Advanced Engineering Centre gets planning permission

Plans for a high-tech engineering research and education centre at the University of Brighton’s Moulsecoomb campus in Lewes Road have been approved by Brighton & Hove City Council’s planning committee.

The new Advanced Engineering Centre will be situated between the university’s Watts and Cockcroft buildings on the western side of Lewes Road.

The part two-storey, and part three-storey building, will provide specialist science-led teaching and research facilities for advanced automotive engineering, including laboratories, tutorial rooms, meeting rooms and exhibition spaces.

Three hundred students are expected to be based at the centre, along with 15 academic staff and 35 research posts, and it will deliver around 60 engineering graduates a year.

The design of the building is intended to minimise energy use and will include solar panels on the roof and highly insulated wall panels.

The planning application was submitted by the University of Brighton and work could start on the site later this year.

Councillor Julie Cattell, chair of the planning committee, said: “This is an exciting, state of the art, new development which will deliver advances in research and technology in automotive engineering and bring benefits for the local economy, helping to create new jobs and a highly skilled workforce. In this respect the development is in line with our City Plan objectives.

“We are very excited by the design of the building, especially the innovative use of materials.”

See link to committee report for more details (Agenda item 70A).