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Seafront & coast
The promenade, the pier, the beaches and the coastal defences that protect them.
Fish landed at Hastings
Landings by vessels at Hastings, as the Marine Management Organisation records them: 75.3 t in 2025, worth £257,241 at first sale. The most valuable were common cuttlefish, bass and scallops.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 beaches: lifeguards, barbecues and byelaws
The borough council's beaches page says:
We have a team of lifeguards at Pelham and Marina beaches. They patrol the flagged areas on these two beaches daily from 11am-6pm between mid-July and early September to keep people as safe as possible.
Barbecues and fires
On barbecues, the same page says:
Barbecues are allowed at any time but open fires or bonfire type barbecues are only permitted after 8pm or dusk if earlier. We encourage people to use the beach between groynes 47 and 51a at Sea Road in St Leonards (adjacent to West Marina Gardens).
The council's conditions include:
- Barbeques must be held below high-water mark within the designated area
- Barbeques must be sited away from any structures, such as, boats, groynes, beach huts and the like
- All fires must be extinguished and litter cleared before the site is left
- Only purpose built barbecues to be used before 8.00pm
The byelaws
Two borough byelaws, made in January 2016, cover the seashore and the promenades. In brief, from their own text:
Seashore byelaw (PDF) ↗
- Byelaw 4: No lecture, speech, music or entertainment except in an area set aside for it.
- Byelaw 5: No selling, touting or handing out leaflets in a way that causes obstruction or annoyance.
- Byelaw 6: No fires, except a proper camping stove or barbecue in an area set aside for barbecues, or with the council's consent.
- Byelaw 7: No party (15 or more people, with music) without the council's consent.
- Byelaw 8: No booths, tents, stalls or other structures except where set aside for them; windbreaks and sun shelters are fine.
Promenade byelaw (PDF) ↗
- Byelaw 3: No cycling except where cycles have a right of way, or on the designated route.
- Byelaw 4: No motor vehicles except where they have a right of way.
- Byelaw 5: No selling, touting or handing out leaflets in a way that causes obstruction or annoyance.
- Byelaw 6: Skates and skateboards only where cycles may go or on the designated route, and never dangerously.
- Byelaw 7: Keep off flower beds and planting.
Neither byelaw mentions launching boats or kayaks. Dogs on the beaches are under a separate order (the dog control order). Public toilets near the beaches, with winter hours, are on the toilets page.
Who holds this brief
Dogs on the beaches
Where dogs may go on the borough’s beaches, and when, is set by Hastings Borough Council’s dog control order (a Public Space Protection Order). These are the order’s rules for each stretch, as Swim Hastings holds them, checked against the published order on Sat 25 Jul 2026. The signs at the beach and the council’s order are the record.
- Bulverhythe: Dogs welcome year-round (Hastings order allows dogs west of the Royal Victoria Hotel).
- St Leonards (Marina – Warrior Square): No dogs 1 Apr – 30 Sep on the central stretch (west end of Bottle Alley to opposite the Royal Victoria Hotel); allowed towards the pier and west of the Royal Victoria.
- Hastings Pelham (pier – harbour arm): No dogs 1 Apr – 30 Sep along this whole stretch (west of the Harbour Arm to the east side of the pier). Allowed 1 Oct – 31 Mar.
- Rock-a-Nore: Dogs welcome year-round (the Hastings ban stops at the Harbour Arm).
- Fairlight & Covehurst Bay: Dogs welcome year-round; note Fairlight Glen is a naturist beach.
On the record
The newest 40 of 358 matching documents.