Change of use of C3 dwellinghouse to C4 House of multiple occupation (retrospective)
The application describes a change from Class C3 (homes) to Class C4 (a small house in multiple occupation). That is how the application describes it, not a finding of the lawful use.
The decision notice on the council’s file sets out any conditions attached to a permission, or the reasons for a refusal. Read it on the file, under Documents.
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 street index lists these properties on Caves Road under Article 4 directions, which take away some building work that wouldn’t otherwise need planning permission:
Article 4 Direction Cliff Stability Area 1 ↗: 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 ,31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, Caves Mews, Royal Mews names number 47, as this application does
The council’s Article 4 directions for cliff stability (confirmed 1 July 2025) take away some householder permitted development rights near here: the map of Cliff Stability Area 1 is titled Caves Road. The addresses they cover are listed only in the directions themselves. Cliff Stability Area 1: the direction (PDF) ↗, its map (PDF) ↗; Cliff Stability Area 2: the direction (PDF) ↗, its map (PDF) ↗.
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 ↗
Flood zones, the coast and protected nature on this street
We place an application by the street in its address, so these say where Caves 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 Caves Road is in Flood Zone 3 (the sea). 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 3 have a high probability of flooding.
This means, in any year, land has:
a 1% (1 in 100) or more chance of flooding from rivers
a 0.5% (1 in 200) or more chance of flooding from the sea.
Flood zone 3 developments need a flood risk assessment as part of their planning application.
The Environment Agency’s erosion map covers this frontage: 2 stretches of policy unit 4C24 Hastings (inc. the Harbour) ↗ in the Shoreline Management Plan, whose policy is Hold the line (Maintain/replace) in all three periods, 2005 to 2105: “Where protection is currently provided by coastal defence structures or managed beaches, and the intention is to retain a defence along approximately the current alignment. This will involve replacing defences when needed. Defence type, method and standard of protection may be modified over time.”
With Shoreline Management Plans delivered: 0 m by 2055, 0 m by 2105.
No Future Intervention: 29 to 40 m by 2055, 54 to 77 m by 2105.
Part of Caves Road’s line is inside the map’s No Future Intervention zone to 2105, and none of it inside the zone to 2105 with the plan delivered.
The figures are the width of the map’s erosion zone, inland from today’s shoreline, on the Higher Central allowance. In the Agency’s words: “Two periods: Medium Term (up to 2055) and Long Term (up to 2105).” “Two management scenarios: With Shoreline Management Plans delivered and No Future Intervention.” “Three climate scenarios: Present Day climate (2020), Higher Central allowance and Upper End allowance. The two allowances use sea level rise data from UKCP18 RCP8.5 70th and 95th percentiles respectively.” “All distances are cumulative over time and given in metres.”
The data and associated information are intended for guidance only - it cannot provide details for individual properties.
The data shows areas of land likely to be at erosion risk but does not show the precise future position of the shoreline.
Erosion may happen faster or slower than what we show, and risk may change over time.
No Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Area of Conservation, Local Nature Reserve, ancient woodland or country park is within about 100 m of Caves Road’s line, and it is outside the High Weald National Landscape. Protected nature in Hastings
West St Leonards Neighbourhood Forum, asked Tue 7 Jul 2026
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.
WASTE AND STREET SCENE SERVICES OFFICER, Wed 29 Jul 2026
HMO LICENSING, Thu 30 Jul 2026
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 Caves Road or in Central St Leonards 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.
Change of use of lower ground floor from hot food takeaway/ancillary storage to a mixed use of takeaway storage and self contained flat (C3).
HS/FA/26/00193, validated Tue 19 May 2026
Registered
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.