve the appointment of a councillor to the board of East Sussex Energy Infrastructure and Development Ltd³. This was also an urgent item because the previous director had resigned.