The Four Courts Noticeboard

Yes, we’ll continue to provide all day-today services, including maintenance and repairs, while you remain in your home. Please report any repair issues to us.

Yes, our priority remains keeping you safe in your home. All existing fire safety systems will stay in place and regular fire risk assessments will continue for as long as the buildings are occupied.

Yes, if you have bed bugs, you must still act immediately. We’re here to support you and can arrange treatment at no cost. To request help, please contact us.

Our Resettlement Officers will be based on site to provide support. Once the demolition and building work begins, we'll also have Development staff and contractors on site.

We'll work with the contractor at each phase to ensure that space is provided for residents to access, green spaces, parking spaces and community facilities.

The home loss payment is to compensate you for the loss of your home, and this is designed to cover most circumstances. If you can provide evidence (for example, receipts) of significant changes made to your home before we told you of our plans to demolish the blocks, we will consider each claim on a case-by-case basis.

We'll work with the contractor at the appointment stage to ensure a construction management includes plans to minimise disruption and ensure the safety of all residents.

We plan to support all Bevin Court residents to move out by March 2026, with Roosevelt Court planned for March 2027. We intend to demolish both buildings when they are empty. We expect work to last for about 12 years.

No, when finding residents a new home as part of the regeneration and redevelopment of the Four Courts we'll not be using the empty flats for temporary housing.

This is untrue. Nobody is being moved into the empty flats – they will remain empty until demolition of the block(s).

We’re not. When a resident moves out, we carry out essential health and safety works before securing the property.

Each of our Bevin Court residents have been allocated a dedicated Resettlement Officer. The Resettlement Officer discusses their housing needs and area where they’d like to move.

Any move is the choice of the resident, including accepting a property outside the St Leonards area. Nobody has been moved anywhere against their wishes.

We understand the importance of staying in familiar surroundings, and for some the need to stay close to family and friends. Others may wish to move further afield. Either way, our Resettlement Officers will be there every step of the way to find a home based on preferences and location.

Your Resettlement Officer will meet with you personally on a one-to-one basis. They’ll help arrange removals, services and appointments if needed for you. They’ll keep in regular contact at intervals agreed with you and keep you up-to-date with progress on your rehousing. They’ll stay in touch until you’re settled into your new home. They’ll be with you every step of the way to answer any questions you have.

Yes, you’ll be able to view any potential new home before deciding to move. Our Resettlement Officers will also arrange visits to our Independent Living schemes in the local area for Bevin Court residents, so you get an opportunity see the options available.

Yes, your dedicated Resettlement Officer will discuss your housing preferences with you and work to find a home that meets your needs. We also understand the importance of staying in familiar surroundings, and for some the need to stay close to family and friends.

Every household will have a dedicated Resettlement Officer who will work with you to assess your needs. If a two-bedroom home is required, we’ll ensure this is factored into your rehousing options.

We’re the largest social landlord in Hastings and regularly have vacant homes that become available throughout our stock. Bevin and Roosevelt are both independent living schemes. Vacancies arise more frequently in independent living than in family housing. This will help facilitate the rehousing of residents from Bevin and Roosevelt Courts. We’re working in close partnership with Hastings Borough Council, and we’ve allowed a significant amount of time to find alternative homes for everyone.

We need to move residents out in a certain order to ensure each block is empty when it is due for demolition. If we were to move someone out of sequence, this would delay the move of another household. This could delay the demolition of a block and ultimately delay the building of new homes.

There are no plans at this stage to demolish any other homes. We are proposing to rehouse residents of the Four Courts blocks and demolish these blocks over the regeneration period.

We’ve shared a range of new home options, however not every option will be suitable for all residents. To allocate a new home, we must comply with our Housing Options and Lettings Policy. This means the size and type of home needs to meet the household’s requirements. For some residents this may mean a one or two bedroom home is suitable.

For others, this may be a larger three to four bedroom property. Your Resettlement Officer will work with you to understand your requirements and help find the best possible option for you.

No, we’re the largest social landlord in Hastings and regularly have vacant homes across our stock. Bevin and Roosevelt Courts are independent living schemes, where vacancies arise more frequently than in family housing. This will help us rehouse residents from these schemes.

We’re also working closely with Hastings Borough Council, and we’ve allowed plenty of time to find suitable alternative homes for everyone. We’ll continue to work with each household until their block is empty.

It means your new home will reflect your current home in important ways:
• The same type of tenancy
• A comparable location, or a new one if that’s your preference.

You won’t be restricted to the same type or size of property. If you’re currently overcrowded or have more space than you need, we’ll find a home that better fits your current needs. This might be a flat, house, maisonette, or a home in supported or extra care housing.

Yes, your new home will remain social housing, ensuring you have the same services and affordability.

Your rent may go up or down depending on location and the type of property we offer you. Your Resettlement Officer will discuss this further.

