# 25 Elms Avenue, Eastbourne (guest house to HMO)

- **Decision:** dismissed, 23 September 2026
- **Decided by:** Planning Inspector: L J Evans
- **Authority:** Eastbourne (South East)
- **Appeal reference:** 6010944
- **Application reference:** 250283
- **Procedure:** written-representations
- **Development:** Change of use from C1 guest house to C4 HMO in a designated Tourist Accommodation Area
- **Site context:** inside-settlement
- **Green Belt:** no
- **Framework applied:** August 2026 NPPF
- **Determinative policies:** S4, E2
- **Development plan policies:** Eastbourne Borough Plan TO1, TO2, HO14, HO20, Eastbourne Core Strategy 2013 B2, D3, Tourist Accommodation Retention SPD, HMO SPD
- **Main issues:** tourist accommodation, HMO concentration, refuse and cycle storage
- **Tags:** hmo, tourism, old-wording-slip, parties-consulted-on-2026-framework, tier-2

## Summary
Change of a guest house in Eastbourne's Tourist Accommodation Area to an HMO was dismissed. It would lose tourist accommodation and add to an HMO concentration well above the 10% threshold (DL ¶15-16).

## What made the difference
Specific local protection of the tourist area and a quantified HMO concentration. The balance is expressed as "substantially and demonstrably outweigh", which blends the 2024 and 2026 tests (DL ¶24).

## Policy findings
- **E2: harm.** loss of tourist accommodation harms Eastbourne's tourism economy; HO14 bars HMOs in the Tourist Accommodation Area (DL 10, 16)
- **P3: harm.** HMO concentration within 100 m about 23.9% against a 10% SPD threshold, harming residential amenity (DL 15-16)
- **S4: fail.** adverse impacts "would substantially and demonstrably outweigh the benefits" - a hybrid of the 2024 and 2026 wording (DL 24)

## Key facts
- Parties consulted on the 17 Aug 2026 Framework (DL 2)
- Refuse and cycle storage acceptable subject to condition (DL 19)

## Sources
- https://appeal-planning-decision.service.gov.uk/comment-planning-appeal/appeals/6010944
- https://appeal-planning-decision.service.gov.uk/published-document/f6f170de-df48-43ff-b1bb-70f94c2a91ef

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Source: https://planningdistilled.org/research/england/nppf-navigator/decisions/PINS-6010944.html

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