Former Peacehaven care home can be used as emergency accommodation

On Wednesday (June 10), Lewes District Council’s planning committee approved a retrospective planning application concerning the use of the former Fourways residential nursing home in Bramber Avenue as emergency homeless accommodation.

While the site has been in use for some time, the proposals had proven to be controversial with some neighbours, who argued the site is an overdevelopment which will have an unacceptable impact on the surrounding area.

In a statement read at the meeting, one neighbour, Mrs Tracey Loughrey-Hill,  described a “serious altercation” which had taken place outside the property in the past few weeks.

In her statement, Mrs Loughrey-Hill said: “Two of the residents started to shout and scream at each other and it then got violent. They were fighting in front of children.

“The manager didn’t come out to assist and, when the violence started, other residents became involved whilst the children watched.

“The shouting has been a common occurrence as they all congregate in the car park and smoke right next to my home. They do it late at night and my bedroom is always right next to where they congregate.

“At the back of the house children play in the property’s car park. It has been used as a playground, sometimes with up to ten children playing outside screaming and shouting at one another. 

“It is like living next to a school and a school for children who have behavioural problems. 

“Please do not approve this. It is affecting my family and my own wellbeing and I don’t need to witness this or experience it. I moved to a peaceful road and a quiet place.”

The altercation described by Mrs Loughrey-Hill was discussed as part of a supplementary report to the committee. In the report managers of the premises described the incident as a ‘one-off’, which had not occurred before or since.

Managers also confirmed the resident involved had been evicted from the site, with resident’s behaviour forming part of the management plan required under the proposed conditions.

They also disputed claims surrounding the numbers of children playing outside, but offered to ban playing in the car park as part of the planning conditions.

This was not taken up by the committee, with members expressing concerns about limiting children’s ability to play outside.

However, committee members did ask for conditions to ensure the designated smoking area was away from neighbouring properties.

The committee also heard from representatives of the applicant during the meeting, including live-in manager Hannah Chatfield.

In her statement, Ms Chatfield said: “I have a particularly good relationship with our neighbours and in the 12 months we have been up and running their fears and concerns have been laid to rest. Many of them did not even realise we had been in operation for months.

“Our residents are the most vulnerable in our society and consist of: families who have lost their homes for one reason or another; women who have been subjected to domestic abuse; and new and expectant mothers in need of accommodation. 

“What is common to all of them is that they are facing difficulties and we help them through the worst possible times in their lives.

“All our residents are with us on a temporary basis and, hand on heart, I can say every single one of them leaves us happier, better adjusted and ready to start a new life.”

Ms Chatfield also argued that the temporary housing had a lesser impact on the area than the former nursing home, which generated more traffic and parking pressure before closing its doors in 2017.

Despite the concerns of neighbours, the proposals were well-supported by committee members, and were unanimously approved following a short discussion.

The application, which sought retrospective permission for the former nursing home’s conversion into 18 self-contained flats, followed on from a 2017 permission to convert the building into a 14-room House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) for the same purpose.

It was through this original planning application that the provider had been offering temporary accommodation prior to the decision.

According to the applicant, BNM Parkstone LLP, the changes from the 2017 application came as the result of concerns raised by Lewes District Council’s own housing team about the use of a shared kitchen space.

As a result, the two-storey property was split into 18 self-contained, one-bedroom flats, all of which had their own en-suite shower bathrooms and kitchenette facilities.  One of the flats is used as accommodation for an on-site manager.

The four new flats came from space previously occupied by a shared kitchen.

It is intended that the facility will be used exclusively to provide temporary accommodation for people who have been made homeless, strictly by referral from Lewes District and Brighton and Hove Councils.

For further details of the proposal see application reference LW/19/0857 on the Lewes District Council planning website.

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