Who to contact about a problem

Hastings has two councils, and several other bodies run services here. This list says which one deals with each common problem, and links its own page for reporting it. In an emergency, call 999.

Streets and roads

• Potholes and road surfaces

  East Sussex Highways (for East Sussex County Council): Report a problem on the road ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  The borough council's pothole page says potholes are the county council's responsibility.

• Street lights not working

  East Sussex Highways (for East Sussex County Council): Report a problem on the road ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  The borough council's street lighting page says the county council maintains and repairs street lights in Hastings and St Leonards.

• Roadworks and road closures

  East Sussex Highways (for East Sussex County Council): Find roadworks ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

• Fly-tipping on public land

  Hastings Borough Council: Report fly-tipping ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  The council's page says it cannot remove fly-tipped waste from private land.

• Litter, graffiti and dog fouling

  Hastings Borough Council: Street cleaning ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  Also: Graffiti ↗ · Dog fouling ↗

• Abandoned vehicles

  Hastings Borough Council: Report an abandoned vehicle ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

• A-boards, goods or tables on the pavement

  East Sussex County Council: Obstructions on the highway (policy PS 8/3) ↗ · checked 12 Oct 2026

  The county council's policy says it will act to remove unauthorised obstructions on the highway, naming advertising boards and merchandise. Its policy PS 8/4 covers permits to trade or advertise on footways. Tables and chairs outside a café or pub need the borough council's pavement licence.

  Also: Permission to trade on the highway (policy PS 8/4) ↗ · Highway licences, including traders' objects (East Sussex Highways) ↗ · Pavement licences for tables and chairs (the borough council) ↗

Bins and rubbish

• Bin collection day, or a missed bin

  Hastings Borough Council: Find your collection day ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  Also: Report a missed collection ↗ · Your bin days on Open Hastings (asks the council's service from your browser)

• Large items to get rid of

  Hastings Borough Council: Bulky waste collection ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

• The tip (household waste recycling site)

  East Sussex County Council: Hastings Household Waste Recycling Site ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  Also: Book a visit to the tip ↗ · The tip's hours and what it takes

Noise, nuisance and safety

• Noise from a neighbour or a business

  Hastings Borough Council: Noise pollution ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  Also: Make a noise complaint ↗

• Bonfires, smells, rubbish on private land

  Hastings Borough Council: Pollution and nuisance ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

• Crime or anti-social behaviour (not an emergency)

  Hastings Borough Council: Report it (the borough council's page) ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  Reports go to Sussex Police. The council's page links Sussex Police's online reporting and gives the non-emergency number, 101. Dial 999 if someone is in danger or a crime is happening.

  Also: ASB Case Review (when reports haven't been acted on) ↗

• Hate crime

  Hastings Borough Council: How to report hate crime ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

• Unhygienic food premises

  Hastings Borough Council: Food safety for consumers ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  Also: Food hygiene ratings on Open Hastings

• Scams, rogue traders, faulty goods

  East Sussex County Council: Trading Standards ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

Water, sewage and flooding

• Sewage, blocked public sewers, sewer flooding

  Southern Water: Report a problem ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  Also: Storm overflow releases on this coast

• Water leaks, no water, water quality

  Southern Water: Report a problem ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  Southern Water's page covers leaks, supply, and water that tastes, smells or looks unusual. Your water company is named on your water bill.

  Also: Works or issues in your area ↗

• Pollution in rivers or the sea

  Environment Agency (GOV.UK): Report an environmental problem ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

• Flooding and flood warnings

  Environment Agency (GOV.UK): Get flood warnings ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  The borough council's flooding page says it does not usually provide sandbags for individual households.

  Also: Check for flooding ↗ · The county council's flooding advice ↗ · Flood warnings on Live now

Homes, money and the council

• Council tax

  Hastings Borough Council: Council tax ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  Also: What each band pays, on Open Hastings

• Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction

  Hastings Borough Council: Benefits and support ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

• Universal Credit and other national benefits

  GOV.UK: Benefits ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

• Homelessness, or at risk of it

  Hastings Borough Council: I'm at risk of being or already am homeless ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

• Social housing and the housing register

  Hastings Borough Council: Social housing and Sussex Homemove ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

• Disrepair in a rented home

  Hastings Borough Council: Report housing disrepair ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

• Planning applications, and building without permission

  Hastings Borough Council: Planning ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  Also: Planning enforcement ↗ · Applications near you, on Open Hastings

• Parking tickets

  Hastings Borough Council: Which council issued it ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  The borough council's page says a reference starting HS was issued by the borough council (its car parks); one starting ZH was issued by the county council, which handles all on-street parking.

