Green MP Caroline Lucas has submitted a formal objection to the Royal Mail’s plans for a delivery office at Patcham Court Farm, in Brighton.
Ms Lucas, who represents Brighton Pavilion, said: “I am deeply concerned about the disproportionate impact that this proposed development would have on residents in the north of my constituency.”
She said that she had sent Brighton and Hove City Council her objection to the Royal Mail’s planning application on a number of grounds.
These include the poor public transport serving the site, the increased risk of flooding and deteriorating water quality and the implications for air quality.
The MP also cited a lack of clarity about the Royal Mail’s commitment to a customer service point in the centre of Brighton and the neglect of its universal service obligation to deliver letters.
If the council approves the plans, it is expected that the Royal Mail would close its current delivery centres in North Road, Brighton, and Denmark Villas, Hove.
The council has discussed the possibility of these sites being used for hundreds of new homes.
The Royal Mail submitted its planning application to the council in July last year.
Ms Lucas said that she had been raising serious concerns and questions about the plans before then – since November 2021 – and was “not confident about the robustness of (Royal Mail’s) assessments”.
She criticised the postal service for “inconsistencies” in the information provided and for a “lack of engagement with the local community”.
She said: “I have submitted a formal objection to Royal Mail’s plans to develop the Patcham Court Farm site because I am deeply concerned about the disproportionate impact that this proposed development would have on residents in the north of my constituency.
“I’ve been minded to object to this application for some time but have continually sought further information from Royal Mail, sharing my concerns with residents throughout that time.
“Yet clear and accurate responses have not been forthcoming, and enormous questions – ranging from transport plans, to flood risks, to postal service delivery – remain unanswered.
“I cannot in good faith support this proposal and stand fully behind Patcham residents in objecting to its development.”
In her submission to the council, the MP raised several specific concerns.
- The transport plan – Ms Lucas said that the Royal Mail’s proposed delivery office “will create a significant number of vehicles travelling to the area, both delivery vehicles and staff journeys”. Public transport infrastructure currently serving the area was insufficient to provide staff, in particular, those living outside the city centre, with a “genuine alternative to car travel on a daily basis to get to work at this site”.
- Water quality and flood risk concerns – Patcham has been prone to flooding in the past, she said, and councillors should be confident that planning permission would not increase flood risk or lead to deteriorating water quality. Reports and assessments suggesting the possibility of increased risks to the city’s water supply “must be addressed before any consideration of granting planning consent”.
- Commitment to a customer service point (CSP) in central Brighton – Without more information on Royal Mail’s intentions for a future CSP in central Brighton, she said, it was “difficult to anticipate how many residents will travel to the Patcham site to pick up missed deliveries”.
- Air quality – Royal Mail’s reference to its EV (electric vehicle) plan as an “aspiration” fails to clarify whether a fully electric fleet would be in place for the first year of occupation at the planned site, Ms Lucas said. Without this clarity, “the supporting evidence submitted in relation to transport implications and also air quality are incomplete.”
- Royal Mail’s “modernisation” plans – Royal Mail’s focus on the parcel delivery aspect of its business model meant that it was “neglecting its universal service obligation to deliver letters”, Ms Lucas said. There were concerns that the direction of travel towards parcel delivery would result in “much of the public service element of Royal Mail’s delivery obligations being lost”. With ambiguity about Royal Mail service failures, the economic impact of the development needed close scrutiny when such serious questions were being raised about the company’s business model nationally.
The council remains responsible for deciding planning applications and elected councillors on the council’s Planning Committee would make its decision on the planning application. This is not expected before the autumn.
I thought “heir apparent” Sian Berry had taken over as she joined the protest and Caroline did not?
But interesting that the decision is actually the responsibility of the majority-Labour council so it doesn’t really matter what she thinks, other than this being an excellent chance for grandstanding.
Is this in her remit .
Or does she get to choose what is good for her
I’m surprised Green council leader Steve Davis hasn’t joined in on this matter, as it’s his area – perhaps he’s too busy giving driving lessons? 😉
Just jog on Lucas, your not welcome in Patcham !
I guess you still want your post however !
Just like people who protest at phone masts yet use a mobile and air planed yet go on holiday overseas
I’m ambivalent about the new sorting office proposal but as someone who lives quite close to the site, I wouldn’t call it a farm any longer, my wish would be for SOMETHING to be done with the eyesore of tumbledown buildings and overgrown land. I’ve heard that there’s a fair bit of asbestos around too, presumably in the walls and roofs, which won’t be doing the water quality much good. Everything proposed for the site has been met with opposition so it seems likely to just slowly rot away for decades to come. The buildings have been squatted and set on fire over the years. Has anyone got a bulldozer?
Its mainly asbestos embedded in concrete. this is very expensive to remove safely. current regs mean the whole building having asbestos removed has to be covered (like large airtight tarpaulin) with ventilation and filtering and all the workers have hazmat suits and have to have a decontamination portacabin. I would guess near a million to clear it in a legal and safe way.
I think anyone concerned about drinking water in the Brighton area should be very concerned at this development. The proposed site sits above an aquifer which has a very large unstable cave system under it. Were that to be corrupted or even partially collapsed Brighton resident may well be drinking bottled water for years
Reports and assessments suggesting the possibility of increased risks to the city’s water supply “ Nobody would disagree with that. What I find hard to understand how any development on this site poses a greater threat to the aquifier than the thousands vehicles that use the by-pass links and local major road system day and night, at peak times at a standstill?
Its above a cave which has a direct connection to the water supply. There is an act of parliament protecting it from the 1950’s. The by pass has its own drainage system. The reason a park and ride was not placed on braypool was drinking water concerns (a large carpark would mean more contamination run off). Most the the drinking water we get is from the chalk on the downs running down to places like patcham court farm where is it collected. A fleet of cars/construction leaking pollution into it does not bare thinking about really.
At last some actual green policies from a green politician showing concern for the people of patcham (we thought you had forgotten about us!)
strange these arguments about an underground aquifer were brought up before approval for the horsdean traveller site… and totally ignored and refuted… this site is right next to the 2 busiest roads in sussex – the a27 and a23.
there’s not a better site for royal mail to serve brighton in the whole of the county – this just shows lucas to be the absolute total c**t and career politician she is – how much pollution will be prevented from entering brighton by locating this here… s**tloads
Will be a great day when this dreadfull woman leaves office. She only gets in from the student and trendy vegan voters and even they’ve had enough of her. The hypocrite campaigning for a greener planet then flying thousands of miles to see her son. The woman who campaigned for an end to page 3 – that’s all she’ll be remembered for