Unanimous approval for the redevelopment of Grade I listed De La Warr Pavilion 09.10.25

Rother District Council has unanimously granted planning permission and listed building consent for the De La Warr Pavilion Masterplan, launching this major capital project to transform heritage for community, creativity & skills that will both preserve its iconic heritage and transform it for future generations. This milestone follows months of consultation and detailed planning, with the project designed to protect the Pavilion’s Grade I listed status while also unlocking new opportunities for culture, learning, and community use. The Pavilion, which marks its 90th birthday in December 2025 now looks ahead to its centenary in 2035. The ‘People’s Pavilion’ was founded on radical modernist ideals of creativity, community and social progress and this new capital project will ensure that those founding principles remain at the heart of the building’s future.

The capital project is being delivered in partnership with Rother District Council. Designed in phases the scheme ensures the Pavilion can remain partially open throughout the conservation works. The applications were co-ordinated by planning consultants, Lichfields and propose more than a restoration project: it is about people and communities, memory and creativity, welcome and belonging. It is about expanding access, education, and opportunity in an area where they are limited, while safeguarding the Pavilion’s cultural, social, and architectural heritage for future generations.

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