St Helens Woods

04/04/2026

LAST CHANCE TO COMMENT ON THE LOCAL PLAN! The deadline is this Tuesday 7th April...we urge all those who are concerned about the impact of a development at Sandrock Bends on St. Helen's Woods to comment on the plan. Join us in helping to protect our green spaces!

On this page you will find Hastings Borough Council's Latest news 19 February 2026 | Have your say on the future of Hastings

12/03/2026

Public meeting alert! Thursday 19th March @5.30pm at St. Helen's Church on The Ridge. Come along and find out what the Hastings Borough Council Local Plan could mean for you, and in particular the proposed development at Sandrock Bends on the edge of St. Helen's Woods.

We've published a Frequently Asked Questions guide on our website. https://www.sthelenswoods.co.uk/hastings-borough-council-local-plan-consultation-frequently-asked-questions/

Many people have been asking whether they need to comment on the Local Plan if they have already commented on the Planning Application. The answer is YES!

The deadline is April 7th. Use your voice to help protect St. Helen's Woods!

1. What exactly is the "Local Plan"? Why is it relevant to St. Helen's Woods? The local plan is a blueprint for the future of Hastings up to 2041. It

08/03/2026

Have you commented on the Hastings Borough Council Local Plan yet?

"Absolutely awful" plans to build 65 homes on Sandrock Bends, a greenfield site in Hastings, East Sussex, have sparked almost 900…

10/02/2026

Development at Sandrock Bends threatens St. Helen's Woods. Revised plans from the developer still fail to address flood risk, wildlife harm and biodiversity loss. We've summarised why this application should be refused on our website.

We call on all friends and supporters of St. Helen's Woods to join the hundreds of people commenting on the planning application NOW. The deadline for comments is this Thursday 12th February.

Find out more here:

Summary of our objections to the revised planning application for the site at Sandrock Bends. Use your voice and submit your objections by 12th February. February 9, 2026 What is this about? This is a summary of our response to the new documents submitted for the proposed development on The Ridge, H...

03/02/2026

https://hastingsonlinetimes.co.uk/hot-topics/campaigns/public-meeting-on-3-february-about-new-proposals-for-sandrock-bends-before-comment-deadline-of-thursday-12th?fbclid=IwY2xjawPurqpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe0sTTPHGiRz1uqCILHvDyeOSN-C8HN04yjxjVIFPryKeUI0jseAAE_OdH3G0_aem_7ussqRjf4CeaXmVKkWBXgA

Standing Up for Nature Hastings and Rother

An outline application proposal for dwellings on the green space of The Ridge, Sandrock Bends, drew strong opposition last summer. Now the objections number more than 800 and are still streaming in, on many matters. …

31/01/2026

** PUBLIC MEETING *** TUESDAY 3rd February - 7pm - Come and find out more about the plans for the housing development on The Ridge and what you can do about it. All welcome *** Standing Up for Nature Hastings and Rother CPRE Sussex

🕖 7.00pm, Tuesday 3rd February📍 St Helen’s Church, The Ridge This public meeting has been organised by the Save Sandrock Bends campaign group, in

16/01/2026

https://www.sthelenswoods.co.uk/this-is-a-new-news-post/

We’ve just learned that land developer Gladman has submitted new/revised plans for the proposed development on The Ridge. More than 700 comments were

31/12/2025

Wishing you all A happy new year from the volunteers who will be clearing Cherry laurel from compartment 9 most of the winter untill nesting time.

14/12/2025

Many of you may have seen in the woods before but this is the first white squirrel that I have seen.

03/12/2025

Have you signed up to our newsletter yet? You can do so via the new website...last month's newsletter didn't reach everyone because of a glitch - this is now fixed - so we'll be sending it out again later this week. Sign up soon for all the latest updates...

Help Protect St. Helen’s Woods for Future Generations. Join St. Helen’s Park Preservation Society in preserving Wild Hastings for future generations.

24/10/2025

High Weald Celebration Event

Join us at the Bale House in Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve to celebrate the High Weald- an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

This family fun day has a lot to offer:

Heritage craft with Community Supporters- paper making & Fore Edge painting & Corn Dolly making.
Meet Phil Hadland from Hastings Museum who will help you to identify all your found fossils and show you a selection found in the local area.
Nature crafts, including leaf printing and tree faces.
A tree identification walk- learn how to identify trees from looking at their bark, leaves, nuts and other features.
A fungi walk with the British Mycological Society.
Woodland antics with Groundwork South- various Forest School activities including shelter building and elder necklaces.
Meet and chat to local organisations including the Friends of Hastings Country Park & Conservation Volunteers, TCV, RSPCA Mallydams, Hastings Kelp Project, Fairlight Astronomers, Sussex Wildlife Trust, St Helen's Wood Preservation Society & Church Wood Community Orchard.
Meet local small businesses who sell their products in our shop, including Rock Rose Beauty, Roebuck Enterprises & East Sussex Honey.
Enjoy a delicious selection of food and drinks at the Bale House Cafe.
A night time bat walk with hand held bat detectors- learn everything you want to know about British bats and hopefully see and hear some too!
All in all a great day out for everyone!

Sunday 26th October
11am - 4pm
The Bale House Hastings Country Park Visitor Centre
Lower Coastguard Lane Fairlight TN35 4AD

Join us at the Bale House in Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve to celebrate the High Weald- an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.