A hotel company will learn next week whether it can change a university-owned building into a 170-bed tourist hostel.
Safestay Hostel submitted a planning application to convert a Brighton University building at 10-11 Pavilion Parade, Brighton.
A report to Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee supports the proposal, subject to legal agreements.
The grade II listed building, constructed in 1788, was previously owned by the university and contained lecture rooms and seminar rooms as well as offices for the faculty of art, design and humanities.
In its application, Safestay said that dormitories with bunk beds for four to eight people and en-suite bathrooms would be provided on the ground to fourth floors.
A lounge and reception area is planned for the ground floor, with a kitchen and prep area and bar on the lower ground floor, along with back-of-house operations.
Safestay said that the university no longer needed the building – said to be “deteriorating” – and planned to reinvest the proceeds from selling it in “cutting-edge” facilities.
The applicant also said: “Since all of the original period features have been removed from the building, the proposed interior refit offers an opportunity to re-establish certain features, such as ceilings, cornices, skirtings, architraves, etc, to the three principal rooms fronting Pavilion Parade.
“These elements along with the external refurbishment can be conditioned by planning to ensure the conservation officer’s approval.”
The council has received 22 objections to the application. Concerns included noise, loss of privacy and overlooking.
An anonymous objector, whose details were redacted by the council, said: “As a resident of the Glass Pavilion, I strongly disagree with this proposal.
“It will add to already extremely loud noise levels in the area and will encourage more anti-social behaviour.
“Every night I get woken up at midnight, then at 1am, 2am and 4am when pubs and clubs close and all the intoxicated people leave.
“Having a hostel in operation 24/7 will make matters worse to another level where rest and quiet time will virtually disappear.”
Another anonymous objector, whose details were also redacted, said: “The hostel application is just outside of the area where new hotel accommodation is firstly directed, and this type of ‘tourist’ accommodation is not fitting with a listed building in a conservation area.
“There are already approximately eight hostels within a 5 to 15-minute walking distance.”
The council’s Planning Committee is due to meet at Hove Town Hall at 2pm next Wednesday (2 April) when councillors are expected to give their verdict. The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
A dreadful decision for the area if this approved. If it can’t be offices it should be residential flats not another dreadful tatty hostel in a prime location.
If you live in town then you have to expect noise from traffic, local businesses etc.
This accommodation is desperately needed in Brighon.
But it’s not accommodation in terms of proper homes for people.
It’s for groups of visitors for a few nights.
I see on the Facebook post for this article some people have clearly not read the article it and jumped in with that’s it’s for the homeless and drug addicts etc.
Oh,an immigrant hostel right next to the pavilion, great for encouraging genuine tourists.
Is there something undesirable about people from overseas seeking a better life Alan?
Yes there is
You can tell you didn’t read the article because if you did you wouldn’t have written your comment!
It’s for backpackers. It’s not going to be used to house immigrants or addicts.
If you read the article you will see that the proposed purpose is cleaely mentioned. In the first paragraph.
I thought the same as Alan, until I read the article, specifically past the first sentence. Reminds me why one shouldn’t go in half cocked.
People often confuse youth hostels with homeless hostels, for some strange reason. I used to stay in them a lot travelling around the UK and Europe and much preferred them to hotels. They’re great for making friends and going off on random adventures. I once went to Amsterdam solo and had a great time. A small group of us from all over the place went down to Haarlem beach one night and built a little bonfire. Great memories. I’m in my mid 30s now and starting to feel too old for them, but for young travellers on a budget they’re absolutely vital. Safestay are an established, reputable company. They already run a load of hostels so have the ability to do this properly. It won’t be anything like the pearl clutching objectors are fearing. This will be great for tourism in Brighton.
The problem with this article is that it doesn’t specify what sort of hostel is envisaged. I’m inclined to believe this is deliberate in order to get people riled up and shouting about drunks, drug addicts and the mentally ill – there’s nothing that local press likes more than a reaction because it makes them feel ‘relevant’ and ‘important’. But is this really what is being considered? I hope not because it would be totally inappropriate for one of the most significant areas in Brighton. A youth hostel, or somewhere that could accommodate some of the foreign school groups that are so frequently seen in Brighton, is an entirely different matter and would be a huge asset to the local economy as well as bringing a redundant building back into constructive use.
This is the very first sentence!
“A hotel company will learn next week whether it can change a university-owned building into a 170-bed tourist hostel.”
How much clearer can it be?
And then you asked – because you didn’t read the article fully and just assumed it was for drug takers etc
“But is this really what is being considered?”
And the answer to that is no that’s not what is being considered.
What is being considered by Planning Committee next week if for a tourist hostel as mentioned in the first sentence of the article!
You only have to Google ‘Safestay’ to see what sort of thing they’re planning. I’ve stayed at a couple of their London hostels and by youth hostel standards – they’re pretty much as good as it gets. They’re easily on a par with YHA hostels in terms of cleanliness and feeling safe during your stay. No homeless, no crackheads or stinking p!sspots, no asylum seekers, just young travellers from around the globe. People seem to be getting up in arms without even doing the smallest bit of research, as per usual. Also forgetting that there is a pub right next door to where this hostel would be located!
No thanks , it’s bad enough with the 15 one bedroom flats development across the road that the council have been working on in order to house people waiting for social housing. It won’t take long before the whole development will be looking like a doss house …. and right next door to the Pavilion. Great for tourism
Very different things, Johnny. One is a backpackers’ hostel, the other is emergency accommodation. You do understand the difference, right?