New Eastbourne apartment building approved at appeal

In a decision notice, a planning inspector has approved plans to demolish a former care home, known as Sedgemoor, in Mill Road and build a 13-unit apartment building in its place.

The proposals had twice been considered by the council’s planning committee in 2021, but were deferred both times as councillors asked the applicant to come back with a smaller scheme.

The applicant did so after the first deferral, coming back with a revised scheme with a reduced roof height and fewer flats (13 rather than 14).

An appeal was then lodged on the grounds that Eastbourne Borough Council did not make a decision on the plans within the statutory time limit.

The deferrals had partly been driven by local concerns about the impact of the new building on the appearance of the area, with a significant number of residents lodging objections.

These concerns were noted by the inspector, but not considered to be sufficient grounds for refusal.

The inspector said: “Overall, the building would be noticed as a change on the site and in the local area, including, in part, in some longer distance public views from lower ground to the north.

“But in my view, the proposal would not unduly dominate or detract from the Mill Road or Ashburnham Road street scenes or be incompatible in the local area.”

They added: “Subject to conditions the proposal would accord with the development plan. There are no other material considerations which suggest that the decision should be taken other than in accordance with the development plan.”