Where flood risk applies in Hastings
The council's Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (AECOM, October 2024) sets out the main sources:
- The coastLow-lying areas along the coast, including Bulverhythe, St Leonards and the Old Town along the seafront, are vulnerable to waves overtopping the sea defences.
- Rivers and streamsRiver flood extents follow the Combe Haven and Hollington Stream, which are main rivers, and the Old Roar Gill and Bourne Stream, which are ordinary watercourses.
- Surface waterThe Hastings Surface Water Management Plan highlights surface water flooding hotspots including the town centre, the Old Town and Hollington.
- GroundwaterMost of the borough is outside the area with potential for groundwater flooding, but there are areas near St Helens Wood and Old Roar Gill, and along the coast at the Old Town and West Marina, where groundwater could reach the surface.
What Hastings Borough Council will look for
Hastings Borough Council applies the national tests in NPPF Chapter 18 and the Planning Practice Guidance, supported by its Strategic Flood Risk Assessment. A Sequential Test submitted with a Hastings application should normally:
- Confirm the flood zone and vulnerabilityUse the current Environment Agency Flood Map for Planning and the NPPF Annex F vulnerability class for the proposed use.
- Justify the area of searchNational policy says the area of search should reflect the catchment for the type of development and the need it serves. Hastings is a compact borough, so the whole borough is often a proportionate area of search; for very small schemes, the neighbourhood served may be more defensible.
- Assess the council's own sources of sitesthe Hastings Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (2025), with the council's own conclusion on each site, including sites with planning permission are the obvious places to start, and omitting them is a common reason for challenge.
- Evidence every discounted siteWhere an alternative is ruled out as unsuitable, too small or not available in a similar timeframe, give the reason and the evidence. Ownership alone is not enough.
- Screen for the Exception TestState whether the Exception Test applies under Annex F Table 3, and if it does, provide it, drawing on the site-specific flood risk assessment.
Hastings-specific pitfalls
- Reliance on defencesThe seafront is defended, but the Sequential Test uses flood zones as if the defences were not there. The defences matter for the site-specific flood risk assessment, not for choosing between sites.
- Using the SHELAAOur reports use the council's SHELAA, with its own view of each site (taken forward, not taken forward, consented or under construction), so alternatives are judged against the council's evidence.
- Brownfield registerHastings' Brownfield Land Register has not been updated since 2021, so our reports leave it out and say so. The SHELAA already covers brownfield land and sites with planning permission.
- A new Local Plan in preparationThe council is preparing a new Local Plan. Its draft allocations are not used until the plan reaches examination.
Fixed-fee Sequential Tests for Hastings
We have built our Hastings Sequential Test on published Environment Agency and Hastings Borough Council data. Plot your site on our Hastings Sequential Test page and we'll deliver a submission-ready report within 24 hours of payment for £300. Exception Tests are £450 within 48 hours.
New to the subject? Start with our general guide: what is a flood risk Sequential Test? We also cover other council areas at the same fixed fee. For wider planning help, see planning consultants in Hastings.
Source: Hastings Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (AECOM, October 2024).
Sequential Test guides for other council areas
Runnymede · Spelthorne · Oxford · Dover · Medway · Lewes District · Bristol · Manchester · Birmingham · Chelmsford · Gateshead · Tameside · East Riding of Yorkshire · Wigan · York · Plymouth · Lichfield · Hull · Lewisham · East Suffolk · Nottingham · Leeds · Northumberland
Frequently asked questions
Does Hastings Borough Council require a Sequential Test?
Yes, for most development in Flood Zones 2 and 3, in line with national policy. Some minor development and most changes of use are exempt, and sites allocated in the local plan may not need the test repeated.
What area of search should I use in Hastings?
National policy says the area of search should reflect the catchment for the type of development and the need it serves. Hastings is a compact borough, so the whole borough is often a proportionate area of search; for very small schemes, the neighbourhood served may be more defensible. The reason must be explained in the report.
Do flood defences mean I don't need a Sequential Test?
No. Flood zones for the Sequential Test are assessed without defences. Defences are taken into account in the site-specific flood risk assessment and the Exception Test, not the Sequential Test.
How much does a Sequential Test cost in Hastings?
Our fixed fee for a Hastings flood risk Sequential Test or alternatives assessment is £300, delivered within 24 hours of payment. An Exception Test is £450, delivered within 48 hours.
This guide is general information for applications in England and is not advice on your specific project. Requirements differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and every council publishes its own local validation list, so always check the detail with your local planning authority.