New apartment complex in Eastbourne gets the go-ahead

On Monday (February 26), Eastbourne Borough Council’s planning committee agreed that proposals to build 85 apartments at the former Gate Court Dairy site in Waterworks Road could be approved once final details are signed off by officers.

These final details include further consultation with East Sussex Highways and the Environment Agency to resolve some outstanding issues, as well as an examination of the developer’s viability claims.

Committee members heard how officers would apply additional conditions where necessary to reflect the results of these discussions.

Overall, committee members spoke favourably of the scheme, with several councillors praising its design and location.

Cllr Teri Sayers-Cooper (Lib Dem) was among those to praise the scheme. She said: “It seems to have been developed in a way that creates community and that is something I am really keen on doing. The way it is set up, people will need to talk to each other, which I think is very neighbourly.

“It has shops nearby, not too far away, which would always concern me with something of this size, if there aren’t enough shops or other recreational places to go to. But it is a very short walk to the station, it is a very short walk to go and get a bus and it is a very short walk to get to any shop and it is very short walk to get to the recreation ground.

“I think it is really nicely designed and it will house a lot of people and that is something we really need.”

The final development is expected to provide 50 one-bedroom flats, 21 two-bedroom flats and four three-bedroom flats, split across three separate blocks.

Notably, the developer behind the scheme, Waterworks Development Limited, does not plan to provide any affordable housing as part of its proposals due to viability reasons. The evidence for this will go through an examination by council officers before the planning permission is granted.

While previously occupied by several large industrial sheds, the site was cleared in 2022. This clearance came alongside a previous application, which was seeking outline approval to build up to 60 apartments on the same site.

The final development is also expected to include 48 parking spaces (one being a dedicated car club bay) and a cycle storage space.

The scheme had generated a small number of local objections, raising concerns about the loss of light, privacy and potential nuisance from construction work.

For further information see application 230787 on the Eastbourne Borough Council website.