Mr Cottrill has been serving as the council’s Interim Chief Executive since November 2024, sharing the role across Eastbourne and Lewes councils. He will now lead HBC’s senior management team and is likely to be in charge when the council is formally abolished in 2028 after local government reorganisation (LGR).

Council Leader Glenn Haffenden paid tribute to Rob Cottrill saying he “has provided stability and continuity during a period of significant organisational change, including LGR, devolution and the development of shared service arrangements with Eastbourne and Lewes.” These shared Chief Executive arrangements, he added, “have worked well and provided HBC with effective and experienced senior leadership” and have “strengthened collaboration between Hastings, Eastbourne and Lewes Councils while ensuring that Hastings continues to retain its own political and organisational identity and priorities.”

The meeting of the Full Council also approved the appointments on a permanent basis of Kate Slattery as the Council’s Chief Legal Officer and Coral Harding as Monitoring Officer.