Councillors to decide on application for Brighton Gasworks site
An amended planning application for the former Brighton Gasworks will be decided by councillors at a special Planning Committee meeting on 22 May 2024.
The 2-hectare site is next to the A259 coastal road and near Black Rock, Brighton Marina and East Brighton Park.
The land is owned by National Grid and the developer St. William. It currently has two redundant gasometers with supporting gas infrastructure and is being used for storage, parking and light industrial activity.
The amended scheme
St. William amended the scheme after reviewing feedback on their earlier proposals from council officers and comments from local residents and amenity groups.
The amended proposal is for a mixed-use scheme with 495 residential units and 2,791sqm of commercial space. A mix of building types is proposed, ranging from 3 to 12 storeys. Communal and public spaces will be provided. The site will be accessed by Boundary Road and Marina Way.
The residential units will be made up of 26 studios, 142 one-bed flats, 265 two-bed, 48 three-bed, and 14 3- or 4-bed town houses.
Flexible employment space with the potential to support over 100 full-time equivalent jobs is predominantly at ground floor level. 2000sqm of the employment floorspace will be solely for either office, research and development or light industrial use as part of the conditions of planning permission being granted.
Different sized units throughout the site are expected to be suitable for retail, restaurant / café, professional services, medical or health services, creche or recreation facilities.
Revisions from earlier proposals include reductions in height and alterations to the architecture of buildings in the north of the site; 70 fewer homes overall with a higher percentage of larger units; and more views through the site with improved sunlight to public spaces.
There will be parking for 179 vehicles and 560 bikes.
Affordable housing
The applicant has provided a Financial Viability Assessment which sets out that no affordable housing could be viably provided. It has been agreed to use a provision for reasonable endeavours to provide affordable housing through the sale of 40% of the homes to a Registered Provider of affordable housing who would purchase the homes with grant funding.
This would consist of 198 affordable dwellings split 55/45 between affordable rent and shared ownership. The proposed mix is 77 one-bed, 107 two-bed and 14 three-bed units.
Consultation
The revised scheme went to a full public re-consultation in February 2024. In total 1,807 comments were received, including 1,733 objections and 58 in support. 36 statutory bodies have also responded to the consultations. These, and all documents relating to the application, can be viewed through our online Planning Register by searching for application BH2021/04167.
How the application will be decided
Councillors will vote on the decision for the application at the Special Planning Committee meeting. If a majority vote in favour then the application is approved.
Having studied the application documents and comments received, the committee will also visit the site ahead of Planning Committee. In the Committee meeting they will hear a report from council planning officers, a submission by the developers, hear from residents who have arranged to speak in advance, ask questions and debate before voting to grant or refuse.
Key considerations in that decision will include the suitability of the site for the proposed density and commercial uses after the remedial measures required to make the site suitable for use are in place; the external design; appearance and impacts on heritage in the wider townscape; internal design quality; the impact on neighbours and local roads.
Given the history of the site, land contamination issues will also be considered by councillors.
The recommendation from officers in their report to Committee Councillors is a “minded to grant planning permission” subject to conditions and planning obligations.
You can watch the Planning Committee webcast live on our website from 2pm on Wednesday 22 May 2024.
