Update on the fire at the Former Convent

Update Thursday 13 August

The council is aware of local speculation about activity at the Former Convent site in Magdalen Road, including reports of “spraying” and rumours about possible demolition.

The activity being described as “spraying” is understood to be dampening / dust suppression. This is part of the post-fire asbestos and site safety management arrangements being carried out by specialist contractors on behalf of those responsible for the privately owned site.

The immediate security position has improved. Security arrangements are now in place through the receiver-side arrangements, CCTV towers are in place, and the council understands that wider site management measures are being progressed.

We are also aware of comments suggesting that the fire-damaged building is Grade II listed. The council’s current understanding is that the building most directly affected by the fire is not separately Grade II listed in its own right. However, the Former Convent site contains listed buildings, including the Grade II* Chapel and the Grade II Former Convent Building, and some structures may also be treated as curtilage listed because of their relationship with the listed buildings.

No final decision has been made on the future of the fire-damaged building. Any decision about demolition, controlled removal, stabilisation or retention would need to be informed by suitably qualified structural and heritage engineering advice, as well as asbestos, safety, heritage and legal considerations.

The council continues to press those responsible for the site to progress security, asbestos management, perimeter protection, debris clearance and wider post-fire risk controls.

Update Wednesday 15 July

We are aware that many residents have been concerned about asbestos following the fire at the former Convent site. We have been in contact with the UK Health Security Agency and East Sussex Public Health and wanted to provide some advice and reassurance.

Air quality testing carried out on Friday confirmed there was no asbestos in the air following the fire. Testing found asbestos-containing debris in parts of Magdalen Road, Edward Road and St John's Road. The debris recovered from Victoria Road, the section of Magdalen Road south of Victoria Road, the Oval and White Rock Gardens did not contain asbestos.

The affected areas have now been cleaned by specialist contractors, residents have been door knocked, and where further clean-up is needed those arrangements are being made. If you live outside the affected roads, you can clean your own cars and outside areas as normal.

The UK Health Security Agency has advised that there is no significant public health risk following this incident. The majority of asbestos fibres remain bound within the material itself rather than being released into the air, and the specialist clean-up has further reduced any potential risk. While it is sensible that any asbestos-containing debris is removed, the advice is clear that the risks to health from this incident are low.

You can find more FAQs on our Former Convent FAQ page.

Update Monday 13 July at 1pm

Following the fire at the Former Convent on Magdalen Road on Thursday evening, we’d like to thank the emergency services for their quick response to the emergency call.

Thank you also to the residents in the affected area who were inconvenienced over the weekend by road closures and the clean-up and for your patience and understanding while this work was and in some cases is still going on.

A council team was immediately set-up to deal with the response to the fire, and a specialist contractor was appointed to carry out urgent air monitoring and sampling of debris on Friday .

The specialist contractor, Amstech, was on site on Friday carrying out air quality monitoring and testing of debris around the site. 

The air monitoring results showed no elevated fibre levels. 

The sampling and analysis undertaken showed cement (containing asbestos) debris within ash fall in the area of Magdalen Road, Edward Road and St Johns Road.

Debris containing asbestos was found within the Convent site, on Magdalen Road, Edward Road and St Johns Road. Debris found in Victoria Road and south of Victoria Road on Magdalen Road was also tested and no asbestos was found. 

Amstech have been on site cleaning over the weekend and into this week. They have competed cleaning of Magdalen Road.  Edward Road, St Johns Road are due to be completed on Monday 13 July. Due to the windy weather conditions, some areas have had to be re-cleaned. Road closures in the area will be lifted when cleaning in that area has been completed.

We have been contacted by residents living within the cordon area who are concerned about debris on their properties. These residents will be contacted by council staff about Amstech coming to clean your property this week. 

Ash or debris from outside of the current zone has been tested and no asbestos fibres identified. UK Health Security Agency health experts emphasize that the risk to health from a fire incident is very low and would not expect there to be a significant risk from short-term contact with soot and dust. 

Because of its size it is unlikely that it could be inhaled if disturbed and so would be unlikely to cause any respiratory symptoms. It can safely be washed off vehicles and outdoor surfaces using plenty of soap and water. Should residents from outside this area be concerned it is recommended that they approach a UKAS accredited laboratory to have this tested prior to disturbing.

Please email customerservices@hastings.gov.uk with details and photos of the debris, the location and your contact details if you live within the cordon area and have concerns about debris or ash on your property.

Council officers have been working with the Police, East Sussex Fire and Rescue and Heritage England to secure the future of the former Convent site for some time. This has included repeated contact to ensure the owners/receivers of the site act on their responsibility to secure this historically important site. Work will continue on this following the fire. We were informed by the site owners over the weekend they have appointed a new security provider for the site and a company to secure the site with a reinforced and substantial perimeter.  This is likely to take at least eight weeks. While this is being undertaken they have installed temporary Heras fencing. 

Update Sunday 12 July at 6pm

Work by our specialist contractor, Amstech, to clean the areas immediately adjacent to the Former Convent site has continued today. 

This clean-up will continue in the public areas of Edward Road and St Johns Road tomorrow (13 July). These roads remain closed while the clean-up takes place. Magdalen Road and Victoria Road have now been cleaned and have reopened. 

If you live on any section of the roads that have been cordoned off over the weekend and have debris in your garden or around your property, please email customerservices@hastings.gov.uk with details and photos of the debris, the location and your contact details. These emails will be picked up tomorrow, and the specialist team will begin to assess the debris in the gardens and balconies of properties in the high-impact areas - Magdalen Road, Edward Road, St Johns Road and Victoria Road to the junction with Church Road that have been notified to us by email. 

