This site is a forum and information exchange for local people who want to save the character and community of Silverhill.

Silverhill is a Victorian village in St. Leonards on Sea, East Sussex, that still retains a sense of community and some fine buildings with unique features. The local shops along Sedlescombe Road North are particularly important to residents of Silverhill  and we will be creating a separate page with information about these. The site will be developed and updated as further developments arise which affect Silverhill. Please register and leave comments on our forum.

August 2010
We are working on behalf of Silverhill traders and businesses on two important issues - 1. We need a sign near the main store entrance, advertising local shops and services, so that visitors to Asda are reminded that there are local shops which they can use as well. 2. We are liaising with HBC on how the Section 106 money which Asda are paying for "the enhancement of Silverhill" is to be spent in order to most benefit the community. For details please see the Section Silverhill Traders Association.

05 August 2010
Asda have taken on board our comments about the name of the store and have now confirmed that the store will be called "Asda St. Leonards On Sea" and not Asda Hastings.

July 2010

* ASDA have applied to extend the car park from 316 spaces for cars to 345.  HS/FA/10/00418, dated 8th July.

* ASDA Public Art:
Local artist, Juliette Dodd, has been appointed by ASDA to create public art for the new Asda store. The art will be located between Battle Road and the new store and will include 2D and 3D artwork as well as a themed planting scheme and street furniture.

If you would like to be part of this project, want to be involved and have any ideas about this public space, please contact silverhillpublicart@hotmail.co.uk or join the Facebook group 'Public Art for Silverhill Asda'.

You can speak to Juliette at the following events:

• St. Leonards Festival, Saturday 17th July, 12pm-6pm at Warrior Square
• The Bohemia Village Fair, Saturday 31st July, 1pm-6pm at Summerfields
• Greater Hollington Friday Funday, 27th August, 11am-4pm at Gibbons Memorial Field, Wishing Tree Road

May 2010

Silverhill Youth Street Meeting - Eversley Road Play area, Wednesday, 19th May at 6:30pm
If you are aged between 10 and 19 and live in Silverhill and think that more could be done for youngsters in our area, please come along and speak to us. There will be Councillors, Residents Associations, Community Police and a representative of the Youth Development Service. Tell us your views!  

March 2010

****** Regarding demolition of 1-17 Battle Road -
We have had the following communication from Highways:

The Hastings highways team have been working with the demolition contractor to agree the temporary traffic management measures. This includes safeguarding pedestrians.Initially they wanted to close the footway in Battle Road where they are carrying out the demolition works, however what has been agreed is to provide a temporary barriered walkway in the carriageway.Traffic management proposals for the construction phase have not yet been approved, however the contractor has indicated that they are unlikely to require a road closure.The Borough Planning Dept have confirmed that the Travel Plan has not yet been submitted. This must be done 'prior to occupation'

***** Outline Planning Permission is being sought for 3 new dwellings and associated parking and turning area at 1 Oban Road. You can view some details on the HBC website here: http://www.hastings.gov.uk/planning/CaseDetail.aspx?id=97089
The application number is HS/OA/09/00742 and you can email comments to dccomments@hastings.gov.uk The deadline for comments is 9th April 2010.
If you prefer, you can view the application on the UK Planning website, where you can submit comments online. http://www.ukplanning.com/ukp/showCaseFile.do?councilName=Hastings+Borough+Council&appNumber=HS/OA/09/00742

**** Re the former dance school, 347-349 London Road
We have been told that HBC Building Control received a formal notice of demolition at the beginning of March. Marcus Berrisford, the Planning Enforcement Officer for the case, has asked the owner of the site to take interim measures to better secure the site. This does not appear to have been done. We will bring this up at the next Silverhill Panel Meeting.

*** The East Sussex County Council Archaeologist is visiting the ASDA site on Monday, 15th March. We will keep you posted on whether his team will be digging up the site and, if so, whether they find anything of interest.

** Are there any potential development sites where you live? Hastings Borough Council need to identify land for new homes, new places to work and new places to shop in the town. You can give your views to the planners online at http://www.hastings.gov.uk/ldf/consultation.aspx#current Please give your ideas to help Shape Hastings up to the year 2026. For further information, please call the Planning Policy Team on 01424 451098 or email fplanning@hastings.gov.uk.

