Changes to internal plans for a new block of seafront flats in Hove have been “reluctantly” approved by councillors.
New proposals for an eight-story block of flats, at 239-245 Kingsway, marketed as Argentum, were approved on appeal in December 2020 after Brighton and Hove City Council refused the application in August 2019.
The application by 239 Kingsway Hove Ltd was originally for 37 flats – and the amended application before the Planning Committee yesterday (Wednesday 2 August) was to reduce the number to 33 flats to create more three-bedroom flats.
The latest changes follow the appeal when a condition was added to require two of the flats to be wheelchair-accessible on completion. The developer wanted to change the requirement to wheelchair adaptable, in line with council policy.
At the Planning Committee meeting at Hove Town Hall, councillors were told that the condition imposed a “higher threshold” than the council policy required.
Green councillor Sue Shanks said that she was bothered about the disabled accessibility issue.
She said: “The inspector has made something that was better than what we’d set. It must be really difficult for people who find themselves in a wheelchair to find something ready to go.
“It’s the height of the worktops that’s important, I would have thought, knowing from working with people with disabilities. I’m not minded to support it (the application).”
Labour councillor Birgit Miller asked about the height of work surfaces and whether they might need replacing.
Craig Boddington, director of ECE Architecture, said that even with wheelchair-accessible homes, adaptations were needed depending on the individual needs of the person living there.
He said: “Often the occupational therapist will come in and look at those dwellings and want particular changes, particularly the kitchens, so they are suitable for the actual occupant.
“There is huge merit to having the wheelchair-adaptable standard in place rather than wheelchair-accessible because often we find that there’s further adaptations that are needed once a nomination has been made.”
Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Bridget Fishleigh said that when the application first came to the committee, councillors had had a long debate before refusing the application.
She said: “I will say yes but really I’d like to say no … Just get on with it and build them.”
Councillor Fishleigh was told that work had started on the scheme and there were no rules to prevent organisations from applying for several variations.
Conservative councillor Carol Theobald said: “I disagreed with it being eight storeys in that particular place and a lot of us did. It’s a shame we lost that on appeal.
“It’s better that it’s gone down to 33 units instead of 37 – and to have three-bed units is better. So there’s something good out of it.”
Nine of the 10 committee members voted for the changes, with Councillor Shanks abstaining.
Developers win again.
How many of these flats are “affordable living” and has this changed in any way.
More importantly, will these be subject to Principle Residency Clauses?