Our specialist contractors are intending to begin visiting affected properties on these roads on Tuesday and Wednesday to undertake analysis and sampling, with any necessary action taken as results become available. 

St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School will be open as normal this week. The site has been fully assessed by our specialist contractor today, and there is no ash or debris on the school grounds, and the air quality report has confirmed that there is no asbestos present in the air. 

The situation is constantly under review, and as and when more sampling and air quality analysis are needed, they will be undertaken. 

Update Saturday 11 July at 7.05pm

Amstech, our specialist contractors, have been working in Magdalen Road cleaning the roads, pavements, house fronts and cars. This work will continue in Edward Road, St Johns Road and Victoria Road tomorrow (Sunday 12 July) and Monday (13 July).

Road closures will remain in place while the clean-up work continues to enable to teams to work safely, but as roads are cleaned the closures are being removed.

If you are planning to attend St Thomas of Canterbury and English Martyrs for mass tomorrow, the churches are out of the cordon area but road closures will remain in place, so please be aware.

Parents of children at St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School should be aware that there may be a need to change your route to school on Monday morning. The school is out of the affected cordon area but access roads nearby may be affected. 

If you live in Magdalen Road, Edward Road, St Johns Road or Victoria Road to the junction with Church Road, within the cordon area, and have debris in your garden or around your property, please email customerservices@hastings.gov.uk with details and photos. These emails will be picked up from Monday morning.

Update Saturday 11 July 2026 at 8.35am

We received the report from the specialist contractor overnight which shows that asbestos containing material was present within all samples taken from within the cordon area. No further debris was found out of the cordon area.

Work to clean the area immediately adjacent to the site has started this morning, and residents are asked to follow the advice in the post below - do not go onto the site, avoid roads in the immediate area, do not clean cars or any ash from your property.

Our contractors will be door knocking and talking to potentially affected residents throughout the day.

Our initial focus is clearing debris from Magdalen Road.

Update Friday 10 July 2026 at 10.10pm

We are aware of the concerns many residents have about ash following the fire at the Former Convent site.

Earlier today, we instructed a specialist company to carry out urgent air quality testing. The air quality report has confirmed that there is no asbestos present in the air. Testing of the settled ash within the immediate area of the fire site is continuing, and we are awaiting the results later this evening.

As a precaution and to help prevent the ash from spreading, a specialist company, Amstech, will begin cleaning the area immediately adjacent to the site tomorrow morning.

Road closures are in place to enable this to happen. These include Magdalen Road from Edward Road to St Johns Road, and St Johns Road and Edward Road to the junction at Church Road.

The company has specialist machines which will delicately remove debris from cars and the roads within this area. Please leave your vehicle where it is.

If you live in the roads that are closed and have ash around your property, please leave this while testing is ongoing and we will advise further once this has been completed.

Large-scale fires involving building materials containing asbestos (such as insulating board or corrugated asbestos cement roofing) are relatively common in the UK.

UK Health and Security Agency experts emphasise that the risk to health from a single, short-term exposure during a fire incident is considered to be very low.

The fire service will be continuing to carry out regular inspections of the site.

Further details will be shared as the situation progresses.

Update Friday 10 July 2026 at 8.40pm

Joint statement from Cllr Glenn Haffenden and Helena Dollimore MP following the fire at the Former Convent, Magdalen Road.

Following the fire last night at the convent site, a meeting was convened at the site this afternoon by Helena Dollimore MP with Hastings Borough Council's Leader Cllr Glenn Haffenden and CEO Rob Cottrill, representatives from East Sussex Fire and Rescue and Sussex Police, as well as a representative of the owner of the site to urgently discuss this matter.

The representative of the site owner present has agreed to:

1. Urgently place additional and extensive security measures in place to secure the site, including a three metre high wall around the perimeter

2. Immediate extra round the clock protection on site.

The owners will be closely monitored by Hastings Borough Council enforcement to ensure this and to guarantee public safety.

Many residents have asked for advice about what to do if they encounter dust or ash from the site at their homes. For now, the advice is to leave it alone, while urgent testing of the dust by the council takes place and further public health advice about clean up will then be issued as needed. The risk is believed to be low, but the testing is being done as a precaution.

Do not enter this site under any circumstances as you may face prosecution and anybody entering the site will be at significant risk because the structure is unstable.

Helena Dollimore, MP for Hastings, Rye and the villages

Cllr Glenn Haffenden, Leader of Hastings Borough Council

Hastings Borough Council's statement on the fire at the Former Convent

Hastings Borough Council was saddened to learn of the fire at the Former Convent site in Magdalen Road on Thursday evening and has been working with East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and other partner agencies in response to the incident.

The council would like to thank the emergency services for their swift response in dealing with the fire.

 The Former Convent site is privately owned and is not owned or managed by Hastings Borough Council. Responsibility for securing the site and maintaining the buildings rests with the owners. The council will carry on pursuing all action available to us to ensure the owner fulfils their responsibilities.

The council had already formally notified those responsible for the site of its longstanding concerns. These concerns arose from the repeated incidents of unauthorised access and the risks posed to both public safety and this important heritage asset.

The council has been working closely with Sussex Police and East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, and concerns about site security, unauthorised access and fire risk have been repeatedly raised with those responsible for the site.

The council will review the position urgently with the emergency services, Historic England and other relevant partners, and will carry on pursuing all action available to us to address site security, public safety and the protection of the listed buildings. 

Residents are reminded that the site remains extremely dangerous and should not be entered under any circumstances. People should continue to follow any advice issued by the emergency services.

Frequently asked questions

Read some frequently asked questions about the former Convent site.