Proposed development progresses but ESK will be open for the summer - The Courtlands

February 24, 2020

Plans to regenerate the ESK site when the store closes later this year are progressing to the next stage.

An outline plan for new homes and a shop or health facility was submitted for planning approval at the end of last year. This includes a concept layout plan that was revised in response to feedback from the public consultation held in October. Members of the public have been able to view and comment on the revised plans via Eastbourne Borough Council’s planning portal.

Bob Beevis, ESK’s owner, said: “We’ve listened to feedback from residents and adapted the plans where possible. I’m pleased that the planning application is progressing. I believe that the site will be ideal to provide Eastbourne with some much-needed new housing.

“In the meantime, ESK is still very much open for business as usual. I’m getting lots of questions about the garden centre – must be the time of year – so I’d like to reassure all keen gardeners that we’ll be well stocked until the end of the season.

“In fact we are doubling the size of the garden accessories section inside the store. Let’s hope we have some decent weather for gardening!”

Revisions to the plans in response to the public consultation include:

Houses to the rear of the apartment blocks were rotated so the terraces run east-west rather than north-south
Issues of overlooking mitigated by ensuring the rear windows of the houses do not face onto the rear façade of the flats
Neighbour amenity improved by setting the rear gardens at an angle to the flats
Space has been made for seven additional parking bays