New council homes in the North Laine

Work has started on 12 new council homes in the heart of the city centre.

Nine flats and three houses are being built in Kensington Street in Brighton’s North Laine.

The development is the latest phase of the council’s New Homes for Neighbourhoods programme, which is building much needed new council housing across the city.

The Kensington Street homes will rented to people on the city’s housing register when they are completed next year. There will be one two-bedroom house, the rest will be one-bedroom, including a wheelchair accessible flat.

Councillor Anne Meadows (pictured), chair of the council’s Housing & New Homes committee, marked the start of work on the site. She said: “It’s great to see work getting underway on more new homes for rent. Developments like this one in Kensington Street are making the best possible use of small sites to provide more housing.”

She added: “The construction site is in the heart of the community and we are working with local residents to keep them informed and minimise any disruption.”

The homes are being built on three small pockets of council-owned land previously used for parking. The sites have been popular with street artists and photographs of graffiti on neighbouring walls will be on display at Jubilee Library in Brighton from 19 March for a week. The photographs will then be moved to The Keep archives and historical resources centre to provide a permanent record.

New Homes for Neighbourhoods   A total of 131 new council homes will be completed during the current financial year (2017/18)  – 57 flats at Kite Place in Whitehawk, 29 flats at Hobby Place in Whitehawk, 45 flats at Brooke Mead Extra Care scheme in Albion Street, Brighton.