A developer who wants to build an eight-storey block of flats on Hove seafront has appealed after his planning application was turned down.
Councillors voted against a proposal by Agenda Homes to build 37 flats in place of three houses, which would be demolished, on the A259 Kingsway, by the corner of Braemore Road.
But Agenda Homes chief executive Jamie Barratt, 50, wants the independent Planning Inspectorate to overturn the decision by Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee.
The committee voted seven to three against the scheme in July last year, even though the design was said to have been inspired by the art deco Embassy Court.
Neighbours had sent more than 70 letters of objection and were supported by the Labour MP for Hove, Peter Kyle, and the Conservative councillors for Wish ward, Robert Nemeth and Garry Peltzer Dunn.
Councillor Nemeth said: “We have been waiting for this appeal to surface for some time now and will again be ready with strong arguments to counter the mass, scale and bulk of this scheme.
“Residents are certainly concerned and surprised by the sheer scale of the proposed building. Councillor Peltzer Dunn and I will, therefore, be continuing to fight it.”
Neighbours Wayne Coley and Olly Carter were concerned that the design of the proposed flats would leave part of the first floor of their home hanging in the air – and that they would be overlooked.
Mr Coley said: “We are devastated that local residents working to oppose this 37-flat, eight-storey luxury development are once again being ignored.
“The overbearing development was rejected by Brighton and Hove City Council for many good reasons but, unfortunately, this decision will now be made in Bristol by the Planning Inspectorate.”
Another couple, Amy and Oli Urpi, who live next door to the site, also opposed the scheme.
Mrs Urpi told the council’s Planning Committee last year that the back of the proposed flats would be just six metres from her home and would block out daylight.
Agenda Homes chief executive Jamie Barratt was contacted for comment.
Comments are open on the Planning Inspectorate’s website by searching for APP/Q1445/W/20/3246231.
The entire streetfront is currently an harmoniously attractive architectural unit for that city block of 1930ish villas. They are big family homes of some character. Losing them would be sad.
The houses are set back with huge front gardens which reduces noise to the houses. A block of flats here would be a visually disruptive element & overbearing to adjacent properties. Exactly what Boris Johnson now rubs his hands with glee about producing once he gets rid of planning constraints Tory donor developers demand – and that slash & burn of planning sanity is imminent.
Too, anything built higher removes light & sunlight to properties directly behind them.
Do people not ever learn? A proposal is put in that is deliberately overboard, so that the real proposal, the ‘compromise’ will be agreed on later. Wake up.