A busy pavement which has been closed to the public for more than two years will finally reopen this week, a developer has promised.
The northern footpath on Oxford Street from Oxford Court to London Road was closed in March 2020 when the former Boots and Co-op building was demolished to make way for the new student housing block, Pavilion Heights.
However, it remained closed even after students moved in last September, more than six months ago.
Meanwhile, Peacocks on the other side of London Road has now cleared its store ahead of another major student housing development due to start this summer.
The building housing Poundland, Peacocks and Iceland is also due to be demolished in the coming months.
A spokesman for the Pavilion Heights developer, Curlew Opportunities blamed the delay on repositioning of a lamp post.
He said: “I understand the delay here is due to our team on site awaiting details of the final lamppost position.
“We have now got these and the works are due to be complete by the end of the week.”
Earlier this month, all the paving which had been laid down – behind barriers – was taken up and new paving put down.
The paving on the completed pavement outside the London Road frontage was also replaced.
The reason remains unclear.
In October, Co Op’s planning application for new signage for the former Boots unit in the Pavilion Heights development was approved by Brighton and Hove City Council.
No signs have yet been installed.
Finally! I walk this way on the way to work daily and the pavement being blocked has been quite annoying.
Why has it taken so long to return this pavement in Oxford Street? Also, why on earth are there more private student flats on the site rather than affordable and social rent homes?
The students have to live somewhere. Every student living in one of these new developments is one student not living in an HMO, freeing those properties up for other people.
We need more social rent homes in Brighton too, but the new student accommodation isn’t the problem.
Seriously…
Lets have a look, development of Army barracks, students.
Gyratory, Students.
Bottom of Moulescoombe way, Students.
Sussex University, Students.
Lewes Road, former Co-Op, for Students.
Falmer Station, for Students.
Also Students are not giving up HMO’s.
Where’s the accommodation for the rest of us…