Council Planners Approve £5.3m Scheme for 20 New Council Flats

Planning approval granted

Brighton and Hove City Council's Planning Committee has given the green light to a £5.3 million development to build 20 council flats on the corner of Tillstone Street, Edward Street and Leicester Street. The vote on 28 October was unanimous.

The scheme involves demolishing Oakley House, a building from the 1970s that currently houses a wood store and flats, and replacing it with a five-storey block. The site previously contained Oakley Motor and Marine, an outboard engine business.

What the new block will contain

The new building will provide nine one-bedroom flats for two people each, eight two-bedroom homes for four people and three three-bedroom flats for five people. This represents a net gain of 14 affordable homes on the site.

One tenant currently lives in the building and the council is working to find them alternative accommodation. The wood store is also relocating.

Committee debate

During the meeting, councillors raised several concerns. Green councillor Sue Shanks suggested the block should be taller, given Brighton and Hove's housing shortage, saying "It's a shame to be so limited in our ambition."

Labour councillor Julie Cattell, a former chair of the Planning Committee and professional planner, explained that buildings above a certain height incurred extra legal requirements, costs and delays in obtaining regulatory approval due to a national shortage of specialist staff.

Some councillors were disappointed by limited provision for wheelchair users. Labour councillor Sam Parrott and Green councillor Kerry Pickett raised accessibility concerns. The council said wheelchair access would be better catered for as part of a related scheme at nearby Hereford Court, noting that Oakley House's hilly site made provision more difficult.

Councillor Parrott also urged the council to review its policy on storage for mobility scooters and charging points. Councillors also questioned arrangements for deliveries to the car-free scheme, with Labour councillor Joy Robinson noting that private blocks increasingly included lockers for parcels.

Neighbours' objections

More than a dozen neighbours objected to the plans, raising concerns about the building's height and its effect on the nearby East Cliff and Queen's Park conservation areas. The planning report concluded that demolishing Oakley House would not result in the loss of a significant building, though the replacement would be taller and close to the grade II listed terrace at 57-59 Egremont Place.

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