About the Swanborough Drive project 

The site on Swanborough Drive is a former play area and bee bank in North Whitehawk. It's allocated for housing development in the City Plan Part 2.  

The project has been brought forward to provide some much needed new, affordable council rented homes for local people on the council’s housing register.

The plans include: 

  • provision of 36 new homes - a mix of one, two and three beds including four fully wheelchair accessible flats
  • a community space - designed for use by a range of local community groups and for a variety of activities
  • landscaping to maximise biodiversity on site - including green roofs, a mix of fruit trees and hedgerows
  • parking space including:
    • accessible car parking spaces on site
    • provision for three car club spaces
    • a bike share docking hub
    • secure resident cycle parking
  • improvements to the bus stops and the promotion of sustainable travel - including car share

The planning application for 36 new homes and community space has been updated and improved since February 2025, using feedback from the consultation period. The Planning Committee will make a decision on it at their meeting on Wednesday 4 February 2026.

You can view the details of the application on the Planning portal using the application reference BH2025/00532, or search by address.  

Project history 

The site is listed in the City Plan Part 2 for housing development and expected to deliver around 39 new homes towards the council’s overall new homes target. It’s been brought forward to deliver new, affordable rented homes as part of the Council’s New Homes for Neighbourhoods initiative, delivering new council homes for people on the Housing Register.

At a very early stage the Estate Regeneration team commissioned Planning for Real, an independent organisation, to work with local stakeholders and residents on how the site might be developed. This early consultation helped shape:

  • the mix and type of new homes needed
  • what the wider benefit to the local community might be 

We appointed Mackellar Schwerdt Architects (MSA), along with a multi-disciplinary design team, to develop the design proposals. The proposals considered:

  • community feedback
  • Planning policy, advice and guidance
  • the best use of the site to provide good quality, sustainable and energy-efficient homes 

The design proposals developed over time and a Planning application was submitted in February 2025. 

The Planning application documents have been published and formally consulted on. There have been some changes, in particular in response to comments from Highways and the County Ecologist.

The Planning Committee will make a decision on it at their meeting on Wednesday 4 February 2026.   

Public consultation events 

Previous events 

A full programme of community and stakeholder consultation took place in 2022. This consultation was led and delivered by Planning for Real, an independent national organisation supporting communities to bring about change and shape their neighbourhoods. 

This early consultation helped shape the design proposals, identifying the need for: 

  • a mix of 1, 2 and 3-bedroom homes
  • well-designed, sustainable and affordable homes
  • new homes designed to respect neighbouring properties and the community orchard
  • a community space for use by the wider community
  • consideration of parking, the strong preference to keep and improve the bus stops 

The full consultation report was made available to residents and a summary shared by letter in December 2022.

Further rounds of resident engagement took place in April 2024 and November 2024. Residents were able to view the design proposals as they were developed, and meet and talk to members of the design team and council officers. 

Planning consultation 

The formal Planning consultation was extended as the plans have been under consideration with some changes made. These changes included improvements in particular to:

  • the Transport Statement, to better address concerns about the impact on street parking
  • the plans to protect wildlife through provision of some biodiversity improvements off site 

You can view the full application, and all related documents, on the Planning portal. Use the application reference BH2025/00532 or search by address.  

Time plan 

The Planning application submitted last year is now ready to be decided at the next Planning Committee on 4 February 2026

Whilst it was under consideration Planning has: 

  • considered the application with all of its supporting documents, surveys and background studies
  • consulted with residents and other statutory consultees as part of the formal application process 

If the application is approved, our Estate Regeneration team will go ahead and procure a main contractor to build the new homes.   

The main contractor will have some time to complete the technical aspects of the design work and mobilise, including preparing and securing the site.  

The earliest anticipated start on site is January 2027, with the construction phased completed and handover in October 2028

Image showing area of Swanborough Drive development.