Councillors have approved a £9 million plan to demolish a former care home in Hove and replace it with a four-storey block of flats to provide supported housing.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee voted unanimously in favour of the scheme for 28 accessible flats in Ingram Crescent West.
The vote, at Hove Town Hall today (Wednesday 5 July), is subject to an agreement on biodiversity to include details such as a “green roof”, bee bricks and cavities in which swifts can nest.
The supported living scheme is for people with “acquired brain injuries and physical disabilities with special needs” with “varying levels of care requirements”.
Housing campaigner Daniel Harris said that the site was originally earmarked for refurbishment, with fireproofing and a lift.
He told the Planning Committee that the scheme needed more scrutiny after it was approved by the council’s Policy and Resources Committee in 2021 without debate.
Mr Harris said: “The proposed project’s cost of £9.5 million for just seven additional homes and two extra stories is unjustifiable.
“This represents a poor use of public funds, especially when considering the urgent need to address homelessness in our city.”
Mary Hutchinson, an associate director at PRP Architects, told councillors that neighbours would have contact details for the management team at the supported housing block.
She said: “This building is going to be part of the community. It is important from the outset the community is welcoming this opportunity – and we want to make sure they are well informed about the process.”
Conservative councillor Ivan Lyons asked whether any alternative sites were considered for supported housing. He was told that that was not a planning matter and that the site was considered unique.
Labour councillor Jacob Allen said: “This is a very efficient and productive use of the site – better than the use currently. It’s a great way to increase accessible housing.”
All of the flats would be capable of housing people who relied on a wheelchair and two of them would cater for “bariatric clients” who would be extremely overweight, according to the planning application.
The new building would include communal areas, adjustments to the road outside, more parking spaces and a landscaped garden.
Last August, the council evicted 21 “property guardians” from Knoll House with four hours’ notice.
Knoll House was under the management of Oaksure Property Services at the time but the council said that the company had not sufficiently improved fire safety standards after failed inspections.
I would suggest that a paramedic is given to opportunity to assess the design, especially when considering a bariatric-friendly flat. They could offer practical advice about moving a patient, and the challenges on a practical level that they would likely encounter.