Call the Grotbusters! Hastings gets major Government investment for a seafront facelift following Helena Dollimore MP’s public meeting

Funded by the UK Government, the Pride in Place Impact Fund will invest up to £500,000 in new street-cleaning vehicles, equipment and proactive services designed to tackle litter, graffiti, grime, fly-tipping and long-standing ‘grotbusting’ priorities in Hastings, following Helena Dollimore MP’s ‘improving our seafront’ public meeting yesterday, attended by Cabinet Minister Steve Reed MP.

New vehicles and equipment will provide a more preventative and visible approach to maintaining the town’s busiest areas and mark a major step forward in creating cleaner, safer and more welcoming public spaces for residents, businesses and visitors.

Almost 200 Hastings residents attended Helena Dollimore MP’s meeting on improving our seafront yesterday. Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed MP, was in attendance to listen to residents’ suggestions of ways to improve our town.

Following the meeting it was announced that, funded by the UK Government, the Pride in Place Impact Fund will invest up to £500,000 in cleaning up our town and seafront.

A new proactive jet-washing programme and a dedicated high-footfall ‘hit squad’ will provide regular pavement cleaning, litter removal and rapid response to fly-tipping and other issues.

New electric lightweight waste-collection carts will allow crews to empty bins more frequently and maintenance will also be strengthened including specialist chewing-gum removal machinery, helping to improve the appearance and safety of our high streets.

In addition to the capital funding provided by government, Hastings Borough Council has also been able to provide additional revenue investment to expand and strengthen street cleaning and maintenance teams thanks to an expanded government settlement. This additional funding ensures that the new vehicles and equipment can be staffed and deployed effectively, allowing for more frequent, proactive and visible activity across our high streets.

To support the town’s strong volunteer network, the provision of community litter-picking equipment will also be expanded, enabling more local groups to take part in clean-ups throughout the year.

Improvements will be delivered across Hastings’ high street areas including the town centre and seafront, Old Town, Central St Leonards, Ore Village and Silverhill.

This investment responds directly to the community priorities identified during last summer’s Hastings Pride in Place consultation, where residents consistently highlighted the need for cleaner, safer and better-maintained public spaces.

The enhanced cleaning, grotbusting and maintenance programme reflects those priorities by delivering visible improvements in the places people use every day, representing a transformational step in improving public spaces, tackling long-standing maintenance challenges and restoring pride across Hastings’ high streets.

Procurement of the new vehicles and equipment has begun, with all items expected to be fully deployed across Hastings’ high streets by the end of the year.

This phased introduction will ensure that residents and businesses start to see visible, tangible improvements as soon as possible, building towards cleaner, safer and more welcoming high streets throughout 2026.