Plans To Replace Former Pub With Housing Rejected In Hastings

Plans to demolish The Millers Arms on Winchelsea Road and build eight houses in its place have been refused by Hastings Borough Council.

The application, submitted by BLX Hastings Ltd, proposed two rows of four houses, including an even split of three- and four-bedroom homes.

The developer argued the scheme would make good use of a “highly sustainable” brownfield site and help address the council’s housing supply shortage.

However, council planning officers concluded the proposal would cause “unacceptable harm” to the surrounding area. In a statement, a planning spokesperson said the development would negatively affect neighbourhood amenity, future living standards, local character and appearance, protected species habitats, waste storage, and highway safety.

A key concern was the scheme’s car-free design, with only a single car club parking space.

Planning and highways officers warned this could lead to parking overspill, creating safety risks on nearby roads.

Residents also raised objections about the scale and design of the houses, describing them as “overwhelmingly large and oppressive,” with potential loss of privacy and issues of overlooking between properties.

The refusal did not consider the loss of the pub itself, as the nearby Old King John pub provides an alternative, and The Millers Arms had been closed since the Covid-19 pandemic and unsuccessfully marketed.

For more details, the planning application can be viewed under reference HS/FA/25/00423 on the Hastings Borough Council website.