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Plans have been submitted to convert town centre offices into flats. The proposals concern the upper floors of a building at 19 Robertson Street, in the centre of Hastings. The planning application, submitted to Hastings Borough Council, seeks to change the use of the first, second, third, and fourth floors from offices into three flats.
The proposed flats include two one-bedroom units and one two-bedroom unit. The top flat will span the third and fourth floors, featuring an open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area within the roof space. The building, a four-storey mid-terrace property with a basement and a shop front at ground level, is currently vacant.
The basement and ground floor are set to remain in commercial use. The plans also include creating new bin and cycle storage at the rear of the first floor. The existing lift will be retained, and a new staircase will be added.
A roof extension at the fourth-floor level with a proposed dormer is also part of the plans. READ MORE: Plans to convert listed high street building into 12-bedroom HMO The building, located in a pedestrianised area of Robertson Street, backs onto Robertson Passage, a service road with residential units. The proposed development seeks to preserve the existing shop front and retail space at the basement and ground floor levels, ensuring no disruption to the shopping frontage.
The property, which has been empty since 2023, falls within the Hastings Town Centre Conservation Area and the Hastings Town Centre Shopping Area boundaries. In the planning submission, an independent analysis by a local property expert highlighted a lack of demand for commercial properties like the one in question. John Anderton of GPS Business Sales, a property business based in Eastbourne, wrote: "In recent years, the demand for large retail spaces, especially those combined with offices or storage, has significantly dwindled in town centres.
"This decline is primarily due to falling high street sales and retailers' ability to operate with reduced inventory. "Concurrently, the demand for office space has also decreased, particularly in town centres. "The rise of flexible work arrangements and the preference for modern offices with amenities like free parking have contributed to this shift.
"Generally, the facilities on offer do not meet the needs of many businesses. "The design, layout, facilities, and location of the subject premises severely restrict the demand for continued commercial use." READ NEXT: Plans to reinforce riverbank to protect homes and gardens from 'collapse' In the application, the developers state: "The proposed development would ensure these vacant floors are brought back into residential use, which would prevent it from falling into disrepair and would deliver much-needed housing in this central and sustainable location.
"And will also bring the ground floor back into a retail use which will enhance the viability and vitality of the town centre." The application can be viewed using the reference HS/FA/25/00094..
