Hastings town centre post office building and former University of Brighton site up for auction

The six-storey Priory Square building went on the market back in 2020 for a guide price of £3m but did not attract any buyers.

The huge site was occupied by the University of Brighton, which closed the building and its other two sites in the town in 2019 after failing to recruit enough students. The Hastings campus opened in 2003 and received £12m of public investment.

The Priory Square building was built in 2013, and is made up of the original 1930s Post Office building fronting Cambridge Road, and an extension overlooking Priory Square. It has a 160-seat auditorium, teaching facilities, laboratory space, terraces and two 13-person lifts.

It is approximately 4,085 sq m (43,971 sq ft) in size.

The property is now being marketed by Allsop Auctions, based in London, for a guide price of £2.2m.

It will go under the hammer at an auction on September 25.

The property is advertised on rightmove.co.uk and Allsop said planning permission has been granted for change of use to 41 flats and commercial space.

In May 2016, a demonstration was held by students, councillors and other residents protesting against the University of Brighton’s decision to close its Hastings campus.

The march was organised by members of the #HandsOffHastings campaign.

The university first announced its decision to close the Hastings campus in March 2016. More than 7,800 people signed a petition in protest after the plans were announced.

The Post Office closed its Cambridge Road office in March 2014 and moved it to the WH Smith branch in the town centre, sparking criticism from borough councillors.

The branch in Cambridge Road was one of 70 Crown branches, those owned directly by Post Office Ltd, which were targeted by company bosses to either shut or be franchised out to a retailer.

The closure came as a blow to campaigners who fought for a year to keep the post office in Cambridge Road. A petition signed by almost 7,000 people protesting against the closure of the town centre branch was presented to Post Office bosses in November 2013.