A former hotel and restaurant are to be converted into flats.

Arun District Council approved plans to turn Rustington Manor Hotel and Restaurants in Broadmark Lane, Rustington, into four new homes.

The hotel has been closed since 2017 after the owners retired.

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According to the proposals by developer Leach Investments Ltd, it has been marketed three times with no success.

Since approval of the plans on May 7, work is now set to begin on the four new apartments.

Two of these will be three-bed homes and two will have two bedrooms.

They will be spread across the ground floor and the first floor.

The current two apartments at the site, which existed alongside the hotel, will be unaffected by these changes.

Lewis and Co Planning, on behalf of the developers, said that the existing rear section of the former hotel, which houses a laundry room and conservatory, will be removed and replaced with a single-storey structure that will provide a living room for one of the flats.

The plans also state that each of the new homes will have private outdoor space, along with a shared garden.

There will be eight parking spaces, two garages, EV charging and cycle storage facilities at the site.

Lewis and Co Planning said: "The scheme will make an efficient use of this site by bringing the existing building back into an appropriate use, delivering much needed new, includes two presently vacant apartments and seven empty guest rooms, along with a restaurant and bar."

Before the plans were approved, a number of residents said they were in favour of the plans.

One person said: "It is about time planning is approved on a property which has become an eyesore."

Another resident in the area said: "The hotel backs onto our garden and from our point of view this will be the best solution as the building is in a state of disrepair."

Someone who lives near to the former hotel also said the plans seem "acceptable".

They said: "The plans look very acceptable and good to see the height would remain the same as it is. It would be nice to see the building in use again before it gets dilapidated."