“I am very proud of this event which, happily, has been based in my ward.

 “I want local residents to know that a Liberal Democrat administration will go all out to support local arts, culture and creative industries.

 “We have many talented individuals in our town, and the Council should be doing more to promote this side of Hastings life.

 “If we are serious about tackling the pockets of disadvantage in our area, then we must get serious about art and culture. There is no better way to empower people, to enable them to tell their story and to make their mark than through the arts and through cultural activities.”

Old Town and Clive Vale Councillors Richard Stevens and Sue Palmer have supported the petition.  It has also received backing from Tressell Ward campaigner, Cath Champion.

"The Council are guilty of the most naive and sloppy approach to this dramatic change in the way we dispose of our waste" , said Cllr Stevens.

" A one size -fits all attitude has been adopted, resulting in many Clive Vale residents feeling that their difficulties in coping with the huge 240 litre wheelie-bins have not been given serious consideration", he said.

"I have been going door to door and have found many people at their wits end ", said colleague Cllr Sue Palmer.

"In some cases, residents faced with the prospect of heaving heavy bins up 17 steps or more and have felt threatened if they dared to voice concerns.  Many resent the imposition of the fortnightly scheme and just don't understand why life is being made so difficult for them ", said Cllr Palmer.

"Everyone supports the need for recycling but feels that individual circumstances are being ignored” , she said.

Cllrs Stevens and Palmer are calling for more choice when it comes to bin size and a re-assessment of individual cases which they have identified from a survey of the entire Clive Vale area.  The petition will be heard at the Cabinet meeting on 5th November (6pm at the Town Hall) where residents reps will have their say.

The Clive Vale Residents Association has voted unanimously for a ‘Twin Bin Re-think'.

After talking with local residents in Manor Road , Cllr Peter Armstrong said,

“We have had a terrific day today. Local people have been very willing to come and talk to our police officers – particularly in the town centre.

 “We have effective and dedicated officers in our area. I only wish we had more of them.”

 Cllr Armstrong criticised the Labour Government for seeking to divert huge sums of money into a compulsory ID cards scheme, when money could be spent on front-line policing.

He said,

“The reality is that the police and other statutory professions are hampered by Labour's obsession with targets. And they do not have the numbers they need in order to meet the high standards that they set for themselves.

  “The Labour Government must take responsibility for this. Michael Foster has to come clean with Hastings residents. The government has cut the local crime budget this year. The sad truth is that there will be other victims of this aside from me.”

Cllr Richard Stevens, Lib Dem Group leader on Hastings Council said,

"I think Jo Swinson MP has hit the nail on the head with her comments.  The sad truth is that Labour and the Conservatives are failing to deliver on important environmental issues.  Labour is too timid, and the Tories have no policies in place.

"In Hastings , we want a common sense approach to the environment and to recycling.  Local people should know that if they elect a Lib Dem administration next May, what they will get is an administration committed to protecting the environment through listening to local people, and putting in place common sense policies. 

"We will work in partnership with local supermarkets to address the problems that excessive packaging brings.

"I hope that all those committed to the environment in our area will take time to read Jo's speech."

The audit was carried out by a group of major environmental organisations, including Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, the National Trust, the RSPB, the Woodland Trust and WWF-UK.

It awarded the parties “green lights” according to how green their policies were. The Conservatives scored zero, Labour one and the Liberal Democrats three.

One of the local party's conference representatives, Nick Perry, said the verdict of the green groups was a great boost for the party.

“This audit has confirmed what I have been hearing locally – that the Liberal Democrats are trusted on the environment, and how to plan for a sustainable future.

“At Conference, we will be debating plans that will put us even further ahead of Labour and the Conservatives. These include plans to shift more people from domestic flights to a greatly improved high speed rail system.

“And we will discuss our plans for cutting income tax by 4p in the pound to 16p, paid for by shifting more of the tax burden onto pollution.”

Cllr Bond says,

“I am very concerned about the speeding in Tower Road West and have asked that SLOW DOWN signs be put up, as the Council does not have the funds to do a survey at present.”

 “I am also campaigning for double yellow lines in London Road , opposite the car show room, as the road is always congested there due to parking on both sides of the road.

 “I have been listening to local residents who are very worried that there are accidents waiting to happen here.

 ”I want people to know that I am doing all I can to make our area safer.”

Paul Smith, who is a councillor for Castle Ward, and Nick Perry, who is an anti-poverty campaigner and mental health social worker, are due to move an amendment to the national party's policy paper: Freedom from poverty, opportunity for all .

Nick Perry says,

“I have spent my whole career fighting poverty and I am proud of this policy paper which puts forward some important ideas.  Our amendment is to ensure that people with lived experience of poverty in the UK are integral to the process of developing public policy. We are also encouraging our party to develop ways of routinely including people with lived experience in the scrutiny of national and local government policy.”

 Cllr Paul Smith adds,

“Our area is one which has a history of disadvantage.  Local Liberal Democrats are committed to listening to local people, and to reaching out to those who have often been disenfranchised by the political process.  If we get policy right for the most vulnerable, then we get it right for all.  This is what we will be saying to the national party loud and clear.”

condemned the decision of the Council not to vote again on local maternity care options.

Cllr Peter Armstrong made a request at the special meeting for the Council's decision (to back Option 4) to be looked at again.  Cllr Armstrong said after the meeting,

"I am stunned that Cllr Finch could say that "We've all had a good debate" but refuse to organise a new vote.  The fact is that many councillors on the Conservative and Labour benches have changed their minds on this issue - and quite right too.  We need a
new vote to reflect this."

Cllr Richard Stevens, leader of the Lib Dem Group, added,

"It was interesting to see that the Labour benches were so quiet.  And it was telling that the responses of Cllrs Daniel and Kramer were so lame.  I could have sworn that, at one point, Cllr Kramer tried to blame the Conservative governments before 1997.  Quite extraordinary.  Shame on them."

 "If the other political parties listened to local people properly, and knew anything about regeneration, they would know that this area is not suitable for pay parking.

"It is important to get good through-flow, but the Lib Dems will do this by tightening enforcement on time-limited free parking.

 "Labour is flip-flopping on the issue and the Conservatives need someone else to decide for them.

 “The Lib Dems know what to do. We just need a good result next May to make sure it happens."