Plans for former restaurant building

(Building work has since been completed)

Plans have been drawn up to give the former Thai Garden Restaurant building in Uckfield a new lease of life.
Developers Clearwater have applied for permission to extend the present building at the landmark site to accommodate office space and five flats.
The site, at the junction of London Road and the road to Coopers Green, has been unoccupied for about three years. Clearwater bought the property in January and has been considering a variety of development options since then.
Company director, Steven Neilly said: ‘Neighbours had been concerned about the sale to developers but have welcomed proposals to retain and extend the distinctive property which will still have spacious views across the front of the site towards the Ringles Cross Antiques Barn.'

The side and rear extensions, proposed to be built in the same style as the existing building, would follow a stepped formation allowing the original building to be the dominant structure.
Mr Neilly said the existing vehicular access to the site from London Road would be closed while access from the site to the Coopers Green road would be improved. Eleven parking spaces would be retained for the development.
All the hedges and trees would be protected during construction work and a new mature beech hedge would replace the existing low level brick wall extending across the closed London Road access.
One of the flats would be offered to a Housing Association in accordance with Wealden District Council’s affordable housing policies.
Clearwater, whose offices are in Bell Farm Lane, Uckfield, now employ 18 staff and carry out many prominent development and construction projects in the town and surrounding villages.

(Added to site Tuesday, July 10. Story and illustration appeared in The Argus p9 the same day. The Leader used a story on p4 on Thursday, July 12; the Sussex Express (bottom left) used story and illustration on p3, Friday, July 13 and the story and illustration were used as the lead on p15 of the Courier (top left) on the same day)