Hastings residents on key local elections issues

Hastings resident Jeff said the upkeep of things like parks was "being let to go to the dogs"

As voters prepare to go to the polls in the local elections this May, we take a visit to Hastings in Sussex.

The walls at Hastings Contemporary are lined with artwork from esteemed talent such as the town's own Quentin Blake.

But when we visit, the floors are covered with canvases too, ready to be populated by amateur artists from the community.

"Family Day" sees the gallery opens its doors to local residents, who are invited to make their own mark.

So while children sketch out their drawings, their parents and grandparents outline for us some of the key issues in the community.

"We're a very mixed population in that there's a lot of areas of deprivation... on the estates where services are not good," says Dee, who has lived in Hastings for ten years.

"And housing is a problem. There's a lot of people who are being priced out of the area. Especially since Covid."

Dee said a lot of people were being priced out of the area

'Lack of housing'

Catherine - who moved to Hastings five years ago - also identifies a lack of housing in the town as an area for concern.

"I think a lot of social problems stem from the fact that they don't have secure, safe, sufficiently spacious housing for their family or an in area where they can be close to their family or where they grew up."

Jeff is here with his grandchildren and while he says there are some "major aggravations", he'd like to see councillors deal with the "minor ones" too.

"There are parts of the park that are really nicely kept and there are other parts that are just sort of left," he said.

Residents will be able to make their views known at the ballot box next month, as half of the councillors on Hastings Borough Council are up for election.

The authority has already seen a leadership change in recent months, after eight Labour councillors - including the leader and deputy leader - quit the party to become independent and formed a new administration with the Greens.