Brighton and Hove City Council Planning Committee voted to approve a new student block near the Vogue Gyratory on the corner of Lewes Road and Gladstone Place yesterday (Wednesday 26 August).
There will be 51 studio flats for students with a 24-hour manned security service, common room, laundry and some cycle storage.
Councillor Maggie Barradell said: “We absolutely need student accommodation in the city. I am not worried about parking as it is a problem across Brighton and Hove.”
Other councillors were very concerned about yet more pressure on parking in a busy neighbourhood.
While acknowledging the demand for student housing, Councillor Michael Inkpin-Leissner said: “The buses are already full.”
Several councillors welcomed bespoke student accommodation which will ease the supply of other family homes and houses of multiple occupation.
Planning committee chair Councillor Julie Cattell said: “Some students have nowhere to live.”
Councillor Leo Littman congratulated McLaren Property for addressing concerns raised during the previous application by reducing the number of units and making other improvements.
The University of Brighton withdrew support for the proposals but the planning officer said that it is only one institution of several.
Councillor David Gibson was concerned about the Lewes Road becoming more densely populated and said: “Density is still a problem and it has an unacceptable impact on amenities.”
Planning committee members voted by seven to five to grant the application for student accommodation.
McLaren, the property developer, has built similar blocks at 112 Lewes Road as well as in Oxford, Cambridge and Bath.
Stuart Black, student housing director at McLaren, welcomed the councillors’ discussion and said: “We feel that Lewes Road is an ideal location to help meet the urgent requirement to provide new student accommodation in the city.
“We’re committed to working with Brighton and Hove members and the local community to ensure that our plans for 119 Lewes Road meet the same high standards of design and help meet the aspirations of residents in the local area.”
Its a great shame that that accommodation is built for 51 people and not a single place as affordable housing. Meanwhile Labour council is trying to reduce the requirement for developers to make part of their new builds affordable. Under Greens it was developments of 6+ units that were required to have 40% affordable, now Labour/Con want to increase that to developments of 11+ units need to have 40% affordable homes.
These student developments are a way round for developers to maximise profit. Next along is the old Bingo hall on Grand Parade that evil greedy Property developer Mike Holland ( still being investigated for neglecting safety at work which caused death of carpenter working at Stamner house which he bought up nd sold off for mega £££’s) http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/11771757.Millionaire_businessman_Mike_Holland_and_his_foreman_arrested_after_Stanmer_Park_workman_s_fatal_fall/?ref=mr
This site mentioned on Lewes Road is just 10-15 metres from a recently finished development for – Students!!
EVidence of the above:
City Plan Part 1 – Further Proposed Modifications Update – 18th August 2015
The consultation period on the Further proposed modifications to the Submission City Plan Part 1 finished on 10 August. An initial assessment indicates the council has received representations from 43 respondents. These are currently being processed and will be collated and sent to the Planning Inspector for her consideration and published on the website by Friday 4 September.
The Council is aware that a recent High Court judgement (Reading Borough Council and West Berkshire District Council v Department for Communities and Local Government 31 July 2015), has led to the deletion of paragraphs 012 to 023 of the Planning Obligations section of the National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG). In light of this, the Inspector has written to the council seeking its views as to whether it wishes to withdraw the further proposed modifications PM122 and PM123 relating to CP20 Affordable Housing . In response, the council has indicated to the Inspector that it wishes these further proposed changes to be withdrawn because the changes proposed were proposed solely to make CP20 Affordable Housing consistent with the national policy position that came into effect on 24 November 2014, but which has now been deleted.
The government has also recently published ‘Fixing the Foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation’ which states that the government does not intend to proceed with the zero carbon Allowable Solutions carbon offsetting scheme, or the proposed 2016 increase in on-site energy efficiency standards. This change in government policy has implications for the further proposed modifications to CP8 Sustainable Buildings and the Inspector has indicated two possible courses of action for the Policy which the council is currently considering.
The council is proposing a number of further changes or ‘Further Proposed Modifications’ to the submitted City Plan Part One in response to the Inspector’s further Matters and Issues published in April 2015 as part of her examination of the Plan. The Inspector has asked the City Council to undertake public consultation on these further proposed changes.
And here is the Nasty bit:
http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/sites/brighton-hove.gov.uk/files/BHCC_41_Further%20Proposed%20Main%20Mods%20with%20OAN%20June%202015%20FINAL.pdf
Scroll down to PM122 on page 17.
CP20 Affordable Housing
“I am not worried about parking as it is a problem across Brighton and Hove.”
Is it me or it sounds like “we don’t give a sh.t about problems in Brighton and Hove”
You can’t find a space on double yellow lines to park here during the day!