We’ll offer you a home that suits you and your family’s housing needs. We’re unable to guarantee you a home which will allow your pets. However, please be reassured we’ll do our best to offer you a new home that allows you to take your pets.

We’ve shared a range of new home options, however not every option will be suitable for all residents. To allocate a new home, we must comply with our Housing Options and Lettings Policy. This means the size and type of home needs to meet the household’s requirements. For some residents this may mean a one or two bedroom home is suitable.

For others, this may be a larger three to four bedroom property. Your Resettlement Officer will work with you to understand your requirements and help find the best possible option for you.

Residents will be offered permanent tenancies in suitable alternative homes. Your rent may go up or down depending on location and the type of property you accept. Your Resettlement Officer will discuss the details of each option with you. 

The facilities provided at Bevin Court are specific to that building. Your Resettlement Officer will discuss the facilities available at other schemes as they become available. Services such as heating, laundry, mobility scooter charging are all service chargeable services.

We’re unable to guarantee you’ll be able to move back to the new Four Courts. This is due to the amount of time it’ll take to move everybody out of the current buildings and complete the new development. This will be a large-scale regeneration project which will take a number of years to complete. Our aim is to find you a permanent new home that meets all your needs, however, we’ll take account of your preferences to move back to the redeveloped site.

We can categorically say this is completely untrue and we’ve no idea where this rumour has come from.

We’ll talk to you and any of your support services, such as occupational therapists, about what you need. We’ll make sure your new home is suitable for your needs.

Yes, we’ll work with social services and care providers to ensure your care and support package continues without interruption.

We’ll work with external agencies like Adult Social Care to ensure you receive the support you need. Your Resettlement Officer will assess your needs and coordinate assistance.

We'll work with your care providers to ensure a seamless approach with any care you currently receive to ensure this is transferred to your new home. We won’t move you until you have your support package in place for your new home. We don’t anticipate this will cause a delay to you moving, however, if you want to move out of the area this may take slightly longer.

We know moving home under these circumstances is rarely easy, but please be reassured we’re here to support you in finding a new home. We’ve put together a dedicated team to support you through this. They’ll make the process as smooth as possible for you.

We plan to support all Bevin Court residents to move out by March 2026, with Roosevelt Court planned for March 2027. Churchill Court and Kennedy Court will then follow.

Yes, we’ll cover the normal costs associated with moving home, including removals. We’ll arrange professional removals and your dedicated Resettlement Officer will be there to support you through this process.

We know moving home can be unsettling and takes a lot of planning. We’ll ensure you’ll have all the support and assistance you need. You’ll have a dedicated Resettlement Officer who’ll work closely with you to find you a new home based on your preferences and location.

Our priority will be Bevin Court residents and we’ll be introducing their dedicated Resettlement Officer over the coming weeks. They’ll make contact to arrange a first visit.

Residents in Roosevelt, Churchill and Kennedy Court will receive a dedicated officer when the moving process starts for these buildings.

As soon as we identify a suitable home for you, we’ll arrange a viewing and agree on a moving date that works for you.

Yes, you’re entitled to a statutory Home Loss Payment. This amount is currently £8,100. You’ll receive this payment for the loss of your home and it’ll be paid within one month of signing your new agreement. We’ll also cover disturbance costs, such as mail redirection and appliance disconnections/reconnections.

Any resident who moves out of Bevin Court or Roosevelt Court after 18 February 2025 - the date we formally notified residents of the estate’s demolition - will be entitled to a Home Loss Payment once they sign a new tenancy agreement.

Residents of Churchill Court and Kennedy Court will become eligible for the payment once we start the process of moving them.

Your dedicated Resettlement Officer will discuss your individual circumstances with you and can refer you to our Financial Support Team for assistance.

This isn’t true. The Home Loss Payment is a statutory payment set by the government. It’s designed to compensate residents for the distress and inconvenience of moving home at a time not of their choosing. We’ll make the payment at the government’s set rate at the time of your move.

The design and layout of flats doesn’t meet modern mobility standards, and the physical constraints of the buildings restrict the opportunities to modernise these blocks to the standards residents expect.

Your feedback has also played a crucial role in shaping our decision to redevelop. After listening to residents, stakeholders, and the wider community, we recognise the Four Courts no longer meets modern housing standards.

We’ve carefully considered all options and believe this is a unique opportunity to create new, high-quality social homes that better serve the needs of current and future residents.

The decision to regenerate is based on the shortcomings of the existing blocks. We’ve listened to residents’ concerns about the repairs and maintenance required for the blocks, as well as the constraints of the current design of the blocks themselves. Many homes lack proper accessibility, making life difficult for those with mobility needs. The lift systems do not reach all floors and are too small for ambulance crews.

We haven’t yet, but this will be part of our technical due diligence when we appoint surveyors and contractors.

