Proposals to redevelop St Leonards office block into flats
Proposals have been put forward to redevelop an office building in St Leonards into new flats.
Developers from Simply Phi, based in Woking, Surrey, have submitted an application for a mixed use development at Astec House, an office building on the corner of Ponswood Road and Sedlescombe Road South, to create eight separate flats and one office space on the ground floor.
The scheme also involves replacing the windows and external doors and installation of air source heat pumps, new mechanical extract fans to kitchen and bathrooms and associated landscaping.
A design and access statement by GDS Chartered Surveyors on behalf of the applicants said: “The works at Astec House are proposed to convert and upgrade the property into habitable dwellings.
“New windows and doors will provide a uniformity throughout the property. EWI (external wall insulation), new roof coverings and rainwater goods will help to smarten the property.
“The new proposed windows and doors will be an improvement on the existing, with modern high security locks.
“As part of the landscaping works, provision will be made for bicycle storage, as well as separate storage for household waste and recyclable waste.”
A number of applications for the building have been submitted in recent years.
In February 2022 a planning inspector overturned a Hastings Borough Council decision to refuse a separate proposal to demolish the existing building and replace it with new office space and nine flats.
The council’s refusal of the plans, which were submitted in 2020, was largely based on the grounds that the authority believed the building’s design would harm the character and appearance of the surrounding area.
The application HS/FA/25/00328 is available to view online at www.hastings.gov.uk/planning or in person at the Community Contact Centre, Muriel Matters House, Breeds Place, Hastings.
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