An eight-storey block of flats has been approved for the site of the former housing office in Selsfield Drive, Moulsecoomb.
The block of 30 flats are being built by Brighton and Hove City Council and are intended to be let for “affordable” rents.
Thirteen letters of objection were sent by the public, with most concerned about the height.
The council’s Planning Committee was told that the block would be eight storeys high when seen from Lewes Road and seven storeys high when seen from Selsfield Drive.
Green councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty said: “This has caused some controversy for our tenants but I firmly believe this is a good scheme.
“I like the design and hope we will have some more of this in the future.”
Each floor has two one-bedroom and two two-bedroom flats, with the one-bed flats facing Lewes Road and the two-bedroom flats looking over Selsfield Drive.
The lower ground floor has two “accessible” two-bedroom flats as well as cycle parking and plant rooms.
Conservative councillor Carol Theobald abstained from voting as she did not like the project.
She told the Planning Committee at Hove Town Hall this afternoon: “I am not keen on the addition of two floors as, at pre-application, members raised concerns about the height of the building when it was five.
“I am not keen on the design and not keen on the colour either.”
Fellow Conservative councillor Joe Miller supported the project saying that he wanted to see more development of the Bates Estate.
However, he was unimpressed with the proposed railings, criticising their appearance, and said that he would prefer opaque balconies.
Referring to the loss of light for a few residents in the neighbouring block, he said: “One concern is the three windows in the building next door.
“But this is is affordable housing which is good to do.”
Why Abstain if you are against it?
I’d imagine it would be called politics…. you can’t be accused of voting against the provision of social housing by your opponents.
But then many politicians are in it for themselves in my opinion
I’m guessing that abstaining can be seen as a form of protest…
Councillors sometimes abstain when they want to object but don’t have a valid reason for doing so.