Fresh development plans for former Hastings pub

In an application to Hastings Borough Council, developers are seeking planning permission to demolish the Kings Head Public House in Rye Road and build nine maisonette-style houses in its place.

The application, which was validated earlier this month, comes after the former pub was sold at auction for £410,000 in February.

The pub sold with an existing planning permission for a block of 12 flats, which developers say they aim to improve upon with the new application.

In a design and access statement, a spokesman for the developer said: “There is already consent to redevelop the site in the form of a two-storey apartment building, containing 12 two- and three-bedroom flats.

“The current proposal is however, an alternative redevelopment scheme for the erection of nine two-storey terraced, one- and two-bedroom houses, each with a home office.

“Although the character of the site will change as a result of its redevelopment, the appearance of the scheme would have no greater impact than that of the approved scheme.

“In the absence of any demonstrable harm or conflict with development plan policies or other material planning considerations, the presumption should be in favour of granting full planning permission for this alternative redevelopment scheme.”

Developers say the new application aims to improve on the approved scheme in a number of ways.

These improvements include: more parking spaces for the site; individual gardens for each of the houses; and new designs to reduce the building’s mass from the approved plans (although its height will not reduce).

There will also be fewer windows facing towards Mountbatten Drive, developers say, where residents had raised privacy concerns during consultation on the previously approved scheme.

As part of the previously approved scheme developers would be required to provide 40 per cent affordable housing – either on-site or through a financial contribution elsewhere.

However, with the reduction in the overall number of homes, the new scheme would fall below the threshold for providing affordable housing.

While developers acknowledge this loss, they say their viability assessments show the scheme as approved would not be able to deliver these homes in any case.

For further information about the scheme and to comment see application reference HS/FA/19/00187 on the Hastings Borough Council planning website.