## Hastings Greenway Trust ## **ANNUAL REPORT - 2023 to 2024** ## **Charitable Incorporated Organisation Charity Reg. No. 1191171** ## **Introduction:** This is the fourth Annual report for Hastings Greenway Trust (HGT) since it was launched in 2020. It covers the reporting period up to end March 2024 with additional information about HGT work during 2024. Hastings Greenway Trust has been very active in working in collaboration on Greenway projects and funding opportunities during the period of this report and in 2024 but has not made any funding applications nor undertaken any development work. However, prospects for progress in the near future and very encouraging ## **History & Formation of HGT:** Hastings Greenway Trust was set up by the **Hastings Greenway Group** with input from other groups and organisations, with an interest in walking & cycling infrastructure and the Greenway concept, and with support from Hastings Voluntary Action (HVA). The **Hastings Greenway** concept was conceived over 20 years ago as network of radial walking & cycling routes connecting the Town Centre to other parts of the Borough by utilising the natural corridors to create direct routes at gradients to 'smooth out' the hilly terrain. Although a refined version of the original Greenway network has now been adopted by East Sussex County Council and Hastings Borough Council (in the Hastings Walking & Cycling Strategy and the Hastings Local Plan), funding and progress on construction of these routes has been limited and hopelessly slow. The decision to set up the **Hastings Greenway Trust** was taken in order to create a charitable organisation that would be a legal entity with the power to raise funds, acquire land and develop some parts of the Greenway network and other routes to link in. In other words, to focus on the delivery of Greenway routes and their maintenance and enhancement. Hastings Greenway Trust was launched in February 2020 and was registered by the Charity Commission as a _**Charitable Incorporated Organisation**_ in September 2020. The small group of HGT trustees have significant and relevant skills and expertise together with detailed knowledge of the Borough and the planned routes and strong community connections. The process of recruiting more trustees with complementary expertise and connections is a continuing process. 1 HGT is still in the early stages of its development but has already undertaken some detailed design and costing work on key sections of Greenway and has made several funding applications, not as yet successful. However, there are a number of opportunities for HGT to take on work to develop sections of Greenway in Hastings that should materialise over the coming years and to raise the necessary funding to do so In addition, HGT continues to work with the local authorities and other organisations and community groups to realise its aims and objectives. ## **Principle Objects & Role:** ## **Principles Objects** (as registered with the Charity Commission) To promote and assist in the development and provision, for the public benefit, of safe Greenway routes, paths and facilities for cycling, walking and healthy recreation in and around Hastings. ## **Operational Role** - Promote and consult on Greenway routes - Support campaigns for Greenways and walking & cycling route infrastructure - Obtain grant funding from statutory and charitable sources - Design and develop routes and sections of routes - Acquire land by purchase or transfer for Greenway routes - Take on the lease of land corridors for Greenway routes where this is an option - Research new Greenway routes and link routes - Work with other organisations such as local authorities and land developers to - construct, manage and maintain routes - Involve other organisations and community groups to seek support and help to make the Greenway network a reality - Enhance Greenway routes with surface improvements, seating and other amenities - Train and support volunteers to maintain Greenway routes and infrastructure ## **Trustees** (at March 2024) **:** - Ian Sier: (HGT Secretary) - Julia Hilton - Tim Jemison: - Linda Jeal: - Tony Polain: - Rebecca Polain ## **Hastings Greenway Trust Work in 2023/24:** ## **Funding Applications and Greenway Development** 2 No funding applications were made during the report period but the Government funding allocated for the **Hastings Long Term Plan** in March 2024 includes Transport & Connectivity as one of the three themes and may provide funds for Greenway route development. ## **Collaborative Work** Hastings Greenway Trust has continued to work with a number of other local organisations and forums, including Ore Community Land Trust, Hastings Greenway Group, Hastings Sustainable Transport Forum, Sustrans and Hastings Urban Bikes. Hastings Greenway Trust will be working very closely with Ore Community Land Trust to develop the Ore Valley Greenway and work should be able to start on this important project in 2025. An HGT trustee sits on the **Hastings & Rother Transport Action Group** , which involves the local authorities, the health service, transport providers and other key stakeholders. In addition, an HGT trustee is currently Chair of the **Hastings Sustainable Transport