The Rother District Council Planning Committee is scheduled to meet on 9 October 2025 to discuss several planning applications, including proposed restoration and refurbishment works to the De La Warr Pavilion, an application to remove a living wall and green roof from a planned medical centre, and applications for advertisement consent for signage related to the Sussex Winelands wine trail. The committee will also consider demolition of an industrial warehouse.

De La Warr Pavilion Restoration

The committee will consider applications RR/2025/1200/P and RR/2025/1193/L for phased internal and external restoration, refurbishment, and alteration works to the Grade I listed De La Warr Pavilion, located on the Marina in Bexhill. The Rother District Council and the De La Warr Pavilion Charitable Trust are listed as the applicants.

The proposed works are part of a major capital project, funded in part by the Levelling Up Fund¹ and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and are intended to conserve the De La Warr Pavilion and ensure its future viability. According to the report pack, the architect team has placed conservation at the heart of the proposals, and the local planning authority places great weight on the conservation of the building in its assessment of the applications.

The report pack states that the project aims to:

Restore the Pavilion's fabric, conserving its Grade I Listed status and to further promote its unique heritage through public and artistic programmes. Improve the accessibility of the building and its setting. Refurbish the auditorium, enhancing its technical capabilities, accessibility and fabric. Improve the public facilities within the building foyers, bars, WCs, and spaces for events and hire. Provide improved, inclusive spaces for learning and participation. Provide new environmental systems as part of a drive towards net zero carbon. Maintain a viable, resilient and sustainable business model, seeking to diversify income streams by growing fundraising and commercial activity. Be a catalyst for the cultural, economic, and social regeneration of Bexhill and the surrounding region.

The proposed works include:

• Improvements to the northern entrance, including level access and replacement of glazed doors.
• Removal of the 1970s lift in the auditorium foyer and installation of a new evacuation lift.
• Reconfiguration of the East Wing ground floor to accommodate a new entrance and shop, condensed gallery, new learning space, and gallery store.
• Installation of a new kitchen and bar on the first floor.
• Part enclosure of the external Sun Parlour with a new glazed screen.
• Alterations to the auditorium, including new rigging points, retractable stalls risers, and replacement of seating.
• Replacement of the existing extension to the south-west of the building with a taller and deeper multi-functional studio space.
• Replacement of non-original steel-framed windows and glazed doors.
• New landscaping to the northern entrance area and south of the building.
• New paving, benches, and planters on the roof terrace.

The Public reports pack includes a detailed assessment of the heritage significance of the De La Warr Pavilion and the impact of the proposals on that significance. Historic England and the Twentieth Century Society have been consulted and have raised no objections, subject to conditions.

Brooklands Road Medical Centre Amendment

The committee will also consider application RR/2025/1290/MA, a non-material amendment to planning permission RR/2022/3018/P for a medical centre on Brooklands Road in Bexhill. The proposed amendment involves removing the living wall and green roof from the approved design for the community medical centre, and introducing alternative brickwork patterns.

According to the report pack, the change is necessary to enable Rother District Council to proceed with the Agreement for Lease with the NHS, the intended occupier of the Medical Centre. The NHS has concerns around fire safety, ongoing maintenance and potential water ingress.

The report pack states that the proposed alterations would not materially affect the footprint, scale, shape and form of the approved building, nor would it materially affect the character of the wider area, and that the scheme's sustainability credentials will be maintained, with the development still expected to achieve a BREEAM² 'Excellent' rating.

Beeching Road Demolition

The committee will consider application RR/2025/1483/DN to determine if prior approval is required for the demolition of a two-storey industrial warehouse at 35 Beeching Road.

Under the Town & Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015 (as amended), the demolition of buildings would constitute permitted development, subject to the prior approval of the Local Planning Authority, to ensure that the building is not protected from demolition and that the method of demolition and any remediation is appropriate.

The report pack indicates that the building proposed for demolition does not have protected status, the method of demolition is commensurate with the scale of the site, and the removal of the demolished material and levelling of the site are considered appropriate restoration.

Sussex Winelands Signage

The committee will also consider applications RR/2025/999/A and RR/2025/998/A for advertisement consent to erect post and panel free-standing signs as part of the Sussex Winelands vineyards wine trail. The trail links seven vineyards within the district of Rother.

One sign is proposed for Footpath Sedlescombe 16a, Junction Road, near Swailes Green, Sedlescombe, and the other for PROW/16/1, Church Road, near Mountfield.

The objective of the Sussex Winelands signage is to:

• Create awareness of the Rother Wine Triangle and guide visitors to vineyards.
• Welcome visitors at points of entry, gateways and key locations.
• Signal Sussex Winelands in the environment.

The report pack states that the signs, made from timber clad posts with a printed aluminium composite board, would not cause any negative impact on the visual amenity or landscape character of the area or cause issues relating to highway safety.