• About
    • Ethics policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Ownership, funding and corrections
    • Complaints procedure
    • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Newsletter
Brighton and Hove News
22 February, 2026
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Community
  • Arts and Culture
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Food and Drink
  • Sport
    • Brighton and Hove Albion
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Opinion
    • Community
  • Arts and Culture
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Food and Drink
  • Sport
    • Brighton and Hove Albion
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
Brighton and Hove News
No Result
View All Result
Home Brighton

Councillor takes aim at MP over Patcham planning battle

Green MP defends her record in raising constituents' concerns

by Sarah Booker-Lewis - local democracy reporter
Monday 3 Jul, 2023 at 12:49PM
A A
9
Residents plan second public meeting in fight against Royal Mail’s Patcham plans

Residents held a protest at Patcham Court Farm in August 2022 to oppose plans by Royal Mail to build a depot there

A Conservative councillor has accused the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion of not giving equal support to the different communities in her constituency.

Councillor Anne Meadows, who represents Patcham and Hollingbury, spoke out after Caroline Lucas gave her support to residents fighting plans to redevelop a derelict site in Beaconsfield Road.

In contrast, Councillor Meadows said that the MP was not publicly supporting neighbours fighting Royal Mail’s plans to build a new sorting office on council-owned farmland in Patcham in the same way.

But Ms Lucas said: “I have been taking action since November 2021 on behalf of constituents with concerns about Royal Mail plans to develop the Patcham Court Farm site to support them.”

In a letter to the MP, Councillor Meadows said: “I couldn’t help comparing that (support for Beaconsfield Road residents) to the lack of public support you have given to residents in Patcham and Hollingbury who are opposed to the 24-hour development proposed on virgin, green land off Vale Avenue.

“The Royal Mail development will destroy the wildlife in the area besides polluting the area’s water supply.

“It will concrete over that green land, possibly causing further flooding on the Old London Road.

“It will also be a noisy operation with 24 hours of vehicle movements and is next door to a conservation area. This will affect hundreds of residents who live in this area.

“Would you be able to explain your reason for not publicly supporting the residents of Patcham and Hollingbury please?”

Councillor Meadows contrasted the public support for people campaigning against converting the Beaconsfield Road site into a car hire business because it was “brownfield” while Vale Avenue ws “greenfield” farmland.

The number of objections to Enterprise Car Hire’s plans for Beaconsfield Road has reached 159 while 859 objections have been lodged in response to the Royal Mail scheme.

Talks about the sale of the 3.6-acre Patcham Court Farm to Royal Mail by Brighton and Hove City Council were put on hold in July last year.

A deal could free two current Royal Mail sites for housing – in North Road, Brighton, and Denmark Villas, in Hove.

The planning application is still open on the council website, with Southern Water having submitted new reports in April.

Ms Lucas said that the council was responsible for planning applications and decisions but the three MPs representing Brighton and Hove could and did comment on planning applications at times.

After Councillor Meadows’s complaint about the lack of obvious support for the Patcham Against Royal Mail campaign, Ms Lucas emailed residents with a promise to keep them updated with her actions against the plans.

A current site plan of Patcham Court Farm

In response to Councillor Meadows’s comments, Ms Lucas said: “While individual planning applications are the responsibility of Brighton and Hove City Council, I have been taking action since November 2021 on behalf of constituents with concerns about Royal Mail plans to develop the Patcham Court Farm site to support them.

Councillor Anne Meadows

“Royal Mail has so far failed to adequately answer the residents’ questions I have put to them and it’s vital that clear and accurate information is in the public domain so it can be properly scrutinised by the local community.

“Unless Royal Mail addresses the many valid questions and concerns residents are raising in the assessments they assure me they are working on, I will be submitting a formal objection.

“I’ve also contacted Southern Water on behalf of constituents who are concerned about aspects of the plans relating to the impact on water supply and Brighton and Hove City Council about lease arrangements at the site.”

Caroline Lucas – Picture by Gareth Fuller / PA

No date has been set for the planning application and any property deal to go before councillors.

Support quality, independent, local journalism that matters. Donate here.
ShareTweetShareSendSendShare

Comments 9

  1. Clive says:
    3 years ago

    Anne Meadows is a fine one to offer lectures on consistency. She used to be a Labour councillor until she was deselected, at which point she suddenly discovered that she’d always been a Tory!

    Reply
  2. Benjamin says:
    3 years ago

    Councillor Anne Meadows, during the latest Housing meeting on the 21st of June, took a shot at homeless people with a statement that then required the good councillor to be reminded of the language used should remain respectful. In this – I find her very hypocritical.