Forum** which was relaunched in early 2023. HSTF set up a Transport & Connectivity focus group in 2024 to provide project proposals for the **Hastings Long Term Plan** Board that will be managing this Government funding initiative. Three Greenway projects have already been submitted for capital and feasibility funding, with allocation decisions due mid 2025. Collaboration with the **Sussex Greenways group** to work on the Hastings Country Park Greenway, which is also a National Cycle Route 2 improvement project, has been another positive development. ## **Communications** The HGT web site was set up and is in the process of being developed and improved. A new HGT e mail system has also been set up. The successful Greenways Conference in March 2023 and the involvement with other local forums are used to promote Greenways concept and local planned routes. **Hastings Greenway Group** also works to promote and campaign for Greenways to the wider public and organises walks along planned sections of the local Greenway network. The Hastings Greenway network leaflet produced by the Greenway Group has been very widely distributed around Hastings over the last few years ## **Trustee Recruitment** Two new trustees with valuable IT and financial experience were appointed in 2023 and one of the founder members resigned as a trustee. ## **Hastings Greenway Group** Hastings Greenway Trust was set up by the Hastings Greenaway Group, which has continued to operate alongside the Trust with a focus on publicising, promoting and campaigning for the planned Hastings Greenway Network. 3 Regrettably, there was a major setback in the development of the Greenway routes network, all of which are included in the Hastings Walking & Cycling Strategy adopted by East Sussex County Council and Hastings Borough Council, in December 2022 when Hastings BC voted to stop ESCC from completing the key section through Alexandra Park. The Hastings Greenway Group mounted a very strong campaign in 2023, in conjunction with Hastings Urban Bikes, to try to stop this very damaging outcome but was unsuccessful. In fact, the damage done by this action taken by the Borough Council resulted in East Sussex County Council cancelling all walking & cycling route projects in Hastings and the loss of almost £1M. _In April 2024, Hastings Greenway Group working with the Hastings Sustainable Transport Forum organised a_ _**Hustings event for the local Borough Council elections** in May. The purpose was to promote active travel and the infrastructure needed to encourage walking, cycling and wheeling. All election candidates were invited to participate and set out what steps they would want to take to help with this aim. Hastings Greenway Trust provided a Greenway display and information at this event._ _A significant change in the administration of Hastings Borough Council from the 2024 local elections is seen in a very positive light in terms of support for active travel and Greenways._ ## **Development Work on Greenway Routes** In terms of development work, HGT decided to initially focus on key sections of the Greenway network. These are: - The **Rail Trackside Greenway route** from Hastings Station to Waterworks Road (connected to Alexandra Park via the Bethune Way underpass) is the key first section of the whole Greenway network. - A project group working on the Rail Trackside route have benefited from previously established liaison with Network Rail and have tried to involve the two local authorities (Borough & County) in a broader task group to try to take this project forward. More recently a Greenway Trustee has been working with Sustrans and other contacts to try to progress this but a housing development behind the College in Station Plaza _(nearing completion in 2024)_ has effectively cut of the planned connection. This project will require agreement with Network Rail to utilise a section of disused siding to be viable. The Hastings Town Deal funded project to create a Garden Town & Green (active travel) Connection from the Seafront to Station Plaza strengthens the case for this Greenway route to connect with Alexandra Park and is referred to below - The **Ore Valley Greenway** from Ore Station splits into two sections, one to the Broomgrove Estate and the other to Ore Village. 4 Collaboration with Ore Community Land Trust, in respect of the Ore Valley Greenway, is expected to enable corridor clearance work and more detailed survey and design work on some sections of the routes, subject to the green spaces in the Lower Ore Valley being transferred to the Land Trust. _This has been agreed and will happen in early 2025._ _A project submission for funding for the section from Ore Sation to Broomgrove was made to the Long-Term Plan fund, noted above, in 2024 by the Hastings Sustainable Transport Forum – transport & connectivity focus group_ Outline design and costings have already been completed on the Greenway section that runs through Speckled Wood at the top of Ore Valley but there are some land ownership issues for Ore CLT to deal with there. Other key sections of the Ore Valley route are looking very hopeful as the development of the site in Frederick Road, which started work in early 2023, will include a section of the Greenway as a