Former heritage centre to become bar and restaurant

An application to expand and convert a Grade II listed former heritage centre in East Sussex has been approved.

On Tuesday, Eastbourne Borough Council's planning committee rubber-stamped proposals to turn Tower House on Carlisle Road - previously home to the Eastbourne Heritage Centre - into a bar and restaurant.

The plans include the construction of "a part single-storey, part three-storey extension" at the rear of the building.

Committee members were told the scheme would "secure the future" of the building.

Speaking on behalf of the applicant, planning agent Stephen Birrell said: "Since its closure as the Eastbourne Heritage Centre in 2025 this building has stood vacant.

"As we know the most effective way to preserve a heritage asset is to ensure it remains in active, viable use."

He added that the proposed change of use to a restaurant lounge bar was "perfectly aligned" with the character of the Devonshire Quarter - the town's cultural and arts hub - and would help "strengthen the evening economy and enhance tourism".

Birrell also said the development would be expected to provide 15 full-time jobs, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However, while recommended for approval following support from the council's conservation officer and heritage organisation The Eastbourne Society, the scheme has met with some opposition.

During the meeting, one resident said the "scale and nature of the current proposals present unacceptable planning impacts", including "physical damage" to the "original architecture integrity" of the 1880 Victorian structure.

Other objectors also mentioned the potential impact on highways safety and the "oversaturation" of restaurants in the area.

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