Revised plans for apartment building on privately-owned Bexhill car park

In an application submitted to Rother District Council, a developer is seeking planning permission to build a three-storey apartment building in Endwell Road.

The application follows on from a previous scheme for the same site, which was refused by Rother planners in February due to concerns about its size, scale and design.

The revised scheme significantly reworks the building’s design, which the developer says should overcome the previous reasons for refusal. Changes include the removal of a proposed green wall, a reworked appearance and a reduction in the total number of apartments from 14 to nine.

In documents submitted as part of the application, an agent for the developer said: “The design aesthetic has dramatically changed from the original submission.

“The proposed green wall became an apparent obstacle which was subject to harsh and short-sighted views from the Bexhill Heritage group and various online objections due to being ‘not in keeping’ etc. The primary purpose of a green wall is to bring a whole host of benefits and positives to the aesthetic of large block buildings as well as promoting positive efforts to the local environment.

“A more ‘in keeping’ traditional bay front, pitched roof option has since been proposed which distinctly resembles the existing street scene.”

The site is currently used as a privately-owned car park, made up of 13 parking spaces and a triple-bay garage. This garage would be demolished as part of the plans. It sits adjacent to an existing three-storey apartment building known as Eversfield Court.