This time I am talking about our story on page 20 today which reveals that the council continued to employ a cash collection firm for NINE months after it was first accused of failing to hand over money. In the end it has cost the taxpayer almost half a million pounds. Why was this allowed to happen? Why didn't the council step in immediately there was concern. Next Monday's Audit Committee will discuss the matter, and I guess that will be the usual whitewash. Woe betide the day that HBC was ever run as a private business - my gosh there would be one hell of a shake-up. The independent auditor has criticised HBC - but hey what will happen, nothing I guess. Excuse me, this is public taxpayers' money and - just like the recycling fiasco - it is an absolute outrage.

I DON'T like councillors letters on our letters pages - space is precious and I like to hear what the readers have to say. I did make an exception the other week to allow Independent councillor (well I think he's Independent this week and not Conservative) Stephen Springthorpe the right to reply to comment I had made abour him. Fair enough, but, as is always the case with political letters from councillors, it simply invites reaction from his political rivals. That's what happened here so I did print a few of those as well. Then what happens, Stephen comes back and wants his second right of reply.
No - because all that will then happen is that those who wrote in first time complaining about his comments will do exactly the same second time around. I did agree to confirm however that Councillor Springthorpe remains an Independent councillor, and not a Tory one, which is what he used to be. He did however vote with the Tories at the annual council meeting. In return, they have given him a seat on the three committees he sat on before he quit the Tories. Soft? Sounds like it to me, but the Tories needed his hand to go up with them to retain control.

PARKING in Old Town remains a big issue, although Graham How, in his column last week as chair of the Town Centre Management Board, revealed - somewhat prematurely - that changes are ahead. His comments shocked a few at the Town Hall because most of the information hadn't been released. Anyway, it does appear that the council may reverse some of the policies it introduced a few months ago but we are talking about a local council, it appears that may take months to happen. That's a pity, it's the middle of summer and the crazy charges and restrictions remain in place. Not good enough HBC.

I GATHER from emails flying around the arts community here in Hastings - I haven't seen them personally - that people seem to think the Observer is anti-Jerwood Art Gallery because we keep publishing letters from local residents against the scheme. If people want to write in against the gallery, so be it, they are perfectly entitled to their opinion. My view is that the Jerwood Art Gallery is an exciting step forward in the regeneration of our town and should be warmly welcomed. People will always moan, there will always be resistance to change, but this town needs to go forward, and the Jerwood Art Gallery must be seen as a positive part of that development. Council leader Peter Pragnell tells me even the fishing community supports the project - so it must be a good thing then.