  Also: County council parking tickets (ZH) ↗

• On-street parking and resident permits

  East Sussex County Council: Parking permits ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  The borough council's on-street page says the county council is responsible for all on-street parking, including permits and resident zones.

• Complaints about the borough council

  Hastings Borough Council: Complaints ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

Schools, care and family

• School places and admissions

  East Sussex County Council: Apply for a school place ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  Also: The application dates

• Adult social care

  East Sussex County Council: Contact Adult Social Care and Health ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  Also: Support for carers ↗

• Worried about a child

  East Sussex County Council: Report a concern about a child or a teenager ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

• Worried about an adult at risk

  East Sussex County Council: Protect adults at risk of abuse ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

• Blue badges

  East Sussex County Council: Apply for a Blue Badge ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

• Libraries

  East Sussex County Council: East Sussex Libraries ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

• Births, deaths, marriages and citizenship

  East Sussex County Council: Registration ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  Also: Births, marriages and deaths in Hastings

Health and transport

• A GP or a dentist

  NHS (nhs.uk): Find a GP ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  Also: Find a dentist ↗ · Urgent care in Hastings, on Open Hastings · GP practices, pharmacies and dentists in Hastings, on Open Hastings

• Hospital services

  East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust: Conquest Hospital ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

• Local NHS services and commissioning

  NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board: NHS Surrey and Sussex ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

• Bus services, fares and lost property

  Stagecoach: Stagecoach help and contact ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  Also: Routes and your nearest stops, on Open Hastings

• Free bus passes for older and disabled people

  East Sussex County Council: Bus passes, fares and discounts ↗ · checked 11 Oct 2026

  The borough council's page says concessionary bus passes are issued and managed by the county council.

Who looks after what

Roads, pavements, footpaths, steps and walls, in the councils’ own words. Their pages were read on 12 October 2026.

East Sussex County Council’s map of adopted roads names 1,118 streets in Hastings and St Leonards: 840 adopted, 61 partly adopted and 217 not adopted. Each street’s page says which.

• Adopted roads and their pavements

  “An adopted road is a public highway maintained and repaired at public expense by the local highway authority. East Sussex County Council inspect, repair and maintain adopted roads.” (the council’s page) Report a problem to East Sussex Highways.

• Private roads and private streets

  “Private roads are roads that have not been adopted by the County Council. The owner of the road has the responsibility to maintain them.” (the council’s page) “Private streets are also known as unadopted public highways and are different to private roads. Private streets are also maintained by the owners rather than the County Council but are open to the public.” (the council’s page)

• Is my road adopted?

  Each street’s page on Open Hastings, or the county’s map. For an answer that counts, the county’s Highway Land Information Team, which says its work includes: “Provide information regarding road adoptions” (the council’s page); highwaysearches@eastsussex.gov.uk, 01273 482 316. The borough council also publishes a street list from its highways section (PDF) with adopted and unadopted lengths.

• Footpaths, steps and twittens

  “Rights of way are legally recorded public highways across privately owned land. They are not inspected or maintained to the same level as adopted highways such as roads and pavements.” (the council’s page) “Maintenance of the public rights of way is the responsibility of both the County Council and landowners.” (the council’s page) On steps: “Steps - to provide easier access. We maintain them to ensure they are safe to use.” (the council’s page) Find a path on the county’s rights of way map, or write to the Rights of Way Team (rightsofway@eastsussex.gov.uk). We found no page where Hastings Borough Council says it looks after twittens.

• The A21 and other trunk roads

  “We also do not look after trunk roads. They are maintained by National Highways” (the council’s page). Its page lists “A21 outside of Hastings”.

• Sweeping and litter

  Hastings Borough Council: “We are responsible for the sweeping of streets in Hastings and St Leonards.” (the council’s page)

• A wall or structure that looks dangerous

  Hastings Borough Council’s building control page: “If you are aware of any buildings or structures which you believe might cause serious injury to your neighbours or general members of the public, you should report it using our online form” (the council’s page).

From East Sussex County Council’s map of adopted roads, read 12 October 2026. © East Sussex County Council 2026. Only the street’s name and whether it is adopted are used: the county’s map is the record, and its Highway Land Information Team confirms a road’s status. See also the borough council’s road and street adoption page.

Each row was checked on the body's own page on the date shown. Bodies change their pages; if a link has moved, the body's home page will have it. This page says who runs what; it doesn't say what will happen when you report something.

Every outside link on this page was opened and read on the day shown beside it, most recently 12 Oct 2026. Each goes to the body that runs the service. Links not rechecked for 90 days are listed on data health.