A developer is drawing up plans for 66 “affordable” homes between Preston Circus and Brighton railway station as part of a £20 million scheme.
QED plans to host a public consultation on Wednesday (4 February) and Thursday (5 February) to share its proposals.
The company said: “Brighton is facing an urgent housing crisis, with almost 40,000 new homes needed by 2040 and rents continuing to rise year on year.
“A public consultation has been launched on proposals to regenerate 10 New England Road, a key site within Brighton’s New England Quarter.”
The site, known as Richardson’s Yard, is currently occupied by 36 shipping container homes operated by BHT Sussex and the Geo E Richardson and Sons scrap metal business.
QED said that its scheme involves “replacing a temporary accommodation and ageing industrial space with a high-quality, sustainable mixed-use development designed to serve the city for the long term”.
The company said: “The scheme would deliver 66 high-quality, 100 per cent affordable homes, ranging from one to three-bed apartments, designed around a central courtyard with excellent natural light and ventilation.
“Located within a short walk of Brighton station and the city centre, the scheme promotes sustainable travel and reduces reliance on private cars.
“Alongside new homes, the proposals provide modern workspace for small businesses and a purpose-built recycling facility, safeguarding local jobs and supporting the circular economy.”
QED Property director Ross Gilbert said: “Brighton needs homes people can actually afford, alongside jobs and spaces that help our community thrive.
“This project brings together sustainable design, economic opportunity and community engagement – and we’re committed to listening to local people as plans progress.”
The company added: “The development reflects QED’s long-term approach to building and managing sustainable properties.”
A drop-in event is scheduled for 4pm to 7pm on Wednesday (4 February) at the Brighton and Hove BMECP Centre, 10A Fleet Street, Brighton, and from 10am to 1pm on Thursday (5 February).
The company also said: “Full plans are also available at www.qedproperty.com/regeneration and feedback can be sent to consultation@qedproperty.com.
“The public consultation will end on Friday 27 February.”
Part of the site is currently home to dozens of residents living in 36 shipping containers, operated by BHT Sussex, the housing and homelessness charity.
It has been in “temporary” use since 2013, with the five-year lease for the site and planning permission for the shipping containers renewed in 2018 and again in 2023.
BHT Sussex said that it had a long and constructive relationship with QED and Brighton and Hove City Council.
The charity said that it had always been the intention that the land and the shipping containers would provide a short-term solution
BHT Sussex said that it would keep talking to its residents at the site as well as the council and QED to make sure all those living there would be rehoused appropriately.
The site, close to the traffic lights at the corner of New England Road and New England Street, is also occupied by the longstanding scrap metal business Geo E Richardson and Sons.
It is hoped that the business could return once building work has been completed and subject to finding an alternative site during construction.
At one point, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service considered using the site for a modern fire station to replace the existing one at nearby Preston Circus which opened in 1938. Firefighters have operated from Preston Circus since 1901.
Instead, the fire station was given a £4.9 million refurbishment. After firefighters operated from a site in Dyke Road for about 11 months, Preston Circus was reopened almost exactly a year ago.
Again, I really want to encourage that when we talk about “affordable”, which definition of the term we are referring to; there’s a stark difference.
Corporations like legal/general-lloyds bank are taking over the rental market, the Government are booting out private landlords with tax rises and sitting tenancies..i just got my notice but only high price places like hove park/old goldstone that want your DNA for references are coming on steam, maybe young tenants will buy there properties but older ones have missed the boat (unless you arrived on one)
I genuinely am struggling to read a coherent thought in that comment. What has that got to do with anything I just said about the definition of affordable?
Maybe new containers on the back of a boat from China now.
If I am correct about the site, 66 flats seems to be a gross overdevelopment. I hope that the accommodation is going to be used to relieve the current local housing list at social housing rates and any interlopers are consigned to the freed-up temporary units.
Unless you hear that Homes England or similar is subsidising a development, it is generally safe to assume that it will not be social housing rates. The area is well equipped for the additional units logistically speaking.
What, in God’s name, does, “100% affordable “, mean?
Free?
Within the means of a working wage, just a title not reality, the prices have long overtaken the wage factor
I know the site and as it’s already housing people this looks suspiciously like a developer out to make a fast buck under the pretext of alleviating a housing shortage.
You’re aware those are storage containers that have been converted for short-term use? They’ve well exceeded short-term use.
My maths may be a bit off but according to the U-Gov web site “affordable is defined as 80% of the market rates in a particular area. “
The Average price of a 1 bed flat in Brighton is approximately £250,000
80% of that brings the price down to £200,000
Income needed to get a mortgage on £ 200,000 = £$0,000 to £60,000
Average wage in Brighton is roughly £37,000
So, this is the core of my question when say what do we mean by affordable? Which could include:
* Social Rents (Council) – 30%
* Living Rent – 50%
* Local Housing Allowance (LHA) – 70%
* Shared Ownership / Rent-to-Buy
* Co-Living / Co-Housing
* Key Worker / Targeted Rents
* Community Land Trust Builds
* Supported & Specialist Housing
All technically “affordable”. I think we should normalise more specific language.
People demanding that developers provide “affordable” housing do not understand basic economics. The market price of a property is made up of the price of the land + the cost of the build + the developer’s profit. Any developer who wants to buy the land to sell “affordable” (i.e. discounted) units is competing with developers who want to sell them at full price, and they will be outbid. If you force the developer to discount the price of affordable units out of their profit, they just won’t build it.
Just sell them for market price, since that will get them built. More units at any price is good, even if they are only purchased by rich out of towners, since that will free up the properties the buyers moved out of for others, and so on down the chain. And the more properties there are relative to the number of people wanting them, the lower the price. Building lots of housing is the only way out of the housing crisis.
It’s a common argument. You’re referring to filtering, and it is exceptionally slow – think decades at a minimum, and academically well accepted as a poor solution. Housing crises have never been built out of by relying on the private market alone, and never without controlling land and tenure.
Supply does matter, but you have to consider that land price is not exogenous. When affordable housing requirements are known and consistently applied, they are capitalised into lower land values.
If you were right, almost no affordable housing would ever get built anywhere. And you have to consider the kickback effect that would have on public funds; affordable housing is partly about preventing those downstream costs, like NHS workers, teachers, public services, and temporary accommodations. If all you build is high-end stock, you worsen affordability.
The article states, “Full plans are also available at http://www.qedproperty.com/regeneration ……. “, but the plans are not shown there – the website just gives the address of the two drop-in sessions.
Seems like they are planning to share them tomorrow.
Yeah, it’s updated now Paul.