Hastings Borough Council

04/11/2026

Join Hastings Museum & Art Gallery on Saturday 21 November for the launch of EARTHWORKS, an eco-arts magazine that welcomes all voices.

Free creative family workshop (ages 7+), 11am to 1pm - Get hands-on with a creative clay workshop making sculptural forms and Earth creatures.

There will also be the chance to help build a Bayeux Tapestry-style community art piece, by adding your own marks, drawings and responses to a series of environmental questions about what makes us feel connected to the Earth.

This creative work will be documented, and some pieces will feature in EARTHWORKS Magazine.

Book your space: https://www.hmag.org.uk/event/earthworks-family-workshop/

Discussion and project launch, 2 to 3.30pm - In a free event to launch EARTHWORKS, this session will bring together artists and thinkers for a lively conversation about art, ecology, culture, hope, resistance and the world we find ourselves in.

The audience is invited to join the discussion and thoughts will be documented in the magazine.

Book your place: https://www.hmag.org.uk/event/earthworks-magazine-discussion-project-launch/

04/11/2026

What happens to your pumpkin after Halloween? 🎃

It's been carved, photographed, and now it's probably starting to look a little worse for wear. But your pumpkin can still do something useful!

Instead of putting it in the bin, put it in your food waste caddy. We'll collect it and turn it into nutrient-rich soil conditioner that can be used on local farms and gardens.

Please remember that pumpkins are dangerous for some wildlife, such as hedgehogs. If you have any leftovers, please don’t leave them on the ground.

04/11/2026

Work has started at Hastings Castle to carefully remove vegetation as part of conservation work funded through Historic England Heritage at Risk Capital Fund grant programme, alongside a £200,000 contribution from Hastings Borough Council.

Cllr Julia Hilton explains more about the work in the video. You can also find out more on our website - https://www.hastings.gov.uk/news/latest/Hastings-Castle-conservation-works-begin/

04/11/2026

Our Sussex cattle are now grazing the Firehills in Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve using the NoFence virtual fencing system as part of our habitat management programme.

If you're visiting the reserve, please:

• keep dogs on a secure lead in areas where there is livestock;
• do not approach or disturb the livestock;
• keep gates closed at all times.

To see the cattle's live location and the borders of their current virtual pastures, visit the Nofence website: https://grazingmap.nofence.no/

Thank you for your cooperation.

03/11/2026

As we move into autumn, there is an increased risk of power or water supplies being affected by the weather.

If you, or someone in your household, needs extra support, you might be eligible to sign up for the Priority Services Register. The criteria includes having children under-five or people of pensionable age living with you, as well as being medically dependent on either gas, electricity or water and having limited mobility.

Registering your details means the utilities companies (electricity, gas, water) will give you extra support in an emergency when supplies are affected. This could include deliveries of water if the water supply is affected, or additional way to communicate with the companies.

You can register yourself online, or someone else can register for you if you are unable to do it yourself. Please share this information with anyone you know who might need it.

Find out more at https://www.thepsr.co.uk/

03/11/2026

The Government has introduced a National Scheme of Delegation for planning applications. This means there are now national rules about which decisions must be made by planning officers, and which may be considered by Planning Committee.

All planning applications will continue to be carefully assessed against the relevant planning policies and other relevant planning matters. Under the new national rules, a smaller number of applications may be considered by Planning Committee.

Find out more about the changes and how planning decisions will be made on our website: https://www.hastings.gov.uk/planning/process/decisionmaking/

03/11/2026

Join Southern Water at their next Your Water Matters customer drop-in event tomorrow and have your questions answered.

One week to go until our Your Water Matter event in Hastings!

Come and chat to our teams at our Your Water Matters event in Hastings on Wednesday 4 November.

Each event is a chance to ask questions and find out more about the work we are doing, our investments and how we're supporting our customers.

📅Wednesday 4 November
⏰ 1:30pm – 6:00pm
📍Stade Hall, Hastings TN34 3FJ

We are looking forward to meeting you all. https://ow.ly/MhhX5101Z0h

02/11/2026

Celandine Drive play area will be closed tomorrow (Tuesday 3 November) while overgrown vegetation is cut back. We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

02/11/2026

We are disappointed that, after councils have committed significant time, resources and public money to this process, the timetable for local government reorganisation has changed and further uncertainty remains.

The Government has announced that it is minded to proceed with local government reorganisation in East Sussex. It proposes to implement the One East Sussex proposal submitted jointly by Hastings and four other East Sussex councils, but with a significant boundary modification transferring four wards from Lewes district into an expanded Brighton & Hove authority.

Under the Government’s revised timetable, elections to the new shadow authorities are expected to take place in May 2028, with the new councils becoming operational in April 2029.

The Government has confirmed that both the original One East Sussex proposal and the modified option meet all six of its criteria. It found that the alternative five-unitary proposal did not meet three of the criteria, principally because of implementation costs, concerns about financial sustainability, potential disruption to public services and the fact that it was developed in isolation from other councils.

We recognise the strong opposition expressed by residents in the affected communities to dividing Lewes district. It is important that the Government considers that local response, alongside the additional costs, complexity and service implications of altering established boundaries, before reaching its final decision.

Read our full statement at https://www.hastings.gov.uk/news/latest/Local-government-reorganisation-update/

02/11/2026

Voluntary sector groups who plan and deliver projects to help communities prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies are invited to apply for grant funding.

Funding of up to £5,500 is available through the Sussex Community Resilience Fund.

Applications can cover:

• Emergency planning;
• Community response training;
• Volunteer coordination;
• Welfare support;
• Communications campaigns;
• Equipment;
Work with vulnerable or isolated residents.

For more information and to apply online visit https://sussexcommunityfoundation.org/grants/how-to-apply/additional-grants/sussex-community-resilience-forum-cr2-fund/

For any questions about this fund or making an application, please email [email protected] or call 01273 409 440.

Applications close at 5pm on Monday 14 December. The outcome of applications will be shared in mid-March 2027.