Stonehouse Drive

From Historical Hastings
Stonehouse Drive
Other Names
Former name(s)Stonehouse Road
Named AfterStonehouse Farm
Construction
Construction start1970
Completion1974

The stub from which this road grew was named Stonehouse Road (forming part of the Black Path) and linked Hollington Lane to Adelaide Road. Mapping dating back as far as 1873 shows little development other than the town's boundary post and some buildings (possibly associated with the nearby smallholdings/allotments) adjacent to the Hollington Stream (by the high rise flats). 1962 mapping shows at least one of the buildings being utilised as a slaughter house, with another property that became notorious for a murder in 1946; The Choice.

Four blocks of high-rise flats were constructed between 1962 and 1965, these being intended to house civil service workers coming into the town to work at Ashdown House. At this time, the road was extended to service the flats with wide turning circles being provided for public transport access (the road still being a cul-de-sac at this time).

Development of the road properly commenced around 1970, with 23 town-houses and garages being constructed by Sturdi-Built Construction; The Choice now becoming the name of a cul-de-sac proposed between today's numbers 116 and 118 (now an anonymous concrete drive leading to the most eastern block of garages). The opposite side of the road was proposed to be known as 'Streamside Walk'[1]. Approved plans for an eleven garage compound between plots 25 and 26 (numbers 164 and 166 respectively) pre-dated this in 1965[2]. By 1970, it would appear that another building company, this being Watkins and Pearson Ltd) had taken over the works with renewed planning applications (albeit for 22 properties) being submitted in that year[3][4]. The road was completed circa 1974 at the Blackman Avenue junction with the construction of twelve detached houses by the Hastings & St Leonards Self Build Housing Association[5], although a block of 8 infill houses were later constructed in the mid-1990s between the stream and the road by Mayfair Construction of Sedlescombe[6].

Images


Features in Stonehouse Drive

Name Street No From To





References & Notes

  1. Hastings Borough Council Planning application ref HS/69/00286
  2. Hastings Borough Council Planning application ref HS/65/00813
  3. Hastings Borough Council Planning application ref HS/70/01214
  4. Hastings Borough Council Planning application ref HS/70/00844
  5. Hastings Borough Council Planning application ref HS/DS/73/00254
  6. Hastings Borough Council Planning application ref HS/FA/94/00282