    Reply
    • John Taylor says:
      3 years ago

      The so called homeless put them on a train and send them back to where they came. Perhaps millionaire Lucas can accommodate them with her many houses here and abroad.

      Reply
      • Benjamin says:
        3 years ago

        And that would be illegal, John.

        Reply
  3. Tom says:
    3 years ago

    Local planning issues (aka NIMBYs moaning) are matters for the council, not our member of parliament.

    Reply
  4. Car Delenda Est says:
    3 years ago

    Councillor attacks MP for not doing councillor’s job

    Reply
  5. Sue Jones says:
    3 years ago

    Councillor attacks MP for not publicly supporting her resident’s. Two things came out of the article , one: Caroline Lucas won’t support residents in Patcham and two; She reveals she knows about the secret deals the council are doing with the Royal Mail.

    Reply
    • Oswald says:
      3 years ago

      Conspiracy time. Does bill gates have anything to do with this one?

      Reply
  6. Dave says:
    3 years ago

    Let’s face it, both schemes should be approved. Bunch of NIMBY nonsense. Why do we have 3 royal mail depots which means 3 times as many HGVs when 1 dedicated site next to the motorway would be a lot more environmentally friendly?
    Answer: Because 2 neighbours of some scrubland may see a few extra cars…

    Why can’t enterprise get a proper yard and are forced into using multiple sites that causes traffic issues, because 5 people run a lame clicky bar in a disused shop underneath a busy railway on what use to be a very busy builders merchants. Mind blowing tbh that anyone takes these people seriously.

    Both arguments against the developments are genuinely equally pathetic. So to be fair, it’s a good point to ask why Lucas isn’t all over both of them equally.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Dave Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Most read

Council plans to house more homeless families in council flats

Toilet tax plan to hit those in greatest need, say critics

Parents angry over failings that led to school closure plan

Council plans to close day centre for people with learning disabilities

School building to become temporary charity hub

Councillor takes aim at MP over Patcham planning battle

Ex-PM sends claims about former prince to Sussex Police

Hospital marks milestone in £62m A&E modernisation

Brighton PC barred from policing for dishonesty

Trial set for Brighton man charged with trying to rape child

Newsletter

Arts and Culture

  • All
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Food and Drink
Aussie pub-punkers Mini Skirt announce Brighton gig

Aussie pub-punkers Mini Skirt announce Brighton gig

20 February 2026
It’s time to get all Bleary Eyed

It’s time to get all Bleary Eyed

20 February 2026
Brighton Festival at 60

Brighton Festival at 60

19 February 2026
Caroline offer ‘Total Euphoria’ at Chalk

Caroline offer ‘Total Euphoria’ at Chalk

19 February 2026
Load More

Sport

  • All
  • Brighton and Hove Albion
  • Cricket
Brighton and Hove Albion mark Milner’s record with win at Brentford

Brighton and Hove Albion mark Milner’s record with win at Brentford

by George Sessions - PA
21 February 2026
0

Brentford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 2 Brighton and Hove Albion marked James Milner’s record-breaking 654th Premier League appearance with...

Brighton and Hove Albion to start with four changes at Brentford

Brighton and Hove Albion to start with four changes at Brentford

by Frank le Duc
21 February 2026
0

Brighton and Hove Albion are to start with four changes at Brentford to the side that lost to Liverpool in...

Hürzeler says Brighton and Hove Albion may need to ‘win ugly’

Brighton and Hove Albion boss urges everyone to stay positive

by PA sport staff
21 February 2026
0

Brighton and Hove Albion boss Fabian Hürzeler has urged everyone involved with the club to stay positive despite the side’s...

Manager of Brighton and Hove Albion’s women team dismissed after allegations

Brighton and Hove Albion dumped out of FA Cup by Liverpool

by PA sport staff
14 February 2026
5

Liverpool 3 Brighton and Hove Albion 0 Curtis Jones’s first goal in over a year paved the way for Liverpool...

Load More
July 2023
M T W T F S S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31  
« Jun   Aug »

RSS From Sussex News

  • Driver arrested after man dies in crash late last night 21 February 2026
  • Ex-PM sends memo about former prince to Sussex Police 20 February 2026
  • Teenage BMW driver banned – again 19 February 2026
  • Gross misconduct found after police officer deceived vetting 19 February 2026
  • Fatal crash witnesses sought by police 18 February 2026
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy
  • Complaints
  • Ownership, funding and corrections
  • Ethics
  • T&C

© 2023 Brighton and Hove News

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Opinion
  • Arts and Culture
    • Music
    • Theatre
  • Sport
    • Cricket
  • Newsletter
  • Public notices
  • Advertise
  • About
  • Contact

© 2023 Brighton and Hove News