Officials have backed plans to convert the home of a former council-run nursery into flats for temporary housing.
Brighton and Hove City Council has applied to itself for planning permission to convert the Old Slipper Baths building, at 1 Barrack Yard, off North Road, Brighton, into 11 flats.
A report to the council’s Planning Committee, which is due to meet next week, said that the flats would be offered to people on the housing register in Brighton and Hove who were homeless or at risk of homelessness while waiting for permanent housing.
Rents for the flats planned for the grade II listed building behind the Prince Regent Leisure Centre would be below market rates, making all 11 of the two and three-bedroom flats “affordable housing”.
There are three objections to the application, raising concerns about the increased roof height, community safety, parking and potential noise complaints from nearby venues.
One anonymous objector, whose details were redacted by the council, said: “The site sits adjacent to a large, licensed venue operating lawfully until midnight.
“This creates an obvious and foreseeable conflict between residential use and an existing night-time economy use, likely resulting in complaints and pressure on established businesses rather than proper planning mitigation.
“This location is also unsuitable for temporary accommodation. The area already experiences community safety issues and the proposal risks adding further pressure and negatively affecting the character and reputation of the neighbourhood.”
Another anonymous objector, whose details were also redacted, said: “There is a considerable lack of parking in the area which is an issue already for residents.
“This will further exacerbate the situation, with residents from Barrack Yard undoubtedly spilling over by parking in North Place and pushing current residents to the further borders of zone Y.”
In recent years, the building housed Bright Start Nursery before it was moved to the Tarner Family Hub in 2024.
The Victorian building was originally a barracks before becoming public baths in the 1870s.
The conversion came after the Baths and Washhouses Act 1846 and the Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847 became law specifically to encourage the construction of these types of facilities.
By March 1874, the baths had been filled nearly 16,300 times in six months. The cheapest option was a second-class cold bath for 1d and the premium was a first-class warm bath for 6d.
An 1893 health report said that the slipper baths improved the health and cleanliness of the working classes.
The council’s Planning Committee is due to meet at Hove Town Hall at 2pm next Wednesday (7 October). The meeting is scheduled to be webcast.
Just hope Brighton people will b allocated first !
As a point of clarification, Bright Start was pretty much closed by the council rather than ‘moved’. The ‘move’ bit was Labour spin, and there was heavy community opposition to closing the nursery at the Barrack Yard site. The ‘expanded’ Tarner nursery didn’t have the baby room Bright Start had, or take on children under 2 who had been at Bright Start. Yes – the name still exists but important to make clear the history and opposition to what the council did at the time.
I hope with it being a Grade 2 listed building the council don’t throwaway the main fixtures and fittings. The picture looks ghastly.