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261 Battle Road

Planning application HS/FA/26/00275

261 Battle Road, St Leonards-on-sea, TN37 7AN

Change of use

What is proposed

In the council’s words, from its weekly list:

Change of use of the ground floor from a pet grooming shop (Class E) to a laundromat (Sui Generis)

The application describes a change from Class E (commercial, business and service) to Sui generis (a use in no class). That is how the application describes it, not a finding of the lawful use.

Where it stands

The council’s file ↗

Conditions attached

The decision notice on the council’s file (published Thu 22 Oct 2026) attaches 8 conditions. In the council’s words, each with the reason it gives:

  1. Time limit to start
    The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

    Reason: This condition is imposed in accordance with the provisions of Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

  2. Built to the approved plans
    The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: Location plan (BAR261PL04) Block plan (BAR261PL03) Existing and proposed floor plans (BAR261PL01)

    Reason: For the avoidance of doubt and in the interests of proper planning.

  3. Hours of building work
    The premises shall not be used except between the following hours:- 08:00 - 18:00 Monday - Friday, 08:00 - 18:00 Saturdays, 10:00 - 18:00 Sundays and Bank Holidays.

    Reason: To safeguard the amenity of adjoining and future residents.

  4. Noise, plant and smells
    Prior to the commencement of the development hereby approved, a scheme to demonstrate that the internal noise levels between any residential and office units will conform to the standard identified by BS 8233 2014, Sound Insulation and Noise Reduction for Buildings, shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The work specified in the approved scheme shall then be carried out in accordance with the approved details prior to occupation of the premises and be retained thereafter

    Reason: To safeguard the amenity of adjoining and future residents.

  5. Contaminated land
    In the event that contamination is found at any time when carrying out the proposed development, that was not previously identified, (such as asbestos containing material), works should cease immediately on site. A scheme of proposed remediation measures must be submitted to and approved in writing to the Local Planning Authority for approval prior to continuation of the works within one working day of the contamination being found on site. Works shall not recommence on site until the remediation scheme has been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority in writing. Once the remediation scheme is approved by the Local Planning Authority, all the measures required within the approved remediation scheme shall be carried out. Any approved remediation works, shall be carried out in full on site under a quality assurance scheme to demonstrate compliance with the proposed methodology and best practice guidance.

    Reason: To ensure that risks from land contamination to the future users of the land and neighbouring land are minimised and to ensure that the development can be carried out safely without unacceptable risks to workers, neighbours and other off-site receptors.

  6. Contaminated land
    In the event that contamination is found to be present, upon completion of the works the developer shall provide written confirmation (verification report) that all works were completed in accordance with the agreed remediation details, this to be approved by the Local Planning Authority.

    Reason: To ensure that risks from land contamination to the future users of the land and neighbouring land are minimised and to ensure that the development can be carried out safely without unacceptable risks to workers, neighbours and other off-site receptors.

  7. Noise, plant and smells
    Details including acoustic specifications, of all fixed plant, machinery and equipment associated with air moving equipment (including Heat pumps, fans, ducting and external openings), compressors generators or plant or equipment of a like kind, installed within the site, which has the potential to cause noise disturbance to any noise sensitive receivers, shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority before installation.

    Reason: To safeguard the amenity of adjoining and future residents.

  8. Hours of building work
    Work which is audible at the site boundary and deliveries to and from the premises, during construction, shall not take place before 08:00 and after 18:00 hours Monday-Friday or before 08:00 and after 13:00 on Saturdays and at no time on Sundays or Bank Holidays.

    Reason: To safeguard the amenity of adjoining and future residents.

We copy the numbered conditions and their reasons and nothing else from the notice; its notes to the applicant are on the file. The label on each is ours, by rules on the council’s wording. The conditions the council attaches, by kind of application

Conservation and heritage on this street

None of the town’s 18 conservation areas reaches Battle Road as mapped.

Measured along the street’s line against the council’s boundaries. Whether a particular building is inside depends on where the boundary runs: each area’s page on the council’s site has its map. All 18 conservation areas

The council’s Article 4 direction on houses in multiple occupation covers the whole town (in force since 2 July 2012): turning a house into a shared house for three to six people needs planning permission. The council’s page ↗

Tree preservation orders within about 40 m of Battle Road’s line, from the council’s map data:

Indicative only — the council’s order is what counts. The council says of its tree order map data: “This dataset is under review and subject to change. Always refer to the Original Tree Preservation Order and associated plan for confirmation.” The council’s tree preservation orders page ↗

Conservation areas, Article 4 directions and tree preservation orders: Hastings Borough Council, Open Government Licence v3.0. Street lines © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Flood zones, the coast and protected nature on this street

We place an application by the street in its address, so these say where Battle Road runs, not where the site’s boundary is. The application’s own documents on the council’s file show the site.

Flood zones

Part of Battle Road is in Flood Zone 2 (rivers). That is the Environment Agency’s flood map for planning, which shows land that could flood from rivers or the sea, ignoring the benefits of any existing flood defences.

Locations in flood zone 2 have a medium probability of flooding.

This means, in any year, land has:

Flood zone 2 developments need a flood risk assessment as part of their planning application.

The Environment Agency’s words, from Flood zones and what they mean ↗.

A street’s line is not an address. For a particular address, use the Environment Agency’s Check your long term flood risk ↗; for a planning site, its Flood map for planning ↗. Flood warnings in force now are on Live now.

Protected nature

Natural England’s designations within about 100 m of the street’s mapped line. Each official page says what is protected there. Protected nature in Hastings

Flood zones: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2025. Open Government Licence v3.0. Fetched 2026-10-12.

Coastal erosion and the Shoreline Management Plan: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2025. © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2015. Open Government Licence v3.0. Fetched 2026-10-12.

Protected sites: © Natural England copyright. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Fetched 2026-10-12.

Street lines © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Comments on the application

The council’s file counts 1 comment from the public: 0 objections, 1 in support (as it stood on Thu 22 Oct 2026).

Who the council consulted

The bodies and officers the file lists as consulted, with the day each was asked.

Consultee responses on the file

Responses filed as consultee comments, named as the file names them, with the day each was published. What they say is in each document on the council’s file.

Is a comment public?

The council’s page on commenting says: “All comments will be made available to view online and will be treated in accordance with our privacy policy. Comments will be redacted where they contain personal information or are inappropriate in their content.” It also says: “Please note that we do not accept anonymous comments.” Commenting on an application, on the council’s site ↗ (read 13 October 2026).

We count the comments on the council’s file. We never copy a commenter’s name, address or words, and we don’t list who objected: that is on the file.

Similar applications nearby

Other applications of the same kind (change of use) on Battle Road or in Hollington ward, decided ones first, since our record starts on 21 April 2026. A refusal is marked; its reasons are in the decision notice on the council’s file. Each application is decided on its own facts.

On Battle Road

If you think work doesn’t match what was approved

The council’s planning enforcement team looks into building work or a use that may not have permission, or may not follow the approved plans or conditions. Its page explains how to report it and which cases it deals with first: planning enforcement on the council’s site ↗

Our planning record starts on 21 April 2026, from the council’s weekly lists of new and decided applications. We list the site, the proposal, the dates, the decision, the comment counts and a permission’s conditions. We never copy a commenter’s or an individual applicant’s details; an applicant is named only when it is an organisation we can match exactly to a council, a registered charity or a company on Companies House. Planning is decided by the council, not by us.