A striking design to transform one of Sussex's ugliest shopping centres into a 21st Century mall has been approved.

Borough councillors in Eastbourne passed plans to create an extra 40,000sqft of leisure and retail space at the Langney Shopping Centre.

The revamp will be the first major expansion of the 150,000sqft centre since it was built on fields and farmland in 1973.

The centre currently houses retailers including Tesco, Boots, Iceland, Peacocks and Lidl.

Thanks to a 14-metre high, two-storey extension over the service yard, its capacity will increase by about 25 per cent.

A blueprint sent to the Tory-run council outlined plans for retail outlets at lower level, suitable for a major national chain.

There will be leisure facilities on the upper floor and a pavilion-style building at the eastern entrance.

Tony Quayle, managing director of developer Edinburgh House Estates, said: "Eastbourne remains a hugely popular tourist destination and the expansion of the Langney Shopping Centre will enhance the town's retail and leisure."

The expansion will come as a relief to the centre's critics after it was one of several shopping precincts in Sussex publicly branded ugly in April.

However, not everyone likes the new design.

Some residents have told council officials the "monstrous" proposal would blight their properties.

They are concerned about loss of privacy, extra traffic and the building's height.

They also said the development was ill conceived.

However, former Eastbourne mayor and Tory councillor David Stevens, who sits on the planning and licensing committee, hailed the development as visionary.

He said: "Not only does it look good but it also provides a certain ambience to the area as a whole and I think it should be welcomed.

"It's a splendid design and it's wonderful to know there are people out there willing to properly invest in Eastbourne.

"We are getting a lot of investment locally at the moment which just goes to show that there are people seeing what an exciting place Eastbourne really is."

Friday September 10, 2004