ARE HOUSING CO-OPS PART OF
HASTINGS' LOCAL PLAN?
One of our members regularly attended the Hastings Housing Strategy over the last year beating the drum for housing co-ops and community led housing. While this is mentioned in the strategy, there are no solid commitments to community led housing. It's purely notional. The request to allocate a dedicated 10% of the housing budget to CLH was repeatedly ignored in the drafts, which would have at least given willing groups some concrete commitment and support to help them take control of their housing and loosen the grip of landlords and extortionate rents in the housing market.
As a housing co-op, we were also stalled at the first step of our building development with Hastings Commons. The Register of Interest we were told would take 2 weeks never emerged. This was for a 14 unit pre-fab development over a carp park, making use of per-existing space rather than building on green space or flood areas. In April it will be over a year since that first step. The role of the council is to enable it's community, not gatekeep. We know what we need and we are willing, we shouldn't be obstructed. This development could be well under way providing housing for a number of families as well as a cohesive and robust cooperative community and the start of a dynamic and much needed movement. While we are pushing on with a much smaller development we will have more control over, the larger development is just another discarded beautiful 'what if' gathering dust. No commitment on a broader or individual project level.
CORNWALL HAS A DEDICATED HOUSING STRATEGY FOR COMMUNITY LED HOUSING AND NOW SO DO BRIGHTON & HOVE, LITERALLY NEXT DOOR TO US. WHY DOESN'T HASTINGS?
'Cornwall’s community-led housing (CLH) strategy focuses on empowering local groups to own and manage homes, addressing a severe housing crisis with 15,000 potential units in regional pipelines. The strategy aims to increase affordable housing stock, reduce homelessness, and improve home quality through partnerships, modular homes, and bringing empty properties back into use. Collaboration with organizations like Plymouth Community Homes and Homes England is key to delivering 200–350 homes annually.' Faversham Communiuty Land Trust
'Brighton & Hove’s community-led housing (CLH) strategy is a key component of the2024-2029 Housing Strategy, aimed at delivering affordable, high-quality, and sustainable homes through community partnership. The strategy focuses on empowering local groups, such as Community Land Trusts (CLTs) and co-ops, to develop housing on council-owned land. The council integrates CLH into its strategic planning, utilizing partners like the Brighton & Hove Community Land Trust to identify opportunities. The Council’s City Plan prioritizes identifying council-owned sites for CLH to increase housing supply.' Brighton & Hove Community Land Trust
Bunker Housing Coop Brighton were supported by B&H City Council to build their first set of housing
WHAT IS THE PLAN WITH THE LOCAL PLAN?
Floodplains and green spaces