Redevelopment of former Eastbourne school into 52 homes approved

On Monday (May 30), Eastbourne Borough Council’s planning committee unanimously approved plans to convert Moira House School, in Upper Carlisle Road, into a residential development comprising 33 apartments and 19 houses.

The scheme followed on from extensive pre-application work and a public consultation, which saw the proposals win the support of both the Eastbourne Society and the Meads Community Association.

This process was widely-praised by councillors and residents alike as an ‘exemplary’ approach to such development.

Most of the former school’s existing buildings — including its gymnasium and swimming pool — will be demolished as part of the proposals, although some parts of the site are to be retained and converted into housing.

The converted buildings would create 33 apartments and two houses, with a further 17 new-build dwellings also to be constructed on the site.

While a substantial development, the site would not include any affordable housing. Developers say this is because to do so would make the site unviable, as a result of the costs of retaining and converting the existing school buildings. This was confirmed via an independent assessment received shortly before the meeting.

The former school, which had been running for more than 130 years, closed its doors in 2020 as a result of financial difficulties.

According to planning papers, attempts were initially made to find a purchaser willing to take on the site as a going concern (i.e. a school), but these efforts were unsuccessful.