Ambitious plans to transform a town centre and seafront into a 21st Century tourist magnet have been heralded as a major boost.

The £160 million scheme is set to create hundreds of jobs and draw many visitors into Hastings and St Leonards.

The proposals form part of a £400 million regeneration package announced last year to drag the seaside resort from years of decay and neglect.

It has suffered from high unemployment, high levels of violent crime, high teenage pregnancy rates and many other social ills, placing it high in the UK's deprivation index.

But the £400 million, promised after the Government rejected plans for a huge bypass scheme for the town, is set to tackle such problems.

One of the key parts is a new university called University College Hastings (UCH) to be built at several sites across Hastings and St Leonards in partnership with Brighton University.

Bosses at Hastings Borough Council believe it would spark a revival in the resort by luring thousands of young people into the town and help boost its flagging economy.

The latest plans, feted as one of the most ambitious developments in Hastings' history, have provoked much excitement.

Key plans for the town centre and seafront have been announced in three parts.

One, called Pelham Plaza, would involve building a four-star hotel, shops, offices and leisure facilities on the seafront.

Under the plans by the Hastings and Bexhill Task Force, the car park in Pelham Place, opposite arts venue St Mary-in-the-Castle, would go underground to make way for the 80-room hotel.

The second proposal, called Station Plaza, would be beside Hastings railway station where high-rise flats would be built together with shops and leisure facilities.

The third, named Campus Core, is at the former British Telecom base in nearby Havelock Road, which would be turned into one of the new university sites.

Long-standing eyesores, such as the Pelham Place and railway station car parks, would go.

With vital transport improvements forming part of the five-point regeneration plan, there are hopes Hastings could, like Brighton and Hove, become a thriving destination and a bustling cosmopolitan resort.

Council leader Jeremy Birch said the plans had gained overwhelming backing from residents, businesses and police.

He said: "This is making a reality of what we promised last year when we got commitment from central government for the regeneration of Hastings.

"This is the start of something special. During the consultation it was made clear that people did not want us to start on some greenfield site out of the way.

"They wanted work to start in the centre and work further afield. That's what we're doing. What we are going to see is a revitalised Hastings starting at the heart of the community."

Detailed design briefs are being drawn up and work is set to start by the end of the year.

Tuesday April 22 2003