Fresh proposals for a Hastings new build have been refused by town planners.
On Wednesday (August 14), Hastings Borough Council’s planning committee considered proposals to build a two-bedroom bungalow on a parcel of land between No.15 The Suttons and Ironlatch Cottages.
The site has a lengthy planning history, with at least four previous proposals to develop the land having been considered by the council since 2001. All four previous applications — submitted between 2001 and 2019 — had been refused by the council, primarily due to concerns around design, size and impact on neighbours.
While councillors felt the latest application had seen significant improvements from these earlier proposals, the committee members ultimately judged the scheme to have a fatal flaw.
This concern revolved around the bungalow’s internal layout, which meant its two bedrooms would be immediately adjacent to a neighbour’s parking space. Councillors were concerned about the potential disturbances this could cause to future occupants, as a result of light and air pollution.
Proposing refusal, Conservative councillor Matthew Beaver said: “This site has been going on for 23 years … and it does show the planning system working, in terms of the fact things are being refused when they are not right. The planning inspector is upholding those in some cases and not in others, where it thinks it is right.
“All credit to the applicant, they have gone away every single time and come back with something different on there as well.”
He added: “With a slightly heavy heart, I am minded to refuse it. If I am doing this correctly, I think it can probably be refused on paragraph 135 of the NPPF [National Planning Policy Framework], which requires a decision should ensure developments function well. I don’t believe it does.”
A similar view was shared by Cllr Judy Rogers (Lab), who said: “I hope, if this is refused, that [the applicant] look at this again and just rejig the internal planning, because I think that is all that needs. If that was a kitchen [and] bathroom, not a problem.”
For further information see application reference HS/FA/24/00126 on the Hastings Borough Council website.
