Plans to demolish an old art supplies store and build a five-storey block of flats have been approved by councillors.
Members of Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee unanimously approved the £5.3 million scheme for 14 flats by property developer Emma Taylor-Moore yesterday (Wednesday 2 September).
There were 15 objections to the application to redevelop the site in Kingsthorpe Road, Hove, close to the top end of School Road.
Neighbours raised concerns about the size of the proposed new building and loss of light for neighbouring residents.
Supporters said that more housing was needed in Brighton and Hove, adding that the area had good public transport links.
The plans included no affordable housing. Instead, the council will accept a “commuted sum” of £394,105 towards the cost of building new homes elsewhere.
Labour councillor Julie Cattell said that members of the Planning Committee were likely to be frustrated by the financial contribution.
But, she said, no housing association or even the council would take on so few homes as affordable housing in a relatively small block of flats.
Councillor Cattell said: “I welcome the affordable sum. I don’t care if it’s 10p or £10,000 or however much it is. That goes straight into our account where we build new homes.”
Conservative councillor Carol Theobald said that she hoped the commuted sum would be paid.
A report to councillors said that the sum could go up if a “late-stage viability review” found that the project had turned out to be more profitable than expected.
Councillor Theobald said: “The precedent has already been set in that area for tall flats … It looks ok so I’ll say all right with this one.”
Labour councillor Paul Nann, who represents Wish ward, said that the council needed to be willing to “take a punt” on allowing building on a space which “isn’t doing anything”.
Councillor Nann said: “I do appreciate that some of my residents may find themselves inconvenienced while the building work is going on and the neighbourhood they live in will change slightly.
“But I think it’s too good an opportunity to miss. There’s nowhere to build in Wish, there’s hardly any space at all.”
The premises used to be the store for Lawrence Art Supplies, owned by TN Lawrence and Son Limited, which became part of Jackson’s Art Supplies in 2024.
The neighbouring site was Rayford House, an old office building which has since been turned into a five-storey block of flats known as the Pinnacle, at the top of School Road.