* People in Hastings have been receiving telephone calls from persons claiming they are from Crime Research Crime Stoppers UK and they tell you they are offering free security checks and alarm trials. Police have contacted crimestoppers and asked them about this and they have confirmed that they DO NOT do any canvassing of this nature and checking the company out online there have been a number of complaints about how they conduct their calls. 

If you receive any telephone calls of this nature please try to get any information you can about them, ie address, name of person calling you, telephone number of company etc and REPORT IT to trading standards on: 08454 04 05 06.

At present we have only had reports that they are canvassing by telephone but please be mindful of any persons calling at your door. Don’t let them into your home, always check for ID, if you are still not sure then ask them for the telephone number of the company and ring to ask if they know the person at your door.  If it is all above board they wont mind waiting outside whilst you do this!!!

February 2010

HBC Planning Department are investigating the issues surrounding the start of demolition on the old Marshall Tufflex site. If ASDA are found to be in breach of conditions they will be served Notices. Meanwhile, demolition has been halted until all necessary documents have been submitted and approved by the Planning Department.

Update 2nd February:

The Council has served 16 breach of condition notices on ASDA by recorded delivery and also served them to the contractors today. Further action may follow depending on further legal advice being obtained. ASDA have confirmed they will be stopping work except for installing site hoardings until the demolition conditions have been dealt with.

Update 3rd February:

ASDA apologise for confusion and say they did not intend to break compliance with conditions. They promise to "keep local residents and all neighbours fully updated on the programme of work ahead."

Update 23rd February:

Work resumed last week but, for now, only above ground work may be carried out. Any ground works will have to wait until other conditions, particularly those relating to contamination investigation, have been complied with. Under the terms of the Breach of Condition Notices served on 2nd February, those conditions have be be met by 2nd March.

Watch this space...

January 2010  

Demolition has begun on the ASDA site. This photo was taken by a Battle Road resident whose back garden adjoins the site.  There are two diggers at work and there are enormous amounts of dust.

We were told by someone at Environmental Health that ASDA have not yet submitted their Site Waste Management Plan to HBC and we are therefore concerned as to whether ASDA's Construction and Demolition Statement is being adhered to and whether the health and safety of Silverhill and St. Leonards residents is being given the priority and consideration it deserves. The green netting, which can be seen in the foreground, does not seem adequate protection from the dust generated. In addition, there are concerns regarding asbestos on the site. We are in contact with HBC and will keep residents posted on here. If you have any concerns, information or photos, please contact us.
 

Two of our local Councillors will be holding a residents surgery this month:

County Councillor Matthew Lock and Borough Councillor Matthew J. Lock will be available for you to speak to them about any concerns you may have with local issues. You can see them at

If you would prefer to contact them by phone, you can call the Town Hall on 451066 or the Conservative Office on 850828.
 

December 2009

East Sussex bus strategy review

Save Silverhill have received the following press release from East Sussex County Council:

We want people in East Sussex to have their say about the way we  provide bus services in the county. The consultation on our new bus strategy is coming to a close so anyone who wishes to comment should do so now.

The consultation began in September and those who wish to comment need to do so by 23 December.

We currently fund 75% of bus services in East Sussex. These include evening and Sunday services.  To help us determine the future level of service, a draft bus strategy has been developed, which indicates what our priorities are in  terms of  where we run buses.

We want to find out what residents think. Their feedback will be  used to inform the final bus strategy and help us build the future of bus services for East Sussex. People can view the draft strategy and complete the survey at:

www.eastsussex.gov.uk/haveyoursay

This consultation closes on 23 December 2009.

For further information, please contact: Bill Killick -

bill.killick@eastsussex.gov.uk or 01273 482372

November 2009 Follow us on Twitter! For regular updates and to let us know your views, follow Silverhilltweet

There will be an ice skating rink at the Priory Meadow Shopping Centre, from 27th November to 10th January. Tickets will be available from the Tourist Information Office. Peak/Off peak prices will be adults £6/£5, child £4/£3, family £15/£12.
 
October 2009 Silverhill traders and residents are invited to give their views with regard to how Section 106 money coming into the community from ASDA is to be spent. Let us know how you think this money could improve the environment in Silverhill. Do you think we should have flower boxes in the summer and christmas lights in December? Do you think we should have more trees and shrubs? Walls to reduce the noise and dust for Silverdale Road residents? Please leave your suggestions on the forum but we will also shortly be installing suggestion boxes in Silverhill.