A developer is seeking planning permission to convert the upper floors of a former Hastings bar into temporary housing.
In an application validated by Hastings Borough Council this week, Chislehurst Equities LLP is seeking permission to create 16 hostel/temporary accommodation units on the upper floors of 18 Havelock Road.
Each of the 16 units would be self-contained, with their own bathroom and kitchen spaces. No communal areas would be provided between the units.
In a statement submitted as part of the application, a spokesman for the developer said: “The focus of this application is to provide temporary and emergency accommodation.
“Hastings Borough Council have highlighted the need for suitable accommodation such as the units proposed to be provided. In recent years, homelessness has risen, exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis and the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, amongst other factors.
“The applicants have retained close contact with Hastings Borough Council’s Housing Department who have expressed the need for further accommodation to be made available to those who require it most.
“The application seeks to provide 16 residential units in a currently vacant and under-maintained building which requires urgent improvement and renovation work.”
While currently vacant, the property has long been used as a bar/club. It was most recently occupied by The Brass before its closure late last year.
The rooms set for conversion had mostly been used previously as office and storage space, although part had also been used as residential accommodation.
The proposals leave most of the property’s ground floor (which features a large open plan bar and event space) untouched, although part would be repurposed for use as a lobby for the hostel spaces.
For further information about the scheme see application reference HS/FA/24/00491 on the Hastings Borough Council website.
