Hastings - deprived?

View of Hastings Old Town from East Hill, with the pier in the background

Shortly after news came through that funding had been obtained for the renovation of Hastings Pier, a report was published by the Office for National Statistics last week, which concluded that Hastings is high on the list of the most impoverished coastal towns in the UK.  There are a number of problems with this.  First and foremost, the conclusions are based on figures for 2010.  Everyone locally agrees that immense progress has been made since then.  There is an increasing influx of new residents, particularly in the arts and media sectors.  This usually means that an area is on the up.  Call me biassed, but my impression has always been that artists and the gay community are often the first to spot potential, and precede the subsequent arrival of the middle class.  That certainly seems to be happening in Hastings Old Town and parts of Saint Leonard's.  

On the other hand, it's impossible to deny the existence of deprivation.  There's a shortage of local employment possibilities, which is in part due to a lack of investment by businesses.  This in turn is partly due to poor road and rail access.  Local difficulties are compounded by London boroughs sending benefits claimants down to cheaper lodgings in Hastings, which increases the ratio of people in the town on benefits together with the attendant social problems involved.      

We know all of this.  There's no quick-fix solution - Luddites lamenting the building of the Jerwood Gallery and pleading for extended amusement parks fail to appreciate the changes in visitors' tastes, and the increased diversity of their demands.  Improved road and rail access requires enormous investment and is not going to happen in the short term.  The town's council is probably doing its best, in difficult circumstances, but is bound to make mistakes along the way. 

However, there are a number of major plus points that nobody seems to be mentioning.  The town has a wonderful community spirit.  The voluntary sector seems to be thriving, even if more helpers are always needed.  There is a vibrant social life in the pubs and clubs.  Festivals and celebrations abound.  The fishing industry, historic core of the Old Town, looks set to benefit from changes in the quota system.  The diversity of people and interests, combined with a highly egalitarian attitude, makes for a very special place.  I can't speak for Blackpool, Margate and Clacton, also high on the list.  But I know that in Hastings a historic figure for deprivation only tells part of the story.  

Antony Mair 

Beachy Head from Saint Leonard's