An extra £800,000 will go towards the £87 million budget for building more than 200 council homes and a community hub on a Brighton estate.
The boost was agreed by the council’s cabinet in a meeting at Hove Town Hall yesterday (Thursday 23 January) as talks continue with an unnamed construction company.
Brighton and Hove City Council has been working on the £87 million project for several years during which time construction costs have risen.
A few days earlier, an £11.5 million grant from the Brownfield Infrastructure and Land Fund was approved for the project at the Moulescoomb North Hub site in Hodshrove Lane.
Labour councillor Gill Williams said that the project for 212 “truly affordable” council homes would be funded through council borrowing and grants including from Homes England, a government agency.
Councillor Williams, the council’s cabinet member for housing and new homes, said that the preferred contractor had construction experience in the public and private sector.
The plans include a library, doctors’ surgery, pharmacy, café, youth services and shop, “3G” sports pitches, skate park and play areas.
The Labour deputy leader of the council, Jacob Taylor, who represents Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, said that he had been working with Councillor Williams in his role as the cabinet member for finance and regeneration.
Councillor Taylor said that, as a ward councillor, he was excited about the project bringing “much-needed” affordable homes to the area.
He said: “This is a place-making approach that doesn’t just plonk houses somewhere and then think about the facilities.
“It’s about the whole development and the facilities will serve both the people that take up these properties but also the surrounding area.
“So I’m really excited. Most residents are pleased and supportive with this. Clearly, with a development on this scale, there will be some disruption – and I’ve had some comments from the residents in the streets near by.
“I really hope that the contractor and officers will inform residents in as timely a fashion as possible and we have a good programme of engagement throughout the process.”
The Labour leader of the council, Bella Sankey, said that more than 200 residents had been involved in shaping the project.
Councillor Sankey said: “I see this as such an excellent example of proper place-making and developing and investing in a place, rather than the practices of the past here and in other parts of the country of throwing up housing and not really thinking about how you build a community.
“It ensures, in the housing you are building, you’re creating the conditions for people to thrive and live fulfilled lives with their various needs being met. How this has been approached has been exceptional.”
The proposed buildings include blocks of flats up to eight storeys high and a row of eight semi-detached houses. Fifteen homes would be wheelchair accessible.
The site would also have some community space with rooms to rent.
Details of the project were first published when former Labour councillor Daniel Yates was the finance lead and then leader of the council in 2015-19. He also represented the ward on the council until 2023.
When the proposal to build affordable council homes went before the council’s Housing Committee in November 2021, it was expected to cost £70 million although rising costs were flagged up.
Since 2020, building costs have risen by 20 per cent because of factors such as higher labour costs, in part linked to Brexit, the coronavirus pandemic and global shipping issues.
The council was awarded a £1.7 million grant in June 2021 from the government’s Brownfield Land Release Fund.
I’m happy with the holistic approach to this; it is one that considers infrastructure and a strategic approach to development.
Let’s hope they do not find a glitch in the upcoming months looking for a construction company ( with no extras) it’s an horrendous amount for two hundred houses,especially after dumping fifty one million in ,i360 debts, I can not see where we get this money from,the citys in dire straits, because of the way it’s been run since the BOROUGH’S came together as one!!! But I’m glad that at least??? I hope these premises go to local families, and not for OVERSPILL from other areas and definitely not students
At least £11.5m is from a government grant – which is mentioned in the article.
The rest will mainly be funded by borrowing – again mentioned in the article.
This loan will be repaid from the housing revenue account which is where rents are paid into.
These are totally separate fund from the councils non housing budget. The £51m re the i360 has no impact on the housing revenue account.
It’s a real shame the plans included getting rid of the public park and two sports pitches. It also takes traffic for the 200 new homes past almost a kilometer of existing fairly quiet residential roads when the new road could have been designed to go straight in and out from the Lewes Road. The developers (and council) misled the residents here.
I think you’ll find that these houses will go to potential tenants from the housing waiting list, as are all council properties. No students. And probably not anybody else you object to.
£87 million for 212 homes. That works out at £410,000 per home. Wow! As the council already owns the land this is a scary price. Are we getting value for money?
Consider it is not just homes, as the article states. A library, doctors’ surgery, pharmacy, café, youth services and shop, “3G” sports pitches, skate park and play areas.
Comparatively, East Dunbartonshire Council’s recent development of 15 affordable homes averaged around £535,800 per unit.
But it also includes the cost of infrastructure to service those homes such as roads and pavements plus utilities and water and sewerage.
Those things don’t just magically appear for free and for a development of this size can be quite considerable.
And as this is a brownfield site there may, depending on what was there previously, there may things like old buildings, contaminated soil and old utilities to remove as well – which given there is a £1.7m grant from the “brownfield site release field” is more than likely.
I don’t live in Brighton & Hove (but just along the coast) but glad to see that a project is being undertaken by a Council.
Hopefully we won’t have the proposals for all the facilities being backed down upon, as seems to happen with private developers who include all the little ‘carrots’ which are included to gain Planning Permission (affordable homes, schools, Doctors, play areas etc) and then back out of them as they deem them unviable (really means it would reduce our profits!).
I think it’s what the Area needs, but with 200 Family Homes, proberly going to need another Supermarket somewhere up Moulsecoomb Way to cope with the Capacity-I know there is Aldi or Asda but something needs to be a little nearer than that.
What about Parking-that Area already congested isn’t it, Surely the Flats come with some Spaces underneath the Blocks like the Kubic Apartments in Whitehawk ( 38 flats-17spaces)
And all the Tenants with get all the Facilities right on the Doorstep aswell.
Looks like there’s going to be a shop space as well. Moulscoombe is quite good for traffic flow with its location. Parking is a reasonable concern. Last figure I saw was about 40% ownership in Brighton, broadly speaking.