Former NHS offices in Eastbourne to be converted into 13 room HMO

The application for The Annex by Avenue House 1a in The Avenue was approved conditionally on June 20.

The NHS said the site, which is around 0.057 hectares, had previously been in use as office space to support the healthcare uses on the adjoining site but the building is now vacant and has been declared surplus to requirements.

An application for the site to be demolished was approved in 2023 but was withdrawn later on due to the applicant not submitting a PIP (Personal Independence Payment) application.

The proposal includes the reduction of windows on the first floor frontage as well as adding another floor to the building.

There will also be communal facilities including a laundry room in the basement, communal lounges and workspaces on the first and second floors, and a kitchen and diner on the ground floor for eight residents.

A spokesman for SC Planning, which submitted the plans on behalf of Dragon Property Developments, said: "The re-use of a redundant town centre building to provide quality housing for 13 households has significant social benefits, particularly given Eastbourne's current struggle to meet its housing targets.

"In addition, the proceeds of the sale of the site will be reinvested back into the NHS.

"The development is to be finished to a high specification in order to meet the current demand for luxury HMOs that are much more spacious than the minimum standards, with quality fixtures, fittings and décor."