A plan to build a housing estate with 700 homes on Brighton and Hove’s last big greenfield site have won broad support, Brighton and Hove City Council said.
Next week councillors are expected to adopt planning guidance that will also prepare the ground for work space and a new secondary school on the site – Toad’s Hole Valley in Hove.
The council said: “People have broadly welcomed the principle of using Brighton and Hove’s largest greenfield development site to provide over 700 homes, employment space and potentially a new secondary school.
“Toad’s Hole Valley, north of Hove, is a 37-hectare former downland site now cut off from the national park by the A27.
“It is earmarked for development in the government-approved City Plan.
“Between February and May this year the council staged a public consultation on draft planning guidance for the site to inform detailed development proposals coming forward and to help deliver a high-quality scheme.
“A new council report outlines the consultation results.
“It says 138 representations were received from individuals, organisations and statutory bodies such as Natural England.
“Most respondents raised few issues with the guidance, says the report.”
Among the features supported were
- Affordable housing
- The protection of wildlife and ecology
- Creating a link to the South Downs National Park
- The potential to improve bus services
People expressed concern about
- The potential for traffic and parking to affect the surrounding area
- The need to get transport arrangements right
- The lack of a whole-site “garden city” approach to design
Councillor Alan Robins, who chairs the council’s Tourism, Development and Culture committee, said: “This is a good response for this kind of consultation.
“It has given us a clear picture of the things people want to happen and also a clear picture of their concerns.
“We’ll need to keep both of these at the forefront of our minds as planning applications come forward.
“The site has potential to make a big contribution to our acute housing needs. But we need to make sure we have good designs which respect the environment and create a thriving new community.”
Officers are recommending that councillors on the committee officially adopt the new supplementary planning document on Toad’s Hole Valley.
It will be discussed at their meeting on Thursday 21 September.
The re-routing of the ghastly Snakey Hill will be a boon. I cannot imagine King George Vl would have enjoyed it now. More alarming than any ride on the Palace Pier.
How are they going to re-route it.If they do it would make things worse,they just need to put in a large roundabout at the bottom.
That would be to easy
What, exactly, is classed as ‘affordable’ housing in the Brighton area?