Plans to convert a former Eastbourne guest house into a shared house have been turned down on appeal.
In a decision notice published on Wednesday (August 20), a planning inspector has dismissed an appeal by the Star Property Group.
The company proposed converting Sea Breeze – a guest house at 7 Marine Road – into a seven-bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO).
The initial application was turned down by Eastbourne Borough Council last October because it is in the town’s “tourist accommodation retention area”.
The council’s planning policies seek to resist the creation of any HMOs within this area. As such, officers deemed the proposal would be “harmful as a matter of principle”.
The planning inspector shared the council’s view on the proposals.
In the decision notice, the planning inspector said: “While no harm has been identified regarding the amenity of neighbouring occupants or on the living conditions of the occupants of the HMO, the change of use is unacceptable as a matter of principle as the change of use to an HMO would be contrary to (planning policy).”
The inspector added: “In conclusion, for the reasons identified above, the proposal would not represent a suitable location for an HMO having particular regard to development plan policy on the retention of tourist accommodation and would be contrary to (local planning policies and guidance notes).
“These policies and guidance seek to retain the stock of tourist accommodation in the town unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated.
“Even if exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated, the loss of tourist accommodation to HMOs within the tourist accommodation area raises an in principle objection.”
The appeal was dismissed.
Since the initial refusal, the Star Property Group has been granted a “flexible use” planning permission, allowing the building to be used as either a single-household or supported living property.
Both of these alternative uses describe the property as consisting of six bedrooms.
The appeal formally began in May but the inspector’s decision notice made no reference to the most recent planning application even though it was approved in April.
But the inspector did note how the properties on either side of Sea Breeze – known locally as Tudor House and Le Mer – had both been approved for conversion into residential properties and then later approved for conversion into HMOs.
These neighbouring properties were also both former guest houses.
The inspector said that they were unable to make “a meaningful direct comparison” between those cases and the appeal application, as each scheme needed to be “determined on its own merit”.
Conditions attached to the “flexible use” application restrict the property’s conversion into an HMO without planning permission.
In documents supplied as part of this application, Star Property Group said that the guest house use of the property had ceased in February 2023.
In a report on the appeal application, council planning officers said that the use of the property as an HMO began in May 2023.
At time of publication, there did not appear to be any further active applications connected with the property.
