Both sites have lain empty and derelict for many years.
Luke Machan, director of Eversfield Regen Ltd, bought the former Eversfield Chest Hospital and Gambier House sites in West Hill Road, St Leonards, more than 10 years ago with a view of completely renovating them.
But both premises have been blighted by vandalism and flooding over the last decade, together with the Covid pandemic stopping any development progress being made.
However, this week Luke revealed his plans for the future of both sites.
He said: “We have been concentrating on cleaning up the site, preparing it for development and replacing the tired wooden security fence running along the perimeter, in preparation for the submission of pre-application advice.
“We hope to have this underway by late summer this year and hopefully a full application shall follow shortly after, we very much look forward to getting this site moving forward this year.”
He added that he hopes the development will be a ‘mix of residential apartments and houses’.
In 2022, Luke met with borough councillors Maya Evans, Andy Batsford and Trevor Webb to discuss the site. He said the original chest hospital was now in ‘such a bad condition’ and ‘ideally’ he wanted to save Gambier House.
He added that there have been many incidents of theft from the buildings, with all of the lead stolen some time ago.
The Eversfield Hospital and Home for Consumption and Diseases of the Chest and Throat was opened in 1891.
It was opened on land at West Hill Road, St Leonards given by the Eversfield Estate with Dr Gambier in charge.
The NHS said it was a private hospital attracting wealthy patients, and with it situated on the cliff edge with views out to sea, it offered patients fresh sea air.
The hospital was absorbed into the NHS in 1948 as the Eversfield Chest Hospital until it was absorbed into the Conquest Hospital in the 1980s.
1. View of the old Eversfield Chest Hospital (building on the left at the top of the cliff) and to the right of it is the old Gambier House building.
View of the old Eversfield Chest Hospital (building on the left at the top of the cliff) and to the right of it is the old Gambier House building. Photo: staff
2. View of the old Gambier House building taken from Sea Road in St Leonards.
View of the old Gambier House building taken from Sea Road in St Leonards. Photo: staff
3. View of the old Eversfield Chest Hospital building taken from Sea Road in St Leonards.
View of the old Eversfield Chest Hospital building taken from Sea Road in St Leonards. Photo: staff
4. View of the old Eversfield Chest Hospital building taken from Sea Road in St Leonards.
View of the old Eversfield Chest Hospital building taken from Sea Road in St Leonards. Photo: staff