Eastbourne Borough Council – News – August 2026

Councillor welcomes extra funding to tackle rough sleeping

Eastbourne Borough Council has been awarded more than £1.5 million in additional funding over the next three years to strengthen local work preventing and reducing rough sleeping.

The investment will support the delivery of the council’s rough sleeping plan, which is being jointly developed with partners, voluntary and faith organisations, and people with lived experience, in response to the government’s National Rough Sleeping Plan.

Councillor Peter Diplock, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness, said: “This multi‑year funding gives us the stability to expand supported accommodation and strengthen the coordinated work already happening across Eastbourne.

“Rough sleeping is complex, and long‑term solutions rely on close partnership between health, social care and voluntary and faith organisations.

The council’s award-winning homelessness team is currently in discussions with existing providers and working closely with neighbouring authorities across East Sussex to determine how best to use the additional funding. Early priorities include increasing the amount of supported accommodation available for rough sleepers and strengthening joint working between agencies that support people with multiple and complex needs.

‘Deeply alarming’ waste vehicle blaze tackled by fire service

_{Photo: firefighters in Barden Road on Tuesday damping down the area after extinguishing the fire.}

Eastbourne Borough Council is issuing an urgent warning to residents to dispose of batteries and vapes responsibly following two waste vehicle fires within a week.

​Firefighters attended to extinguish one of the blazes in a recycling waste vehicle in Barden Road on Tuesday. The vehicle had to be taken off the road and quarantined for 24 hours, disrupting local collection schedules. The previous day (Monday), there had been a recycling waste vehicle fire in Elmwood Close. As a result of the contamination and fire damage in both vehicles, 12 tonnes of recycling had to be incinerated instead of recycled.

People are reminded they should never dispose of batteries, vapes and electricals in their household bins and instead take them to a Household Waste Recycling Centre or one of the many shops across town that accept them.

​Councillor Colin Swansborough, Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services, said: “These fires are deeply alarming. Our message to residents is simple, throwing batteries and vapes in your bin at home risks lives.

“Fires this week have put our crews in immediate physical danger as well as ruining 12 tonnes of recycling and impacting collection schedules.

“If it has a battery or a plug, please never put it in your household bin. Safe drop-off points are available in almost every supermarket and at our local recycling centres. Taking a few seconds to drop them off in the right place keeps our workers safe and protects our waste collection services.”

If batteries, vapes or electrical items are put into household bins, they are easily crushed and punctured during compaction in the back of the collection vehicle, which can cause them to explode or ignite.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service Group Manager and Waste Fire Lead, Dan Channon, said: “We are asking the public to spend a few minutes making sure they dispose of batteries properly. If you put batteries in your general rubbish, they are likely to be crushed, punctured, shredded, tumbled and exposed to liquids. Not only can their hazardous contents leak out and cause environmental harm, but when the chemicals come into contact with the air, they can get hot and ignite. Surrounded by flammable materials, like paper and card, this would then lead to a serious fire.”

To dispose of batteries and electricals safely:

• Keep all batteries, vapes and electrical items out of household waste and recycling bins: This includes AA, AAA, button cells, or lithium-ion batteries.
• Use store collection points: Most major supermarkets, local shops, and electrical retailers provide dedicated, free collection bins for household batteries and used vapes.
• Visit the local recycling centre: Larger electrical items and built-in battery devices should be taken to your nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre.

​Residents can find their nearest drop-off location and check where to recycle specific items by visiting www.recyclenow.com/recycle-an-item

Don’t lose your vote – Eastbourne residents urged to check voter registration details

People living in Eastbourne are being urged to check their electoral registration details or risk losing their chance to vote on decisions that affect them.

With elections to the new East Sussex unitary authority expected in May 2027, this is an opportunity for residents to make sure they can take part.

Eastbourne Borough Council, East Sussex County Council and the county’s other district and borough councils are set to be replaced by a single new council for East Sussex from April 2028.

Robert Cottrill, Electoral Registration Officer at Eastbourne Borough Council, said: “Keep an eye out for important updates from Eastbourne Borough Council. The annual canvass is our way of making sure that the information on the electoral register for every address is accurate and up to date. To make sure you don’t lose your say at upcoming elections, simply follow the instructions sent to you.”

Electoral Commission research has found that recent home movers are less likely to be registered than those who have lived at the same address for a long time. In Great Britain, 92% of those who have lived in their home for 16 years will be registered, compared with 36% of people who have lived at an address for less than a year.

Jackie Killeen, Director of Electoral Administration and Regulation, said: “It’s really important that everyone who is eligible to vote is able to do so. We urge people to check for updates from their local council on this year’s canvass. The council may contact residents by post or email.

“If you are not registered to vote, make sure you provide the necessary information to your local council when asked and register to vote online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.”

Information on registering to vote is available on the Electoral Commission website.

Residents with questions about their registration status can contact the council’s electoral services team via email elections@lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk or telephone 01323 410000.