planning condition. HGT will be working with the Borough Council to ensure the next Greenway connection through Council land west of the development site is constructed from where it will continue on an existing housing estate road to Hurrell Road and the Lower Ore Valley - The **Country Park Greenway** route from the top of the East Hill lift to Fairlight, via Barley Lane was adopted for the Hastings Walking & Cycling Strategy and a construction costing assessment was made in order to make a joint funding bid, with Groundwork South in 2020. This was unsuccessful but it is planned to work in partnership with the Sussex Greenways Group to seek funding for a key section of this route – from Barley Lane to Fairlight. This route is also a recognised important National Cycle Rote 2 improvement project. Sustrans had been carrying out a feasibility study on the route through 2023 ## Other Greenway related Projects Hastings Town Centre – **Public Realm & Green Connections Project.** This project, being managed by Hastings and East Sussex Councils, has funding allocated from the Hastings Town Deal Government fund. The original design was for a green corridor from the Seafront to Hastings Station to include designated walking and cycling lanes and the exclusion of cars from Havelock Road with a one-way bus lane travelling North. Hastings Greenway Trust did provide input into the consultation process for this project. This design has now been altered but cycle lanes will still be included and will provide an important Greenway connecting route. **Alexandra Park to Conquest Hospital Greenway.** This part Greenway and part safe cycle route would provide a valuable active travel route to the Conquest hospital 5 for staff and others and is strongly supported by the NHS Hospital Trust. It is part of the Hastings Walking & Cycling Network which has been agreed by both local authorities, which is, in effect, the same as the Hastings Greenway network. _A project funding submission has been made in 2024 to the Long-Term Plan for feasibility work on this route that Sustrans could take on_ ## **Funding Applications:** No further grant applications were made in 2023/24 but will be made for the projects noted above at the appropriate time. _It is hoped that the proposed Long Term Plan funding for Greenway routes, noted above, will be fruitful with a decision due to be made mid 2025_ Meeting venues have been provided for most Trustee Meetings at no cost by the White Rock Hotel, for which the Greenway Trust is very appreciative, so there was little expenditure from the Greenway Trust account during the year. ## **Summary of Annual Accounts 01/04/2023 – 31/03/2024:** **Income:** £ None **Expenditure:** £ 35.20 **Balance** @ bank (31/03/2024) £ 161.64 ## . **Plans and Objectives for 2025** 1. **Publicise HGT** to key stakeholders and seek to **recruit more trustees** (including representatives from Health & other interest groups). 2. **Ore Valley Greenway** - Support volunteer work to clear the corridor for the key section of the route (Ore Station to the Broomgrove Estate), when the green spaces have been transferred to Ore Community Land Trust and make a joint funding application for the design and construction of the route. This funding may come for the Hastings Long Term Plan 3. **Rail trackside route** - Call on Hastings Borough Council and other key organisations to set up a task group to negotiate with Network Rail over the use of the trackside land and to seek funding for the project. This project will be given a significant boost as a follow on from the Public Realm and Green Connections project noted above. 4. **Country Park Greenway** – Continue to work with Sussex Greenways on this project. Funding may come for the Hastings Long Term Plan as a project submission has been made. All of the land in owned by Hastings Borough Council. **5. Alexandra Park to Conquest route** – Take on the management of feasibility work on this project and work with Sustrans if the Submission for funding to the LongTerm Plan is agreed 6 6. Work closely with the Greenway Group and other organisations and forums to support the wider campaign for active travel and walking & cycling routes in and around Hastings and for a genuine commitment from ESCC and HBC. ## **Ian Sier - HGT Secretary (Jan. 2025)** _Contact: info@hastingsgreenwaytrust.org Hastings Greenway Trust, Jackson Hall, Portland Place, Hastings, TN34 1QN_ 7 **Hastings Greenway Trust Charitable Incorporated Organisation Charity Reg. No. 1191171** ## **Annual Accounts 01/04/2023 – 31/03/2024:** **Balance** @ bank (31.03.23) **£ 196.84** ## **Income:**  Donations £ none ## **Expenditure:** - Triodos Bank Charges £ 0.20 - Meeting Room Hire £ 30.00 - Unspecified payment £ 5.00 ## **Balance** @ bank (31.03.24) **£ 161.64** ## **The annual accounts 2023 - 2024 were approved by the Trustee Board at its meeting on 14[th] January 2025** ## Notes: 1. No funding applications were made in 2023/24. 2. No donations were received in 2023/24. 3. All but one of the Trustee Meetings was arranged at a free venue Ian Sier Hastings Greenway Trust - Secretary (Jan. 2025) ## _Contact: info@hastingsgreenwaytrust.org_ _Hastings Greenway Trust, Jackson Hall, Portland Place, Hastings, TN34 1QN_