Ambitious plans for a student housing village on the Bennett’s field car park by the Amex Stadium have been revealed.
The car park is owned by Matthew Bennett, who signed a “long-term” lease with the club in 2015.
But it seems this is now coming to an end, with plans for blocks containing 555 student bedrooms submitted to Lewes District Council this month.
The application, submitted by Downing Students (Brighton) LPI, owned by Matthew Bennet and Richard Bennett, are for two six-storey wings and a central two-storey link, with secure cycle parking, amenity spaces and a new road and footpath from The Drove.
The development would have two disabled car parking spaces and 308 cycle parking spaces.
It would employ eight people full time.
The application says the site ceased use as a car park in June 2021.
A covering letter says: “The site is previously-developed land. While it falls with the open countryside designation … it is clear it is no longer functionally part of wider countryside given the cumulative urbanising changes in the landscape, particularly in the recent past.
“Indeed, the adjoining site allocation involved the loss of open countryside beyond that which had previously been lost to the Amex Community Stadium.
“As noted in pre-application discussions, Lewes District Council indicated inter alia that an exception to [the open countryside designation] on the basis of the need for purpose built student accommodation in this location, a lack of alternative sites and a demonstration of socio-economic benefits.”
It adds: “Noting that higher education institutions present a particular challenge for local housing markets in the UK, the submitted economic impact assessment estimates the proliferation of student HMOs in Brighton and Hove costs as much as £100 million over 10 years in lost council tax revenues.
“Overall, the direct operation of the development and spend by residents will support 74 full time employees and generation of approximately £5.7million gross value added in the local economy.
“This would also support the universities which play a very important part in the local economy.
“There would be wider benefits in the local housing market, in reducing demand for student-only properties in residential neighbourhoods and potential council tax revenues of £322,000 per annum.
“There are no planning reasons requiring the retention of the site for parking associated with the Amex Community Stadium.
“The stadium is not reliant on this capacity and recognised from the outset that the site’s use would be temporary.
“The current lease to the stadium was terminated on 30 June 2021.”
The application also includes a student needs assessment, which says: “Brighton has a combined total student population of 33,380, with a demand pool for accommodation of 25,585 students.
“The Cushman & Wakefield Student Accommodation Tracker records a total of 10,088 purpose-built student accommodation bed spaces available in Brighton in 2021/22.
“Brighton has held its status as a ‘Grade A’ investment market for a long time, thanks to a lack of land availability, barriers to entry (specifically regarding planning) and the historic poor quality of university stock at both the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton
“There are currently a total of 912 beds in the Brighton development pipeline, all of which have secured planning permission.”
Downing Students (Brighton) LPI bought the site in August 2021.
Isn’t this the corner of the stadium plot that caused all the fuss with Lewes District council when they tried to stop the stadium? And now they want to put some ugly tower blocks in?
Funny short memories people have
Wow that’s opertunistic to new levels.
What benift to the city is it to have people live outside of the city and study outside of the city – none.
If Lewes council let that go through it makes a total mockery of the fuss they made about the stadium going up in the first place.
Equally there is more than enough space for developers in the Lewes road area that is still badly in need of redevelopment, it’s getting there but very slowly.
Lol while I’m thinking about it, why not make this part of a park and ride. Something the city actually needs
Great like we need more non tax paying student accommodation in brighton!!! Affordable acommodation for people that can’t get a mortgage and work pay their bills and council tax its a total joke. Keep up the good work brighton and hove council!!
This land is in Lewes District Council so any tax wouldn’t benefit Brighton anyway. If you read the application, they state “There would be wider benefits in the local housing market, in reducing demand for student-only properties in residential neighbourhoods and potential council tax revenues of £322,000 per annum”. I guess they mean that the HMOs freed up in Brighton could be occupied by council tax-paying residents, which sounds optimistic to say the least.
More students = more votes for the Greens
The average rent for the private purpose built student blocks in the Lewes Rd and London road
is £250. per week, but that is the starting price it rises to £320 for a room with a kitchenette.
A room in an HMO house is about£155 pw.
The old argument by developers is PSB’s increase the supply of rental accommodation for locals
to live in HMO’s houses but I don’t see many HMO’s advertised not solely for students. It is only students on their loans that can ‘afford’ Brighton rents, young working locals on min wage are priced out. The students are being used as a cash cow.
I always thought this land was earmarked for a hotel/cancer treatment clinic,this would seem to me a better use of the land