Buildings across Sussex put on at-risk list

A closed department store, disused council offices, a church and hotel in Sussex have been added to a list of endangered heritage.

Save Britain's Heritage said it was putting four buildings from West and East Sussex on its at-risk register.

The list, set up in 1989, aims to draw attention to "neglected and threatened historic buildings", the charity added.

"It has grown to record levels this year, with an unprecedented 208 new entries swelling the register to around 1,500 buildings [across the country]," it said.

The Shelleys Hotel in Lewes, dating back to the 16th Century, has been added to the register.

It was originally built as a manor house before being converted into an inn and then a pub.

Poet Percy Shelley's family used to own the property, while it hosted notable guests such as writer Samuel Johnson and King George IV when a hotel.

"Shelley's Hotel has faced significant challenges in recent years," Save Britain's Heritage said.

It closed at the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020 and has remained vacant since, resulting in noticeable deterioration and overgrowth.

Squatters reportedly occupied the building in 2023.

"The building's future remains uncertain," the charity added.

The BBC has been unable to contact the owners of the site for a comment.

The former House of Fraser in Chichester, directly opposite the city's cathedral, has also been placed on the list.

The building, which dates back to 1904, has been vacant since the department store closed in 2019.

A planning application was recently submitted to redevelop the site, which includes demolishing later rear additions at the site, converting and building a new residential development of up to six storeys, and creating four commercial units, 87 apartments and two townhouses.

"The building is now at risk primarily due to long-term vacancy and redundancy," Save Britain's Heritage said.

But it added: "Considering its prominent location, this charming building has excellent potential for reuse."

Cordage Planning Consultancy, which submitted the planning application, has been approached for comment.

Worthing's Holy Trinity Church has also been added onto the list, along with the Tannery, 63, 65 and 65A, in Chichester.

The church, which closed in 2014, is currently on the market with a guide price of £695,000.

"The building and grounds have reportedly attracted antisocial behaviour and vandalism, culminating in a fire that further heightened local concern," according to Save Britain's Heritage.

It is in a "seriously dilapidated condition", it added.

Chichester's tannery ceased operation in the 1960s, making it the last working tannery in Sussex and ending a legacy of industry that stretched back hundreds of years, the charity added.

West Sussex County Council later bought the site and demolished six former tannery buildings to make space for a car park, and converted the remainder into offices, which are now unused.

"Today the site is empty, overgrown and declining," Save Britain's Heritage said.

West Sussex County Council told the BBC leather tanning at the site had "left a legacy of extensive below-ground structures that require specialised remediation."

"The council is presently collaborating with leading UK heritage experts, internationally renowned ground investigation engineers, and award-winning architects to ensure a safe, high-quality, and historically sensitive outcome is achieved through the usual planning and public consultation stages," it continued.

The Diocese of Chichester, which owns the Trinity Church in Worthing, has been contacted by the BBC.

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