All new homes built on the site will remain social housing, reinforcing our dedication to providing affordable and sustainable homes for local people. This regeneration project is a positive step towards addressing housing challenges in the area while maintaining strong community ties.

We already have several good quality independent living schemes in the area. Instead, we’ll be developing a range of homes including family houses, maisonettes, and low-rise flats. These will be accessible and could also be suitable for older residents.

We shared our plans with residents as soon as we were able to. The decision to regenerate and redevelop was based on the limitations of the existing blocks to provide good quality housing in the years to come, rather than financial drivers.

We'll use our borrowing capacity and Social Housing Grant to fund the development of new social housing at Stonehouse Drive. We'll be speaking to Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency about securing grant funding for the new social homes.

We’ll use our borrowing capacity to fund the development of new social housing at the Four Courts site. We’ve had early conversations with Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, about securing grant funding for the new social homes. We’ve been clear from day one that all new homes built on the site will remain social housing, reinforcing our dedication to providing affordable and sustainable homes for local people. We can categorically say we have no plans to sell the site.

We’ll work with the steering group on shaping the masterplan proposals and will need to appoint our external project team, including designers and surveyors, as well as planning consultants. We don’t expect to submit a planning application for the whole masterplan until early 2026.

We don’t have details of the cost of the new build development as we are just about to start consulting with residents and the Council on the design, mix and layout of the new homes. These factors will be discussed and developed through the planning process and will determine the cost of the development.

The site is big enough to provide more social housing than the number of homes currently provided by the Four Courts. The new development will include a mix of home types to meet local housing needs. We’re confident we’ll be able to maintain good open areas as well.

Homes England changed their position in 2023 to fund the development of replacement homes in regeneration projects. The development of new homes at Stonehouse Drive will take many years. We don’t envisage the first homes starting until 2028. Homes England never commit to long term funding at this stage of a regeneration project.

All new homes will be for social rent, reinforcing our dedication to providing affordable and sustainable homes for local people.

We know the site can achieve more homes than currently on the estate and believe we can achieve over 450 new homes including apartments, maisonettes and houses.

DFG is secured through the Local Authority following an assessment of need of the resident/potential resident, involving Occupational Health. We can signpost and follow up with partners if we're aware of specific needs/requirements for new homes.

We'll be developing a range of new homes including houses, maisonettes and flats which will be accessible for residents with disabilities. We'll apply for grants if we need to make specific adaptations to make a home suitable for an individual family.

It’s clear that even with significant investment, the existing structures would still fall short of providing fully accessible, and future-proofed homes. For example, essential upgrades such as lifts that stop on all floors and are large enough to enable ambulance crews to exit residents are not feasible within the current buildings. The design and layout of flats doesn’t meet modern mobility standards, and the physical constraints of the buildings restrict the opportunities to modernise these blocks to the standards residents expect. For these reasons, after careful consideration and listening to concerns, we’ve made the decision to redevelop the Four Courts.

This is false. We can categorically say we have no plans to sell the site. We’ve been clear from day one that all new homes built on the site will remain social housing, reinforcing our dedication to providing affordable and sustainable homes for local people.

This isn’t true. There’s no government funding for the removal of the external wall system or the scaffolding. Southern Housing is fully funding this work.

The external wall system is being removed to eliminate fire safety risks and prevent further deterioration of the render. Over time, the render could detach, creating a hazard. The removal will also allow Bevin Court to return to a ‘Stay Put’ fire safety strategy, in line with advice from the Fire Engineer and East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.

No, we won’t be recladding the block.

We take all reports of anti social behaviour extremely seriously and would ask you to report this to us straight away. 

Please call the police immediately if you see anyone on the scaffold.

Yes, works are necessary. We're not replacing the external wall system with a new one. We are, however, removing it which will allow Bevin Court to revert back to a ‘Stay Put’ strategy in case of a fire, which the building was designed to support. This aligns with the advice from our Fire Engineer and East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. 

If we wait to carry out works to the render, which has in places detached from the insulation, there's an on-going risk of it detaching further. We're unable to predict the rate of deterioration due to other external factors, such as rain and wind. 

Full removal eliminates the risk of external fire spread from the exposed insulation and the risk of further falling render hitting someone and causing injury.

Bevin Court is not unsafe. The risk of further render detaching from Bevin Court will be eliminated once the external wall system is removed. We’ll continue to monitor the other blocks and look for any signs of deterioration to the render. Our programme of fire risk assessments, fire door inspections and all other fire safety activity will continue until the last resident has moved out.

At the end of 2024, Southern Housing said it planned on a 'building-wide treatment' for the bed bug issue. Now the plans to demolish the Four Courts have been revealed, are plans to fumigate the whole building still going to go ahead? Or will Southern Housing continue to treat each infestation on a case-by-case basis.