The Proposal
The proposals are to refurbish the former Grade II listed Blind Veterans Hospital Building in Ovingdean to create 64 new residential flats, along with parking and landscaping. In addition, the chapel would be redeveloped to create a new house in the grounds of the site. Access was to remain the same.
The Approach
Paul Basham Associates provided advice relating to car and cycle parking through the provision of a new overflow parking area to ensure that all demand was accommodated within the site. In addition, due to the scale of the building, developing a refuse strategy that met the required trolley and carry distances was complex and we worked with the architects and planners to repurpose existing external structures to facilitate this. Furthermore, the fire strategy had to be developed in order to achieve the requirements within the British Standards by enabling fire tenders to access different points of the building.
To support the planning application, we prepared a Transport Statement and Travel Plan. We also attended parish council meetings to address any questions from local stakeholders and were involved in extensive S106 discussions.
The Outcome
The development received approval from the South Downs National Park in August 2023, and we look forward to seeing this iconic building transformed into residential use.