Exta flats to be added to conversion of Horsham offices

Underpants on balconies and Horsham looking like Manhattan were among the talking points as the district council gave permission for two flats to be added to a development in North Street.
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The application for Sussex House was given the nod by the planning committee north on Tuesday (April 13).

Work to convert the former offices into 20 flats has already started, with prior approval given to add another floor of eight flats to the three-storey building.

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The council received 19 objections to the application as well as objections from Horsham Denne Neighbourhood Council and The Horsham Society.

Sussex House is next to the Capitol in North StreetSussex House is next to the Capitol in North Street
Sussex House is next to the Capitol in North Street

High on the list of concerns was the lack of parking.

Only 21 spaces have been allocated for what will be a total of 30 flats.

The concern was shared by some of the committee.

Brian Donnelly (Con, Pulborough, Coldwaltham & Amberley) said parking in Horsham was like ‘taking the contents of a litre bottle and trying to get it into a pint’.

He added: “It is a disaster. It’s concreting over Horsham town, it’s making life uncomfortable and impossible for the citizens. It’s just not satisfactory.

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“We are not providing adequate parking. We’re creating this big rod for our own backs and every citizen is aware of it and is not happy about it.”

Toni Bradnum (Con, Nuthurst & Lower Beeding) agreed but pointed out: “It’s an old building and the parking just isn’t there. We’re not going to produce it out of fresh are so I’m really not sure what can be done.”

One issue which did concern her, though, was the additional floor, which was allowed under the new prior approval rules put in place by the government.

Predicting that the new rules would lead to a lot more developers adding extra floors to buildings, she said: “We want to be very careful that we don’t end up with Horsham looking like the Manhattan skyline.”

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Things could be worse, though, as developers are allowed to add two new floors rather than just one.

Four applications asking to do just that have been refused by the council and are currently going to appeal.

While no guarantees could be given by officers, it was hoped that allowing this latest application would see those appeals dropped.

The application also asked for balconies to be added to the front, side, and rear of the building.

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This prompted concerns about the untidy impression the new flats would give if people used the balconies to dry their washing.

There was laughter when Christine Costin (Lib Dem, Trafalgar) mentioned a time she walled past the flats in The Forum when they were first built.

She said: “We looked back and there were underpants everywhere hanging on lines and it was absolutely awful. It was horrifying.”

Despite these concerns, it was largely accepted that new homes were needed.

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Frances Haigh (Lib Dem, Denne) said: “We’ve had a lot of office spaces in the town converted into flats over the recent years.

“They provide homes for young people and this is very much what residents across the district are asking us to do.

“It’s given our town new vitality and energy and it’s really to be welcomed.

“We can’t preserve the town in aspic, it’s not going to happen like that. The town moves forward.”

She added: “It saves us building on a few more fields.”

The application, including a new condition restricting how wide the top-floor balcony windows will open, was approved by 19 votes to one with two abstentions.

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