A property developer’s bid to extend his Airbnb property is proving unpopular with neighbours.
Charlie Southall, who previously angered neighbours of a pub he owns in Hanover when he ripped off its much-loved green tiles, is asking for permission to add another storey to a terraced house he owns in the North Laine.
A previous application for the two-storey house in Gloucester Road which included a roof terrace was withdrawn earlier this year.
Neighbours said an unauthorised balcony made from scaffolding was already causing a noise nuisance when it was used by guests of the holiday let, which also features a garden hot tub and wine cellar.
Meanwhile, Mr Southall has put another rental flat he owns in Kemptown on the market for £450,000, advertised as a good Airbnb investment and chain-free.
A planning application to extend that top floor flat into the roof, advertised on the weekly planning register, disappeared from the council’s planning portal last year.
One neighbour’s objection to the application for the Gloucester Road house said: “Use as an Airbnb is of concern as this is a residential area.
“The property has had scaffolding up for two years and skylights over looking other properties have already been installed.”
Another’s said: “Adding another floor means that even more people will be staying and disturbing the area. North Laine already has a problem with the amount of Airbnbs being used as party houses and making this house bigger will just add to that problem.
“This application is purely for profit from tourists by the owners and will not do anything for the local area, just the opposite.”
The North Laine Community Association also objected, including pictures of the scaffolding balcony.
It said: “We request that should this application be approved, a condition be applied prohibiting the use of any flat roof or scaffold at the premises as a balcony or terrace.”
The application is written by planning agent Connor McCarron, who represented Mr Southall in his failed appeal against Brighton and Hove City Council’s enforcement notice requiring the Montreal Arms pub’s tiles be reinstated.
It says: “Since the previous application, a heritage consultant has been appointed and a heritage statement produced.
“This redesign ensures the proposal aligns with the core principles of the conservation area and focuses on reinstating as many original features as possible.
“This application has removed the roof terrace as previously proposed, changed the fenestration on the front and rear elevations and updated materials to align with the planners’ feedback.”
He also said a timber shopfront removed without permission in 2015 – before Mr Southall bought the property – will be reinstated.
Mr Southall, I invite you to offer to donate a small part of your no doubt considerable profits from these enterprises to the homeless charities in Brighton who support people who have no bed, let alone a hot tub or wine cellar. People might then look on your applications slightly more favourably.
Can this individual please leave our city before he does any more damage?
I support both Chris and Barry above. Mr Southall at best has questionable morals. The profits he has can do so much good. Greed is disgusting. But this is a man who is notorious for not paying freelancers or businesses he works with or hires…. Mr Southall must be stopped.
Has he put the tiles back on the pub yet?
Drove past it today. Nope.
This man is an utter snake. £50k sliced off the value of my house and unable to sell it due to the eyesore he has made of the Montreal pub. He has no morals and no care for anyone or anything except himself. Profit before people every time. He should not be allowed to gain planning nor work on any other project until he has finished the one before.
I actually agree with your final sentiment there – finish what you started before anything else be considered.
Absolutely. The fact that he is responsible for the wrecking of the Montreal Arms should be grounds for putting a stay on further developments. There’s always big money involved. The odd thing is, this page is now loading up with scaffolding offers…! AI, anybody?
Personally, it tells me you haven’t discovered adblocking on your computer.
So this guy removed the shop front without permission, with North Laine being a conservation area. This demonstrates the contempt he has for planning regulations, his neighbours and the wider community. Add to this his wanton vandalism of the Montreal Arms, and its clear the community requires protection from rogue developers such as this one.
Just a reminder that Brighton currently as of this week have 4,700 properties on AirBnB and like websites. These average 30% occupation of the year.