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Flood zones and the coast

Where the Environment Agency’s flood map for planning puts land in Flood Zones 2 and 3, what its coastal erosion map and the Shoreline Management Plan say about each stretch of this coast, and which streets each reaches, in the Agency’s own words.

Flood warnings in force now are on Live now. Protected wildlife sites are on Protected nature.

Flood zones

The Environment Agency’s flood map for planning puts 285 hectares of the borough in Flood Zone 3 and another 33 in Flood Zone 2. Of the 1,203 streets we can draw, 61 run partly or wholly through Flood Zone 3 and 21 more through Flood Zone 2 only. See them on the map.

Flood zones show areas of land that could flood from rivers (fluvial) or the sea (tidal), ignoring the benefits of any existing flood defences.

They are based on a location's chance of flooding from rivers or the sea in any year.

Flood zones do not take into account:

This means a site in flood zone 1 could still flood now or in the future.

Locations in flood zone 2 have a medium probability of flooding.

This means, in any year, land has:

Flood zone 2 developments need a flood risk assessment as part of their planning application.

Locations in flood zone 3 have a high probability of flooding.

This means, in any year, land has:

Flood zone 3 developments need a flood risk assessment as part of their planning application.

The Environment Agency’s words, from Flood zones and what they mean ↗.

A street’s line is not an address. For a particular address, use the Environment Agency’s Check your long term flood risk ↗; for a planning site, its Flood map for planning ↗. Flood warnings in force now are on Live now.

Streets in Flood Zone 3 (61)

Streets in Flood Zone 2 only (21)

A street is listed when about 25 m or more of its mapped line (three of the points we sample every 10 m) is inside a zone, or all of a shorter one; “all” means 95% of it. The zones are clipped to the borough boundary and simplified to about 8 m for the map; the street lookups use the full outlines.

Flood zones: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2025. Open Government Licence v3.0. Fetched 2026-10-12.

The coast and its plan

The Shoreline Management Plan for South Foreland to Beachy Head sets how each stretch of this coast is to be managed over three periods to 2105. Here is each of Hastings’ stretches, in the Environment Agency’s SMP Explorer, with its erosion map’s figures.

4C23 Fairlight Cove (West) to Hastings

“Continue to allow natural coastal evolution in this An area of undefended cliffs of international environmental and geological importance, with high landscape value and no significant cliff top developments. This forms part of the Hastings Cliff to Pett Beach Site of Special Scientific Interest and Hastings Cliff Special Area of Conservation.”

Policy: No active intervention (Do not defend) in all three periods, 2005 to 2105: “Where no defences are present, and it would be technically, economically, or environmentally unsustainable to introduce defences due to their impact on other communities, or on sites protected for their environmental importance.”

The erosion map divides it into 12 frontages in Hastings. By 2105, with Shoreline Management Plans delivered: 34 to 71 m; with No Future Intervention: 34 to 71 m.

This unit in the SMP Explorer ↗

4C24 Hastings (inc. the Harbour)

“Continue to protect the town and associated infrastructure, which are critical to regional economy, including protection and provision of beach.”

Policy: Hold the line (Maintain/replace) in all three periods, 2005 to 2105: “Where protection is currently provided by coastal defence structures or managed beaches, and the intention is to retain a defence along approximately the current alignment. This will involve replacing defences when needed. Defence type, method and standard of protection may be modified over time.”

The erosion map divides it into 22 frontages in Hastings. By 2105, with Shoreline Management Plans delivered: 0 m; with No Future Intervention: 14 to 110 m.

This unit in the SMP Explorer ↗

4C25 Bulverhythe and Glyne Gap

“Continue to protect the town and associated infrastructure, which are critical to regional economy, including protection and provision of beach.”

Policy: Hold the line (Maintain/replace) in all three periods, 2005 to 2105: “Where protection is currently provided by coastal defence structures or managed beaches, and the intention is to retain a defence along approximately the current alignment. This will involve replacing defences when needed. Defence type, method and standard of protection may be modified over time.”

The erosion map divides it into 10 frontages in Hastings. By 2105, with Shoreline Management Plans delivered: 0 m; with No Future Intervention: 23 to 126 m.

This unit in the SMP Explorer ↗

4C26 Bexhill and Cooden

“Continue to protect the town and associated infrastructure, which are critical to regional economy, including protection and provision of beach.”

Policy: Hold the line (Maintain/replace) in all three periods, 2005 to 2105: “Where protection is currently provided by coastal defence structures or managed beaches, and the intention is to retain a defence along approximately the current alignment. This will involve replacing defences when needed. Defence type, method and standard of protection may be modified over time.”

The erosion map divides it into 1 frontage in Hastings. By 2105, with Shoreline Management Plans delivered: 0 m; with No Future Intervention: 37 m.

This unit in the SMP Explorer ↗

The figures are the width of the map’s erosion zone, inland from today’s shoreline, on the Higher Central allowance. In the Agency’s words: “Two periods: Medium Term (up to 2055) and Long Term (up to 2105).” “Two management scenarios: With Shoreline Management Plans delivered and No Future Intervention.” “Three climate scenarios: Present Day climate (2020), Higher Central allowance and Upper End allowance. The two allowances use sea level rise data from UKCP18 RCP8.5 70th and 95th percentiles respectively.” “All distances are cumulative over time and given in metres.”

The same map draws 3 ground instability zones on this coast: Hastings Country Park and Lover's Seat Landslide and Covehurst Wood.

Ground instability zones show areas of geologically complex cliffs where land has previously experienced ground movement. This zone uses the rear scarp position as the landward extent. A buffer zone identified as having the potential risk of future movement in the next 100 years is also included.

Ground instability is especially unpredictable. Within zones of ground instability, land can experience movement at any time over days, years or centuries into the future, or even not at all. For this reason, there is no time horizon specified.

Proposed in the draft Local Plan, not adopted: the council’s draft Local Plan proposes a Coastal Change Management Area (policies SP9, SC17) along this coast. It is in “Hastings Draft Local Plan Pre-Submission Version 2023-2041 (Regulation 19) September 2026 Coastal Change Management Area (CCMA)”. The council’s map of it ↗ The draft Local Plan

Management approaches depend on funding and relevant approvals and permissions. Adaptation to coastal change may be needed. Even where defences are present, some risk from storm surges or ground instability may remain. Time periods (short (0 to 20 years), medium (20 to 50 years) and long (50 to 100)) are approximate and do not signify precise dates of management transitions. Where shown, coastal erosion projections are for guidance only. They show areas of land likely to be at risk but do not show the precise future position of the shoreline, nor specific information for individual properties.

The SMP Explorer’s note on every unit.

The data and associated information are intended for guidance only - it cannot provide details for individual properties.

The data shows areas of land likely to be at erosion risk but does not show the precise future position of the shoreline.

Erosion may happen faster or slower than what we show, and risk may change over time.

The Environment Agency’s warnings on its erosion map, from its description of the data ↗.

The coast on the map · The plan’s policy unit maps (PDF) ↗ · The plan (PDF) ↗ · The Environment Agency’s coastal erosion map ↗

Coastal erosion and the Shoreline Management Plan: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2025. © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2015. Open Government Licence v3.0. Fetched 2026-10-12.

Streets the coastal zones reach (53)

A street is listed when about 25 m or more of its line is inside the map’s No Future Intervention zone to 2105 beside one of Hastings’ frontages, a ground instability zone, or the draft Coastal Change Management Area.

Street lines © OpenStreetMap contributors.