Editing Hastings (section)

==Economy==
[[File:hastings-wyrdlight-1201.jpg|thumb|right|Traditional fisher on the shingle beach at Hastings – Rye registration]]

Until the development of tourism, fishing was Hastings' major industry. The fishing fleet, based at [[the Stade]], remains Europe's largest beach-launched fishing fleet and has recently won accreditation for its sustainable methods. The fleet has been based on the same beach, below the cliffs at Hastings, for at least 400, possibly 600, years. Its longevity is attributed to the prolific fishing ground of Rye Bay nearby.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Peak |first=Steve  |title=Fishermen of Hastings – 200 years of the Hastings Fishing Community| year=1985}}</ref> Hastings fishing vessels are registered at [[Rye, East Sussex|Rye]], and thus bear the letters "RX" ('''R'''ye, Susse'''X''').

There are now various industrial estates that lie around the town, mostly on the outskirts, which include engineering, catering, motoring and construction; however, most of the jobs within the Borough are concentrated on health, public services, retail and education. 85% of the firms (in 2005) employed fewer than 10 people; as a consequence the unemployment rate was 3.3% (''cf.'' East Sussex 1.7%). However, qualification levels are similar to the national average: 8.2% of the working-age population have no qualifications while 28% hold degree-level qualifications or higher, compared with 11% and 31% respectively across England.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}}

===Shopping and retail===
[[File:Entrance to Kings Walk, Priory Meadow Shopping Centre, Hastings - geograph.org.uk - 1197474.jpg|thumb|left|Entrance to Kings Walk, Priory Meadow Shopping Centre]]
Hastings main shopping centre is [[Priory Meadow Shopping Centre]], which was built on the site of the old [[Central Recreation Ground]] which played host to some [[Sussex County Cricket Club|Sussex CCC]] [[first-class cricket|first-class]] fixtures, and cricketing royalty such as Dr. [[W. G. Grace]] and Sir [[Don Bradman]]. The centre houses 56 stores and covers around 420,000&nbsp;ft<sup>2</sup>. Further retail areas in the town centre include Queens Road, Wellington Place and Robertson Street.

[[File:Lacuna Place on Havelock Rd, Hastings, East Sussex.jpg|thumb|right|Lacuna Place by Proctor and Matthews Architects,<ref>{{cite web |title=Opening of Lacuna Place set to create jobs for Hastings |url=http://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/local/opening-of-lacuna-place-set-to-create-jobs-for-hastings-1-1450744 |publisher=[[Hastings & St. Leonards Observer]] |date=24 September 2008 |access-date=28 January 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202225721/http://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/local/opening-of-lacuna-place-set-to-create-jobs-for-hastings-1-1450744 |archive-date=2 February 2014 }}</ref> where the SAGA offices are based]]
There are plans to expand the retail area in Hastings, which includes expanding Priory Meadow and creating more retail space as part of the Priory Quarter development. Priory was intended to have a second floor added to part of the retail area, which has not happened yet and so far only office space has been created as part of the Priory Quarter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/local-news/priory_meadow_shops_to_grow_1_1442559|title=Priory Meadow shops to grow|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003043924/http://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/local-news/priory_meadow_shops_to_grow_1_1442559|archive-date=3 October 2011}}</ref>

===Regeneration===
In 2002 the Hastings and Bexhill task force, set up by the [[South East England Development Agency]], was founded to regenerate the local economy, a 10-year programme being set up to tackle the local reliance on public sector employment. The regeneration scheme saw the construction of the [[University Centre Hastings]], (now known as the [[University of Brighton]] in Hastings) the new [[Sussex Coast College]] campus and construction of the Priory Quarter, which still remains unfinished but now houses [[Saga Group|Saga]] offices, bringing 800 new jobs to the area.<ref>[http://www.seeda.co.uk/news-and-publications/case-studies/recent-case-studies/1/232 Hastings Regeneration] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929031801/http://www.seeda.co.uk/news-and-publications/case-studies/recent-case-studies/1/232 |date=29 September 2011 }} SEEDA</ref><ref>[http://www.seaspace.org.uk/business/news/May/Sea-Space-finalises-plans-for-next-Priory-Quarter-development/145/ Sea Space finalises plans for next Priory Quarter development] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326092606/http://www.seaspace.org.uk/business/news/May/Sea-Space-finalises-plans-for-next-Priory-Quarter-development/145/ |date=26 March 2012 }} Sea Space</ref>