On Saturday 18th April 2015 we had our visions event at the White Rock Hotel, a fantastic afternoon when more than eighty people came together to contribute ideas for a more sustainable town. Here is a taster of some of the ideas discussed, including a few quirky ones:
Food growing
- Community Gardens
- Edible bus stops / guerilla gardening
- Garden matching schemes
Transport
- Car free days on the seafront
- Travel passes for integrated transport system (including new funiculars to the West/East Hills)
Economy
- Local currency
- Skill share/swap
Energy
- 100% renewable energy owned by Hastings Community
- Bio-digesters to generate energy from local garden waste
Housing
- Rent reform / Land tax control
- CPO / planning reform
- Eco-housing including Eco Open Houses
Waste
- Community composting
- Packaging-free shops
- Acknowledge the value in waste and use it.
Also, the presentations about Transition Town Lewes, Community Fruit and Veg Project, Trinity Wholefoods Coop, Energise Sussex Coast and a short film of a TED talk emphasised the power of community.
As such, it feels important to consider the following in the future work of Transition Town Hastings:
- work with existing community groups
- bring people together to create a friendlier and safer environment
- bridging age gaps through common activities
- developing Transition Streets
- encouraging broader engagement
We were excited to discover lots of people at the event had valuable skills to offer and we hope to see these in action soon.
On Monday 25th May at 7pm there will be a core group Transition Town Hastings meeting in the Notley Room at the White Rock Hotel.
This meeting is for those wishing to be involved in deciding the next steps. We will be looking at how we form and facilitate working groups, develop projects and raise funds. (Photos © John Cole).
