Flexible commercial and education use at Eridge House, Royal Tunbridge Wells

What was proposed

The application proposed keeping office use while adding education use, with no external changes to the building.

“SITE AND PROPOSAL 1.1 The site in question relates to Eridge House, a three-storey building with a floor area of 290 square meters, which connects to Dowding, Foundation and Frant Houses, which in combination form Sussex Mews and the contemporary mews area that is located behind the Corn Exchange and the lower and upper walks of the Pantiles.”

“This application seeks to retain the office use (class E use) for the space, while introducing a class F1A use (education). It is hoped that this will allow for greater flexibility for potential operators, following the departure of the current tenants early next year. No external changes are proposed with this application.”

Officer report

Earlier planning history

Earlier permissions covered shops, offices, restaurants, a museum, health club, auction hall, parking and later changes including a cookery school.

“Shops, offices, restaurant, heritage museum, health club, auction hall, parking Granted 18/01/85 87/00861/FUL”

“Part change of use of ground floor shop (Use Class A1) to form delicatessen and cafe (Use Classes A1 & A3) with frontage to Sussex Mews. Works to support the creation of a new pedestrian passage to link the Corn Exchange with Sussex Mews. New 'street' frontage to Sussex Mews, to include shopfronts and covered pedestrian colonnade (glazed canopy over).”

Officer report

Why officers supported it

Officers considered the added education use would retain and enhance employment space, improve flexibility and marketability, and support the area’s vitality without harmful impacts.

“The site has a well-established class E use, with the building most recently used as offices. Policy ED2 of the Local Plan seeks to retain employment generating uses for employment purposes and resist the loss of employment spaces. In this instance, the application seeks to retain the existing class E use, while diversifying the building to allow for a potential class F1A use.”

“The introduction of a Class F1A use alongside class E is considered to retain and enhance the existing employment use. This change forms part of the wider regeneration and development strategy, with the goal of allowing for greater flexibility of the employment floorspace. This is considered to positively benefit the vitality and…”

Officer report

Who spoke

No registered speakers addressed the committee.

Committee discussion

The application’s committee referral was clarified as resulting from the council’s ownership of the land, and no further debate was recorded.

“- It was clarified the application had come to committee as TWBC owned the land.”

“Committee Member debate and Officer clarification included:”

Minutes

The vote

Councillors Osborne and Neville proposed and seconded approval, and the vote was unanimous in favour.

“Decision/voting – On the basis that members were satisfied that all relevant planning considerations had been covered within the report, a motion was proposed by Councillor Osborne, seconded by Councillor Neville and a vote was taken to approve the application in line with the officer recommendation. The vote was unanimous in favour.”

Minutes

The decision

The application was granted subject to the plans, conditions and informatives set out in the agenda report.

“RESOLVED – That application PLA254/25 be granted subject to the plans, conditions and informatives as set out in the agenda report.”

Minutes