Plans to give a former Eastbourne hotel a new lease of life

Developers plan to convert the ex-hotel in Howard Square into 15 “high-quality” apartments.

A spokesperson for the developers said in a design and access statement submitted with a planning application, “The 15 high-quality new apartments will make a significant and valuable contribution to local housing supply in a time of housing shortfall.”

Proposals say there will be 14 two-bed apartments and one three-bed apartment.

The ex-hotel was bought by an international investor in 2012 who had plans to modernise it after being out of use for five years. But renovations stopped due to financial difficulties.

The former hotel is a grade two listed building due to its “architectural quality”, “classic Victorian proportions” and “Italianate detailing”.

The statement also says the building has been empty for two years and the hotel use of the site is considered to be “abandoned”.