Hastings Town Deal

12/05/2026

Hastings Castle has officially reopened!

The castle welcomed visitors back on Friday 8 May with the 'Creatures of the Castle' event, followed by a family fun day on Sunday.
Troika Projects, the new leaseholders, are bringing fresh energy to the historic landmark with an exciting programme of events, led by Ellie Westbrook and Vanessa Farinha. While essential preservation works continue, the castle is open once again and looking forward to welcoming visitors.

Read full details here https://www.hastingstowndeal.co.uk/latest/hastings-castle-reopens-with-family-fun-weekend and keep an eye on the soon-to-be-launched Hastings Castle website for updates on the events programme https://hastingscastle.org.uk/.

Hastings Borough Council



Photo courtesy of Georgina Cook

26/03/2026

Exciting progress for green skills in Hastings.

Planning permission has been granted for the new Green Automotive Centre of Excellence at East Sussex College’s Ore Valley Campus. The new facility will transform a previously unused space into a state-of-the-art motor vehicle training workshop, helping students develop skills in electric and hybrid vehicle technologies.

Funded through Hastings’ Town Deal programme, the development will relocate the college’s Automotive Training Centre (ATC) from its current off-site location at Ivy House Lane to the Ore Valley campus, bringing students together within a modern main campus environment. The new centre is expected to open ahead of the 2026/27 academic year.

Read the full project update on our blog https://www.hastingstowndeal.co.uk/latest/green-automotive-centre-of-excellence-at-ore-project-update

Hastings Borough Council East Sussex College

26/03/2026

Update on Hastings Castle temporary closure for essential works

Hastings Castle is currently closed while essential repairs are carried out to ensure the long-term safety of the historic site. Following detailed condition surveys, Hastings Borough Council has agreed £200,000 of funding for structural repairs, temporary propping and safety measures before the castle can reopen.

These works are separate from the wider redevelopment plans for the West Hill visitor centre, café and restaurant, but are an important step in protecting the scheduled monument and preparing the site for future use.

Find out more and read the Cabinet report here: https://www.hastings.gov.uk/news/latest/march-cabinet-meeting/

Update on the temporary closure here Update on Hastings Castle temporary closure: https://www.hastingstowndeal.co.uk/latest/title-update-on-hastings-castle-temporary-closure-for-essential-works

We hope to reopen later in the Spring/Summer www.hastingscastle.org.uk www.westhillproject.com

25/03/2026

Update on the Hastings Town Centre Public Realm and Green Connections Public Art Commission.

Artist, INSTAR is hosting spring printmaking workshops with local GCSE students and a community group as part of the project. Pupils will explore coastal wildlife, local storytelling, and placemaking, creating lino and ink prints for their portfolios and contributing ideas to INSTAR’s upcoming town centre artwork, Twittens.

These workshops help shape a long-term vision for a vibrant, creative, and green Hastings town centre.

For more details about the project visit https://www.hastingstowndeal.co.uk/latest/artist-announces-youth-engagement-sessions-for-town-centre-public-art-commission-part-of-the-hastings-town-centre-public-realm-and-green-connections-project-1

Hastings Borough Council Hastings Museum & Art Gallery Weareinstar East Sussex County Council

12/03/2026

Hastings Town Centre Public Realm & Green Connections Project reaches final design stage!

Following public consultation and extensive technical work, East Sussex County Council has confirmed that the final designs are now complete.

The plans – developed by the design team at Arup – set out a clear roadmap for creating a greener, safer and more welcoming town centre.

The updated masterplan and artist impressions are now available to view here https://www.hastingstowndeal.co.uk/latest/hastings-town-centre-public-realm-and-green-connections-project-reaches-final-design-stage

Updates on the timeline and construction phases will be shared via the https://www.hastingstowndeal.co.uk/town-centre-public-realm-green-connections blog page.

Together, these changes will help create a more vibrant, accessible and sustainable Hastings town centre for everyone.

East Sussex County Council Hastings Borough Council

09/03/2026

Over the past three weeks, we’ve introduced you to the We Dig Hastings project on the seafront – where Transition Town Hastings, our local community and gardeners from Great Dixter came together to explore what can grow on Hastings beach in October 2025.

We’re now delighted to share a short film that captures the energy of the planting weekend and the inspiration behind the project.

Visit https://www.hastingstowndeal.co.uk/latest/we-dig-hastings-update-watch-our-videonbspnbsp for more details.

Film credit: Andrew Davies, Campaign Film

Transition Town Hastings Great Dixter House and Gardens East Sussex County Council Hastings Borough Council Hastings Voluntary Action

05/03/2026

02/03/2026

Over the past two weeks, we’ve introduced you to the We Dig Hastings project on the seafront – where Transition Town Hastings, our local community and gardeners from Great Dixter came together to explore what can grow on Hastings beach in October 2025.

Now, in our third and final short clip before the main film launches, we turn our attention to Sheffield’s inspiring Grey to Green scheme – and explore what its learnings could mean for Hastings town centre.

Stay tuned – the full short film is coming soon.

More details about the project can be found below:

https://www.hastingstowndeal.co.uk/latest/we-dig-hastings-local-community-joins-great-dixter-and-transition-town-hastings-for-planting-initiative-on-hastings-beach

Film credit: Andrew Davies, Campaign Film

Transition Town Hastings Great Dixter House and Gardens East Sussex County Council Hastings Borough Council Hastings Voluntary Action

24/02/2026

Last week, we shared an introduction to the We Dig Hastings project on the seafront, where Transition Town Hastings, the community and Great Dixter gardeners came together to test what can grow on our seafront in October 2025.

In this second short clip, we look at what the planting will teach us — about resilient species and the bigger vision for a new town centre garden.

More details about the project can be found below and the short film will be published soon.

Visit https://www.hastingstowndeal.co.uk/latest/we-dig-hastings-local-community-joins-great-dixter-and-transition-town-hastings-for-planting-initiative-on-hastings-beach for more details.

Film credit: Andrew Davies, Campaign Film

Transition Town Hastings Great Dixter House and Gardens East Sussex County Council Hastings Borough Council Hastings Voluntary Action

17/02/2026

We Dig Hastings saw the community and Great Dixter gardeners come together to test what can grow on our seafront in October 2025. This short introduction sets the scene for a film exploring how greener spaces could transform Hastings town centre. The short film will be published on the Town Deal Blog soon.

Visit https://www.hastingstowndeal.co.uk/latest/we-dig-hastings-local-community-joins-great-dixter-and-transition-town-hastings-for-planting-initiative-on-hastings-beach for more details.

Film credit: Andrew Davies, Campaign Film

Transition Town Hastings Great Dixter House and Gardens East Sussex County Council Hastings Borough Council Hastings Voluntary Action