Residents ‘aghast’ at the loss of green space are objecting to the resurfacing of a car park used for an Albion park and ride.
Brighton Racecourse is asking for retrospective permission to pave a previously grassed area at the edge of the site with gravel.
According to its application, the council gave it a licence to resurface the area, which has been used as a car park for several years, last September 2023. Brighton and Hove City Council is the freeholder of the land.
It wanted to stop churning issues, made worse by recent bad weather.
Those objecting argue that gravelling over the area will contribute to water run-off along Elm Grove.
The application says both the surface and the porous chalk underneath the site would provide sustainable drainage.
Councillor Tim Rowkins, who represents the Hanover and Elm Grove area, said: “Residents who live nearby are aghast that yet more green space is disappearing, and feel that they are becoming surrounded by car parks.”
The site of the car park is near archaeological monuments, including a Neolithic causewayed enclosure and a number of WW2 remains.
The county archaeologist, Neil Griffin, has approved the retrospective application but said that exposing the underlying chalk during the works will have put heritage assets at risk of harm.
Mr Griffin said in the Archaeological Consultation: “The exposure of the underlying chalk will have revealed any archaeological features that may be present (e.g. pits, ditches, burials, etc) and put such heritage assets at risk of harm from the movement of plant and the installation and compaction of the imported aggregate.
“Nonetheless it is acceptable that the risk of damage to archaeology is mitigated by the application of planning conditions which are outlined in this response.”
A public comment left on the plans says: “We should not be turning more green space into car parks.
“Brighton already has more than enough car parks and it is a massive shame to turn precious green space into yet another car park, increasing traffic, noise and air pollution.
“Additionally concreting over the land also increases flood risk at a time when the UK is experiencing more rainfall due to the heating climate.
“It is outrageous that this has happened and should be reversed.”
You can find the application on the council’s planning portal under reference BH2023/03054.
I live nearby and walk my dog around here regularly. I wouldn’t mind so much if it hadn’t been so cheaply done. It looks absolutely awful. All they’ve done is tear out the grass and throw down a load of gravel. It’s become a real eyesore. They should either do a properly built/landscaped car park here or be made to change it back.
I suspect it looks like that as it is not regarded as permanent. Anyway they won’t weed it so it will be overgrown in no time.
Ha ha it’s a car park not a green open space about time to there’s lots of open space the other side of the course
Agreed. Its also used as overflow parking for NHS staff who work in Brighton General Hospital, as surprise surprise, there’s not enough spaces in the actual car park. And of course the surrounding roads are all permitted which the residents voted for. So if your a resident in the area and moan about this being used as a car park – HUSH YOUR MOUTH
How many residents?
It’s gets a lot of use as a car park, especially on match days. Personally, it’s the low effort way this has been done that I object to.
Scraping all the grass back to the chalk and then throwing loose chippings on top is likely to lead to significant extra water run off during heavy rain – not great at the top of a hill with residential areas below it.
We probably lose more green space from cars parking on grass verges!