An unused HSBC banking facility on Lewes High Street, originally created by one of Britain’s most celebrated architects, could become a residential property.
Matsim Properties Ltd has filed a proposal to transform the vacant premises at 63 High Street into a three-bedroom dwelling.
The proposal outlines a three-floor residence, with a bedroom featuring an attached bathroom, along with storage areas for bicycles and waste bins situated on the lower ground floor.
The building, formerly occupied by HSBC (Image: Google Maps)
The development intends to preserve the structure’s period elements, and it is thought to have been designed by the distinguished architect Sir Edwin Lutyens.
Born in 1869, Lutyens was responsible for numerous English country houses, war memorials and public structures, and contributed significantly to the development of New Delhi in India.
Biographer Christopher Hussey characterized him as “widely held to be our greatest architect since Wren if not, as many maintained, his superior” during his lifetime, while architectural historian Gavin Stamp referred to him as “surely the greatest British architect of the twentieth (or of any other) century”.
Architectural elements such as the fibrous plaster ceiling, wood paneling, marble and parquet flooring would remain intact.
HSBC ceased operations in June 2023 and the property was offered for commercial rental, though it attracted minimal interest.
The bank reported that customer footfall had declined by 65 percent over a five-year period and that 97.5 percent of transactions occurred through digital channels.
The planning document states: “The property’s limited frontage, poor accessibility, and unsuitability for modern retail or wholly office use render it commercially unviable.”
A marketing assessment indicated that businesses were discouraged by the layout, pointing to inadequate street visibility, absence of commercial waste facilities and difficulties complying with contemporary fire regulations.
Given that the building possesses only a single entrance, the assessment concludes that a single residential unit represents the sole practical option for maintaining the former banking hall’s characteristics.
The property is located within the Lewes Conservation Area.
The proposal requires authorization from the South Downs National Park Authority, and the developer maintains that it would safeguard the building’s historic character while introducing additional residential options to the town center.
According to Matsim Properties Ltd, the conversion would provide the vacant structure with a sustainable long-term purpose.