Eastbourne church conversion plans turned down

Plans to turn an Eastbourne church into new homes has been turned down by town planners.
St Andrews United Reform Church in Eastbourne (Photo by Jon Rigby) SUS-170703-113721001St Andrews United Reform Church in Eastbourne (Photo by Jon Rigby) SUS-170703-113721001
St Andrews United Reform Church in Eastbourne (Photo by Jon Rigby) SUS-170703-113721001

Developers wanted to knock down St Andrew’s United Reformed Church on the corner of Cornfield Road and Blackwater Road and build 36 new homes in its place.

The church has been derelict for some time and earlier this year plans were submitted to Eastbourne council for a three to four storey building of 36 residential units and 11 parking spaces with an access from Wish Road and Cornfield Lane.

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But planners this week turned down the application because of a lack of parking spaces within the development in the part of town which already has restricted parking spaces.

The church has been empty after plans were unveiled for the congregation to move to the Upperton United Reformed Church in Upperton Road.

St Andrew’s was one of four churches in Eastbourne merging to form one church leaving three of the empty buildings up for development.

Central Methodist Church in Pevensey Road, Greenfield Methodist Church in Green Street and Upperton Road United Reformed Church in Upperton Road will also join together and become Emmanuel Church.

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That church will be on the site of the Upperton Road church, on the junction of Upperton Road with and will involve a complete redevelopment.

In June last year members of Eastbourne’s planning committee approved plans to demolish the late 19th century Upperton United Reformed Church in Upperton Road and replace it with a new Emmanuel Church and community facilities.