A planning application to extend and resurface a car park at Brighton Racecourse is due to go before councillors next week for a decision.
The application to extend the aggregate covered parking area in Warren Road, Brighton, is partly retrospective and has drawn objections from councillors and neighbours.
The racecourse said that the land had been used as a park and ride for events at the American Express Community Stadium since 2013 with aggregate covering a third of the area.
Over the past 10 years, the area has been “churned up” by vehicles and some have had to be pulled out of ruts in wet weather.
The racecourse said: “Given worsening weather conditions, the racecourse entered discussions with the council last year to extend the provision of aggregate within the northern part of the park and ride to limit the issues that were becoming increasingly prevalent.
“A licence for this work was duly granted by the council on Wednesday 20 September 2023, with work commencing on the agreed basis.”
Work would be limited to replacing the churned up topsoil to a maximum depth of about 5in or 15cm.
Archaeological reports are included in the application because it is close to Whitehawk Camp, a Neolithic causeway and scheduled monument, but does not directly affect the area.
Labour councillor Tim Rowkins, who represents Hanover and Elm Grove, has objected to the plans and asked for the application to be decided by the Planning Committee.
Councillor Rowkins and his fellow ward councillors are concerned about the loss of green space close to the South Downs and the potential effects on surface water management.
Thirteen objections from the public have been submitted to Brighton and Hove City Council and one comment in support of the plans.
An anonymous objector, whose details were redacted by the council, said: “The surfacing of this part of the park and ride racecourse is completely unnecessary and runs totally counter to all efforts to combat climate change.
“We should not be removing areas of grass which perform many functions including preventing run-off (at the top of a large hill), reducing heat during hot weather and providing a more natural setting on the urban fringe of the city.”
Another anonymous objector whose details were also redacted said: “This goes against the council’s plans to reduce water runoff from Elm Grove – noted as a flooding risk area.
“The concreting over of the land will not help this, therefore undermining the council’s plans.”
The anonymous supporter, whose details were also redacted, said: “I support this application. It will regularise the use of that part of land and enable it to be conditioned appropriately.”
The brass neck of it. Having stripped away healthy greensward without seeking permission in the first place, they are now asking if they can damage even more of it. The Planning Committee should continue to prioritise the conservation of environmental resources and refuse this destructive application.
It would not be a race course if it not have a muddy car park.
There are better ways, in my opinion. Mesh, for example.
I go there almost daily. They’re not concreting anything, there’s no run off as it’s completely porous. It’s a pity removing grass, but I point people towards the 3+ miles of fantastic turf on the racecourse proper…..beautiful.
Dave, think you should get your pedometer checked. The racecourse is about half of what you say it is and it’s fenced off to the public!
This is an absolute disgrace. I put in a petition or tried to put a stop to this as they went ahead without planning permission in the first place. It is also land that is protected and belongs to the downs. Why should we have car park after car park put in Brighton we are known now as Brighton and Hove city car park. When will this stop? Taken away landscape for car parks it wouldn’t be so bad if they will build in flats or houses on it but a car park really I don’t think so disgusting.
There are some very good porous reinforced grass product available .
Care to share some links? I’m actually looking at getting some for the corners of a few streets in my area that get clipped quite a bit.
Have a park and ride system then
An excellent suggestion, in my opinion.