Hastings residents begin pioneering cliff stabilisation programme

Residents, local firm InSitu and geology students have started work to protect hundreds of homes potentially affected by land stability issues in St Leonards. 

The work began on Monday 8 December, led by community group HASTE (Hydraulic Activity Stabilisation Training Enterprise), and is the start of a project to understand and monitor the failing cliff system. It is a significant milestone for an approach to community-led geological resilience that is beginning to gain traction in Hastings and beyond. 

The project has received funding from the Sussex Resilience Forum and is being supported by Hastings Borough Council. Cllr Glenn Haffenden, leader of the council, was on-site as work started. 

InSitu, a world-class local ground investigation company, have brought a specially designed probe which carries out sensitive ground inspection to do an initial investigation and install some sensors. It is the first step towards building a monitoring network across the cliff system. Working with 23 geology students from Bexhill College, the team have probed around 5m into the bedrock to find out what the ground beneath the homes in the area is made of.  

Two sensors and two probes have been completed. The sensors act as an early warning system for the cliff. They continuously measure vibration and water pressure in the soil – two key factors that geologists know can trigger landslides. When heavy rainfall soaks into the ground or when there's unusual movement, the sensors detect it immediately and send alerts to the community living nearby. 

The monitoring installation is being provided free to the community through the partnership with InSitu, local firm Thingitude and funding from Sussex Resilience Forum. It represents genuine collaboration between professional specialists and local residents who understand that protecting their homes requires collective action. 

Cllr Glenn Haffenden, Leader of Hastings Borough Council, said: "This is a great example of what can be achieved when the council and community work together. HASTE has shown real initiative in tackling a challenge that affects hundreds of local homes, and we're proud to support their innovative approach. It's exactly the kind of partnership that can make a genuine difference for Hastings residents." 

Darren, CEO of InSitu SI, said: "I was born in Hastings, and when the opportunity came to support HASTE's work, it felt like the right thing to do. This is about giving back to the community I grew up in. We have the specialist equipment and expertise to help understand what's happening beneath these cliffs, and if that knowledge can help protect people's homes, then we want to be part of it." 

Ben Ramsden, HASTE Coordinator, said: "This is what community resilience looks like in practice. We've spent two years analysing historical data, building partnerships, and planning carefully. Now we're putting sensors in the ground that will act as an early warning system – helping us understand where the risks are and figure out how to bring back stability to our cliff.” 

Hastings and St Leonards have experienced 24 landslides in recent years, with incidents at Old Roar Gill, West Hill Road, and elsewhere forcing evacuations and damaging homes. Traditional engineering consultancy approaches to monitoring this scale of risk would cost hundreds of thousands of pounds. HASTE's community-led model, with professional engineering oversight, delivers the same capability at a fraction of the cost – and builds local expertise in the process. 

The monitoring network will be expanded over time to provide a wider view of cliff conditions. On Tuesday 9 December, the team joined the MP, Helena Dollimore, to present their plans to Water Minister Emma Hardy and representatives from 60 councils at the Local Government Association's Coastal Special Interest Group – a sign of growing interest in HASTE's community-led approach as a potential template for other at-risk areas.  

Notes to Editors 

About HASTE: HASTE (Hydraulic Activity Stabilisation Training Enterprise) is a Community Interest Company established to address landslide risks affecting 540+ properties between West Hill Road and Marina in Hastings. The organisation combines professional engineering standards with community-led delivery, reducing costs by up to 80% compared to traditional consultancy approaches while building local employment and expertise. 

About InSitu SI: InSitu SI (insitusi.com) is a specialist ground investigation company providing site investigation and monitoring services. 

Funding: Initial project funding of £10,000 has been provided by Sussex Resilience Forum, recognising HASTE's approach as a potential model for community-led resilience across the region. 

Partnerships: HASTE works with Sussex University, British Geological Survey, and Thingitude to deliver professional-grade monitoring using enterprise technology. 

The Technical Picture 

For those who want to understand the engineering approach: HASTE is deploying a multi-sensor network combining piezometers (which measure groundwater pressure – a critical precursor to slope failure), accelerometers and tilt sensors (detecting movement at sub-centimetre precision), and weather stations (correlating rainfall with ground conditions). 

The team will also survey existing boreholes along the cliff system to identify which remain in suitable condition for additional sensor deployment. This 'intelligent reuse' of existing infrastructure dramatically reduces costs while accelerating coverage. The goal is to install monitoring points strategically across the entire cliff area to understand how weather events affect different zones – and to identify any areas showing warning signs and develop solutions before they become dangerous.