Hastings remains closed to tourists, council says

The authority is repeating its position, following the Government’s continued easing of lockdown, that people are still urged to stay home and stay safe as much as possible. 

To back this message up the council said its public toilets and other amenities, like tennis courts, remain closed.  

The council pushed this message, through its social media, its resident’s email newsletter and via a press release, at the end of last week to stop the town’s open spaces being overcrowded over the bank holiday weekend making social distancing impossible, and to deter visitors to the town bringing with them potential risk of infection. 

With last night’s government announcement of further easing to lockdown measures the council will be repeating its messaging for the coming weekend.

Council leader Kim Forward said: “We know a large number of people support our position, and the town remained quiet for much of the bank holiday weekend; though Monday was busier than we would have liked. 

“Thank you to those people who are taking their own safety seriously, and also being considerate to the safety of others. You are helping keep Hastings safe.” 

Deputy leader Colin Fitzgerald said: “It has been well-documented that Hastings has one of the lowest rates of infection in the country.

“This will only remain the case if we are careful and responsible.

“We have had reports over the weekend of people defecating and urinating in the town’s open spaces because the toilets are closed. 

“This isn’t acceptable at any time, but it especially not during a global pandemic. Our toilets being closed is not justification for this behaviour. We are all accountable for our actions. 

“The council has made very clear its position and the fact that the toilets are closed. People need to plan accordingly, and we’re clear: we are still not ready to welcome tourists to our town. 

“We know this is not ideal but again we believe this is the right thing to do to safeguard residents. 

“Opening the toilets would also mean drawing away our limited cleansing resource from essential services like the crematorium and street cleansing operation towards cleansing public toilets.”

Cllr Forward added: “Like other councils, we were not consulted about this, nor previous, easings of the lockdown measures announced by government and the impact on our town.

“We have been clear that we will review this position weekly as events move on. Our decision may change depending on the success of the Government and NHS’s track and trace system which is launched today, and the development of a county-wide plan to manage further outbreaks.

“We will be working with Public Health and the county council to help develop the local outbreak control plan, as it is the Government’s intention that future lockdown’s will be managed locally.

“We will be closely monitoring the progress and effectiveness of these new systems and will keep a close eye on the R rate. 

“Our position is driven by putting residents’ safety first. I’ve said this before and I will say it again: at the end of all of this it will be impossible to know if we overreacted, if we were too cautious. But it will be obvious if we weren’t cautious enough.” 

Councillor Rob Lee, the leader of the Conservatives on Hastings Borough Council, however, is calling for public toilets and other amenities to be opened up in the borough, saying they have been in other places along the coast.

He said: “The public tennis courts in Bexhill are now open and the ones in Alexandra Park should now be open as well.

“Council-owned sports facilities such as this play an important part in people’s physical and mental wellbeing and they should be open for residents to use.

“The opening of public toilets in the borough must also happen without delay as they have elsewhere, they are an important amenity in the town and not to open them is damaging to public health.

“Social distancing and regular hand washing are a must but there is little excuse not to start to reopen the town.”

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