The Havelock Road site, which is a short walk from the ESC’s Station Plaza campus, will offer a large common room, gym area, two games room, a cinema room, kitchen and dining area, laundry facilities and bike storage.

Havelock Road, CGI design
PICTURE: Cochrane Design

The Cambridge Gardens acco-mmodation will be converted into smaller halls of residence offering 22 rooms, along with a common room, laundry facilities, bike storage, and a management office.

The building work is due to start next month, once the national lockdown
has been lifted. Developers Cochrane Design have begun the tender process to find a local contractor and have also pledged to support construction students studying at the College to offer them on-site work experience.

The aim is to complete and open the Cambridge Gardens halls in September this year, and the Havelock Road accommodation the following September.

David Fowler, Head of Higher Education at East Sussex College, says, “This is a really exciting development for the College, the town, and potential students looking to study in Hastings. We’re now able to offer high-end student accommodation, something that was missing from our university experience for a number of years.” 

Seven years ago the University of Brighton was set to build more than 220 rooms for students as part of its intended campus in the Priory Quarter, but then withdrew.