A property developer is proposing to pay Brighton and Hove City Council at least £500,000 as an alternative to providing 14 affordable flats in a new residential project on the site of a former maternity hospital in Brighton. This proposal is part of ongoing discussions surrounding the redevelopment of a historically significant site on Buckingham Road.
The development company behind the project has also applied for permission to add two more flats to the development, which would bring the total number of units to 36. These additional flats are planned to be incorporated into a five-storey building already approved for construction at the corner of Buckingham Road and Upper Gloucester Road.
The project has encountered several challenges since its inception. Initially, planning permission was granted for the conversion of townhouses at 76-79 Buckingham Road into 14 affordable flats as part of a broader scheme that included the construction of 20 additional flats on an adjacent site. Despite attempts to find a housing provider to manage the affordable units, no organisation has been willing to take them on.
This difficulty in securing a partner, coupled with the council’s previous refusals to manage similar small-scale affordable housing projects, has sparked debate over the effectiveness of the city’s current housing policies.
In response to the difficulties, the council previously agreed to modify the original planning permission, allowing the developer to sell the 14 flats at market rates. This change was intended to alleviate financial pressures for the developer and support the construction of the additional flats at 80 Buckingham Road. The revised plans also included a provision to relocate the affordable housing units within the new five-storey building.
However, in a recent submission to the council, the developer indicated that further delays and increased building costs have made it financially unviable to include the affordable housing units as originally planned, even with the proposed addition of two more flats.
A report prepared for the council’s Planning Committee summarised the situation, noting that ongoing delays and rising costs have hindered the project’s progress, making it impossible to deliver the affordable homes as initially agreed, despite efforts to revise the plans.
As an alternative solution, the developer has offered a payment of at least £500,000 to the council. This payment, which could increase if the development is more profitable than anticipated, is intended to offset the loss of on-site affordable housing. The council could then use this money to support the construction or purchase of affordable homes elsewhere in Brighton and Hove.
The site in question has a rich history, having once housed a grammar school that later became Brighton, Hove, and Sussex VI Form College (BHASVIC), before relocating in the early 20th century. The site also served as the Sussex Maternity Hospital, which operated at 76-80 Buckingham Road until its closure in 1971. After the hospital closed, number 80 Buckingham Road was demolished in the 1970s and replaced with a modern building that has since deteriorated.
Currently, the framework of the planned five-storey building is visible on the site, but construction has been paused due to the ongoing issues. The delays and financial pressures cited by the developer have led to the current situation, where the provision of affordable housing is in question.
The council’s Planning Committee is set to review the developer’s latest proposal at a meeting in Hove Town Hall next Wednesday (4 September). The meeting, which will be webcast on the council’s website, is expected to draw significant public attention, given the contentious nature of the project and the broader implications for affordable housing policy in the city.
As Brighton and Hove faces a growing housing crisis, the outcome of this meeting could have significant consequences for how the city manages the competing demands of developers and the need for affordable housing. While the proposed £500,000 payment offers a potential short-term solution, it raises questions about whether such payments are sufficient to address the long-term housing needs of the community.
The Planning Committee’s decision could have broader implications for future developments in Brighton and Hove, potentially influencing how affordable housing commitments are negotiated and upheld in the face of economic challenges. As the city continues to struggle with meeting its affordable housing targets, the outcome of this case could be a key indicator of the council’s approach to housing policy moving forward.
Residents, housing advocates, and developers will be watching closely as the council deliberates on this issue, with the potential for this decision to shape the future of housing development in Brighton and Hove.
