Plans for 10 new “affordable” homes on a former pub site have been approved by councillors this afternoon (Wednesday 2 September).
Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee voted nine to one for the council’s own plans for a mix of five houses and five flats at 104 Cowley Drive, Woodingdean
The homes are planned for the site of the old Toby Inn pub, which closed 20 years ago.
Eleven objections to the plans cited concerns about the height of the buildings, increased parking problems, the loss of the pub and a lack of capacity at Woodingdean Medical Centre.
Labour councillor Jacob Allen spoke in favour of the scheme, saying that the pub had closed under a cloud about 20 years ago when he was still a pupil at Woodingdean Primary School.
Councillor Allen also said that there were nearly 2,300 families in temporary housing in Brighton and Hove in need of somewhere affordable and permanent to live.
At Hove Town Hall, the Woodingdean ward councillor told the Planning Committee: “If we can’t build on sites like this, I don’t know what we’re all spending our time doing.
“It’s a brownfield site of a former pub that has been derelict for two decades and we’re proposing a 100 per cent affordable housing scheme. It’s a dream come true.”
The housing is designed by BakerBrown, the practice run by Brighton University academic Duncan Baker-Brown, the architect behind the Waste House – a house built entirely from recycled rubbish.
Labour councillor Joy Robinson raised concerns about the limited parking, saying that there were five spaces planned when there ought to be 12.
She was told that the council was aware of the limited on-site parking but the area was not part of a controlled zone and the council’s highways team had not objected.
Green councillor Sue Shanks asked why the pub building could not turned into flats. She was told that only four flats would fit and their size would be “substandard”. By demolishing the pub building, the council can build 10 homes.
Conservative councillor Carol Theobald was the lone vote against the application after she said that the site would be better served by a previous proposal to build six houses.
Councillor Theobald said: “(It) would be much better to have had six homes with a decent garden instead of the little tiny gardens they’re going to get.
“The thing that worries me is the flats because I think it just starts a precedent off for that area.”
Labour councillor Tobias Sheard said that there was a great deal of green space near by on the South Downs.
Councillor Sheard said: “Councillor Allen put it quite well at the beginning. If we can’t build here, where can we build?
“This is a derelict site in the middle of a housing estate we’re proposing to put houses on.”
Green councillor Kerry Pickett said: “The design fits the area. It’s on a good bus route. We’ve got bat boxes, swift boxes, bee boxes. We’ve got a log pile. And the fact that they’re all for rent … this is a good proposal.”
Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Bridget Fishleigh said that she visited the site yesterday (Tuesday 1 September) and could not find anywhere to park.
Councillor Fishleigh said: “I feel sorry for the resident who will undoubtedly have more parking pressure in that area.
“Hopefully, Councillor Allen will get on the case and get an Enterprise car sharing spot there.”
You couldn’t make this up, a clown complaining about loss of a pub that closed 20 years ago !!! Why does the Council allow that on the list ?? Job creation maybe ?
Allow what on the list?
When an application is made anyone can put in an objection citing whatever reasons they want however sensible or idiotic they are.
My point exactly,
I know I’ve mentioned this before, and I believe Chris doesn’t think this is a good idea, but I think we should have semi-anonymous comments, dictating the capacity and proximity of which a person is making a comment. That extra context feels like it would be rather helpful in establishing the value of some comments – someone against noise weighs differently if it was by someone next door, versus someone on the other side of the city, for example?
Glad to see affordable housing on wasted land. One of best scenarios.
Totally agree with you Benjamin, as long as they are truly affordable.
I remember this establishment and it was full of “interesting characters” before becoming a caricature of its former self with a drug and violence problem. It is sad that it has taken so long to bring it into use when space is at a premium and families are being housed in temporary accommodation, sometimes not even in the area.
As a housing advocate I really want and need homes for locals. But I worry when I hear affordable and not social rents. I have clients who moved into a three bed “affordable council flat a new build.” But as rents are capped at inflation, we had covid and then the cost of living, it’s massively increased there rents.
Going back to this building, anyone who knows the wider estate, knows how hilly it is. But also how many people living in council housing live in this area or housing association, so it amazes me this community facility, has been allowed to have been put into deliberate managed decline In terms of the loss of this facility and gatekeeping guardians put into stop locals using as a community facility.
We have seen this all over the city. Who is building the homes I wonder as a particular organisation is obsessed with buying up old community facilities and developing for housing.
You can’t just plump housing and have no community facilities, what happened to 5 min communities.
So I actually find this quite sad.
To the commenter calling this wasted land, this was a community facility for a long time, I don’t want to get into it’s final days of trouble times but it was a place the community gathered. Should know better considering they manage community facilities.
Around here there are lots of people who need to travel to woodingdean community centre to access them. It’s not a free bus ride, and already there are traffic issues due to the concentration of community facilities in one Place.
I don’t get it. Could have kept some sort of community facility there with some housing, so it’s a bit of a wasted opportunity.
Not everyone wants to attend religious venues.
There are thousands of empty homes in the city, community facilities should be the last choice to demolish.
Loads of hidden plots, this is sadly a quick raid and run, the developers of the building are the winners.
Those moving in may well find them too expensive in just a few years.
Woodingdean should have the conversation about more dense and higher buildings as every area should be helping to end the homelessness issues and housing need, but there is still many sites which can be unlocked and getting those homes brought to leave as investment vehicles need to be clamped down on.
More tiny lego houses crammed as tightly as possible with postage stamp sized gardens, and little parking provided.
It’s all well and good saying the downs are near by, after the near daily attacks on woman and children, who is going to let their children walk to the downs, even grown woman aren’t safe, as we have seen on Brighton seafront.
Also why are the council messing around with expensive experimental architects whims of fancy at taxpayers expense.
Off the shelf plans for six traditional and proven homes and an established local build er to build them, is all that is required to build these homes.
Anything else is just wasted time and money, and why the i360 folly came about, councils to freely spending/wasting money that the think is free
I’m a woman. And I feel safe here.
Nothing going on in Woodingdean mate. Don’t be so dramatic
Well, one must give credit where it is due – and how delightful to find young Master Allen and Lady Bracknell in agreement.
A pub derelict for nearly two decades, sitting in the middle of a housing estate, seems an eminently sensible place to build homes. Ten affordable homes for rent rather than another twenty years of decay? Quite right.
And with Master Allen’s background in property and planning – not to mention his Associate membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute – one would hope he knows his way around a sensible development when he sees one.
I was particularly charmed to learn that he was still at Woodingdean Primary School when the Toby Inn closed. Nothing makes one feel quite so ancient as discovering that one’s elected representatives have childhood memories of events one remembers like it were yesterday.
Daniel does, however, raise an important point. “Affordable” is an increasingly elastic word, and the real test will be whether these homes remain genuinely affordable to local families in the years ahead.
Still, credit where credit is due. Enjoy it, young Jacob – Lady B may not make a habit of this.