Community groups opposing a major new development on a former gasworks site say revised plans fail to address their worries about toxins in the ground.
The Gasworks Coalition believe proposals to build 565 homes on the Brighton Gasworks site will release toxic dust and gases into the air.
Berkeley Homes’ original plans, first submitted in autumn 2021, were revised in November to increase the number of homes, designate 40 per cent of them as affordable, and reduce the height of some of the blocks.
But the coalition, which includes the original group set up to oppose the plans, AGHAST, and 15 other Brighton community groups, says they are still worried about the health implications.
In a statement, the coalition said: “Local residents still remain deeply concerned by the highly polluting effect of developing the site with deep foundations which will stir up and spread the highly toxic dust and air-born gas contaminants currently buried in the site over a wide area.
“During the more than six years of construction envisaged on the site, the pollution would stretch at least half a kilometre beyond the outer boundary of the site, where many schools and open playgrounds put many vulnerable pupils at risk of illness and developmental problems, along with patients in the hospital.
“The council has received well over 600 objections relating to the fact that this is a massive overdevelopment of the site.
“Of the 565 new dwellings, 94 percent will be in tall buildings, despite the fact the recent Brighton City Plan stipulates the site is not in a tall building zone and is suitable for a development of some 85 dwellings.”
It also says the towers will create wind tunnels and shadows on neighbouring streets.
Concerns over traffic gridlock in the area, stress on local amenities such as doctors’ surgeries, and a potential toxic threat to freshwater in the aquifer beneath the site are also mentioned in the statement.
Stephen White, who stood as an independent candidate in the Rottingdean Coastal by-election in May last year, is one of the founding members of AGHAST (Action on Gasworks Housing Affordability Safety and Transparency).
Mr White said: “While the majority are concerned about the threat posed by the sheer height, massing, density, architectural quality and scale of overdevelopment which this planning application represents, many of those who live closest to the site are even more anxious about the threat posed to local people’s health and wellbeing by the potential disturbance of pollutants long buried beneath the site.
“The developer’s documentation frequently refers to “safe levels of exposure” yet we know that the World Health Organisation has stated that there is no such thing as “safe” levels of exposure to some of the air-borne contaminants to which we are likely to be exposed.”
Since the revised plans for the housing site were published on Tuesday, 22 November, 48 more public comments have been made on the council’s planning portal about the development.
A number of authorities have been consulted, including Sussex Police and the South Downs National Park.
One anonymised objector wrote: “I am concerned the construction of the development will disrupt hazardous waste on the site which could cause contamination of the water bed.
“The council should ensure that if the application is approved the applicant is under planning conditions to implement rigorous mitigation measures to ensure any contamination is remediated to the highest standards.”
The Kemp Town Society (KTS) said it welcomes development of the site but objects to these plans which would have a “very serious and detrimental impact on current infrastructure, the quality of life of residents and visitors, and public health and safety.”
The Berkley Group declined to comment.
The planning application for the Gasworks site can be found on the council’s planning portal under the reference: BH2021/04167
Thank you, Felice. At long last, some independent reporting on this website. ‘The Berkeley Group declined to comment’ is hugely telling and confirms suspicions that they can’t provide any answers about toxicity issues.
Never before have so few tried to wreck the progress and life chances of so many. The population has doubled since the 60’s, and yet that generation failed to provide enough housing for their offspring.
Now here they are again, actively going out of their way to do it once again.
Nasty spiteful selfish locals.
You’re not even considering serious environmental hazards, overdevelopment of the site to flog majority unaffordable flats or the dire effects on already strained local infrastructure. Get your head out of your genZ backside and smell the NOx
You are so totally wrong. What these current greedy developers are trying to do is build a very expensive mini-Manhattan for investors, literally in our back yards – and particularly in mine. Personally, I have a maisonette that backs on to the gasworks and, because of mortgage rate issues I’ve had to convert from repayment mortgage to interest only and this runs until I’m 93 years old, by which time I will surely be dead and still owing about £100k.
You have no idea what you’re talking about, and if you think that anyone local could halfway afford a nasty cupboard in this proposed development, then you are totally delusional.