Reinvestment dropped from Eastbourne hotel conversion plans

Back in August, Eastbourne Borough Council planners approved proposals to convert part of the Grade II listed Mansion (Lions) Hotel in Grand Parade into 21 two-bedroom flats, although with conditions requiring the developer to reinvest in the original hotel business and building. 

Since August, however, a financial assessment concluded that the condition would prevent the scheme from being financially viable and, as a result, the application was brought back before town planners on Tuesday (November 24).  

At the meeting, several councillors expressed frustration that the condition could not be enforced. They included Cllr Barry Taylor (Con, Meads), who said: “I am disappointed. It is a Grade II listed building, if I remember rightly and there were certainly plastic windows put in when they shouldn’t have been. 

“I think it is very disappointing to think that someone is going to develop the site at the rear and end up with no usable money to upgrade the Mansion Hotel.

“I suppose they are just strapped for money or I don’t know. It worries me that it will make money, but Eastbourne won’t benefit from it. I think the original conditions should remain.”

Officers, however, confirmed that financial viability assessment had confirmed there are not be sufficient funds for such investment (or affordable housing), so the condition would be “unenforceable”. 

Despite frustration from several councillors, the committee eventually opted to approve the scheme in light of the evidence from the financial assessment.

Committee chairman Jim Murray (Lib Dem) said: “What we are basically going to be doing for the applicant is splitting the two units for him to be able to sell separately. It should make it more appealing to the general public and whoever is going to come in afterwards.

“Hopefully the planning will get built out and we won’t end up with another extant building and the new owners of the hotel will certainly have to do some refurbishment to the building anyway, so we should end up with another hotel on the seafront. 

“It is one of the hotels we have got within the conservation area, so we are looking to keep hold of it. We wouldn’t be looking for it to be redeveloped into housing or HMOs – which is our worst fear. 

“So although unfortunate, we’ve already granted planning permission for it and we’re going to get really slapped on the wrist if we don’t carry on with that.”

The converted property would sit at the rear of the hotel, facing Hartington Place.

The part of the hotel to be converted had previously been formed of four five-storey town houses, which were later amalgamated into the hotel.

Around 32 hotel rooms would be lost as part of the conversion, planning papers say.

For further details see applications 200308 and 200280 on the Eastbourne Borough Council planning website.