A housing development that will see 100 new homes built in Eastbourne town centre was approved last night (25/8/21) during a meeting of the council’s planning committee.
The new homes will be developed on the old Bedfordwell Depot in Bedfordwell Road, the site of the Victorian Pump House, a familiar landmark for train passengers using Eastbourne Railway Station.
The Pump House will be retained and sympathetically converted into 20 flats and a unit for commercial or community use, while the rest of the site will see 59 houses and 21 flats created, with a significant proportion of affordable housing within the scheme.
Councillor Alan Shuttleworth, Cabinet Member for Housing, said:
“The UK shortage of affordable properties is something that weighs heavily on my mind. In Eastbourne we face particular challenges finding enough suitable sites for housing, bordered as we are by the sea, the downland and Pevensey Levels.
“So, it obviously fills me with a great sense of pride and achievement that the council has brought this complex site forward and designed a development that will provide really important town centre housing, including much needed affordable homes.”
The council will also continue to work closely with East Sussex College Group as part of their Building Lives Academy, to support students studying for construction related apprenticeships, developing new skills alongside experienced professionals.
Plans for the completed development include a cycle route that could potentially extend into and through Eastbourne Park, 200 secure cycle storage spaces, electric vehicle charging points and a car club. These sustainability features will play a part in the council’s drive to become carbon net zero by 2030.
