Bid to develop former Hastings pub rejected
Proposals to renovate a vacant pub and build temporary housing have been turned down.
In a decision notice, Hastings Borough Council refused a planning application for the former premises of The Brass Monkey at 18 Havelock Road.
The applicant, Chislehurst LLP, wanted to convert part of the former pub’s ground floor into a new commercial space and create three temporary accommodation units to its rear.
The work involved the construction of a new extension, which would have been built in place of a courtyard currently being used as a communal bin store.
But the application was refused due to concerns around the living conditions of the new housing. Council officers said two of the units – one-bedroom studios – would “fall below the minimum internal space standard”, and the other would provide no internal storage space.
They said the studio units would experience “a restricted and oppressive outlook” as their only principal window would look out onto an enclosed courtyard. The other unit would “rely on windows directly overlooking the communal access and refuse storage area, resulting in a poor outlook and limited privacy.”
Officers had concerns about the communal refuse area, saying its proximity and likely frequency of use meant there would be “the potential for noise, disturbance and odour to adversely affect future occupiers.”
They also had concerns about its impact on the character and appearance of the town centre conservation area. They also said there was not sufficient evidence to support the loss of the public house.
Officers acknowledged the renovation was intended to provide a “multi-use space for coffee, cocktails and retail” but said this would be significantly smaller than the existing premises.
Although the pub has been closed for some time, officers said the application had not provided sufficient evidence “to demonstrate that there is no reasonable prospect of the public house use being retained.”