Victorian pump house to become council homes

The landmark pump house in Eastbourne is a Grade II listed building

The site of a Victorian pump house in an East Sussex town is to be developed into 100 council homes.

The go-ahead for the project follows Eastbourne Borough Council receiving a final government grant of £2.2m.

The Grade II listed pump house, close to the town's railway station, has undergone decontamination and will be renovated into "affordable" homes as part of the development.

The authority said the project would be "the most significant council development in the borough for decades.”

The government approved a council funding bid of £7.6m earlier this year, which was subject to the final tranche of £2.2m being approved.

Council leader Stephen Holt said: “At a time when we are dealing with a homelessness crisis and unsustainable temporary costs, this is a real shot in the arm for everyone who cares about creating high-quality affordable homes for our residents to live in."

Peter Diplock, cabinet member for housing, said: “With so few councils in the UK building affordable homes, it fills me with immense pride that Eastbourne is amongst the few that are.

“The old pumping station site has proved a tough nut to crack, not least because brownfield sites are complicated and costly to redevelop.

"The affordable homes this development will deliver means this is the most significant one-off council development in the borough for decades.”

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.