Carter Jonas’ development team were initially asked to investigate the potential for marketing a joint venture between Hastings Borough Council (as landowners) and a developer, through the OJEU process. At interview, our development professionals expressed reservations about this being the best way forward due to the cost of the OJEU process, the uncertainty of site constraints, and the weak local market.

Following this, our masterplanning team were appointed to prepare the masterplan for the site, which has lain empty for over 30 years. Our approach was to work with the constraints rather than against them, to minimise abnormal costs through clever design.

Two residential schemes for up to 224 dwellings were developed based on four key design elements: 

• A central square over the undevelopable wastewater reservoir and adjacent services
• A retained seafront walkway/cycleway enclosed by potential artists’ colony and display space
• Informal timber townhouses in the west

A more formal residential development in the east.