Property news: Leaders-sponsored quiz
Leaders-sponsored quiz raises £7000 for Rockinghorse Children’s Charity
A local children’s charity raised £7,000 from its annual quiz night to help sick children in Sussex.
Brighton based Rockinghorse held the Big Kidz Cartoon Quiz at Sussex County Cricket Club in Hove on Thursday 21 March which was attended by 250 local business men and women. Sponsored by Leaders lettings agents, the theme of the evening was kids’ cartoons from across the eras.
Money was raised on the night through ticket sales as well as a number of fundraising games, including a raffle, auction and a tree of life which included prizes donated from key Rockinghorse supporters and Sussex businesses. As the official fundraising arm of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital (the Alex) and from its beginning, a vital supporter of the Trevor Mann Baby Unit (TMBU), proceeds from the quiz will enable Rockinghorse to purchase life-saving and cutting-edge medical equipment to benefit young patients who use the facilities.
Rockinghorse Chief Executive, Ryan Heal, said: “We are overwhelmed by the support from everyone who attended our Big Kidz Cartoon Quiz, helping us to raise an impressive £7,000.
“We’d like to thank everyone who came and supported us on the night and to all the local businesses who donated prizes enabling us to raise a fantastic amount of money for the Alex and TMBU.”
To get involved in future Rockinghorse events, please visit the website www.rockinghorse.org.uk.
Brighton & Hove introduces new planning rules for student lets and Houses in Multiple Occupation
On Friday 5 April, new rules about small student lets and houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) came into force in five electoral wards within Brighton and Hove. The areas of the city to be covered by the controls are those most affected by large concentrations of student lets and HMOs. These are: Hanover and Elm Grove, Hollingdean and Stanmer, Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, Queen’s Park, St Peters and the North Laine.
The council has introduced a control, known as an Article 4 direction, to help improve the management and quality of student accommodation and prevent over-concentration of HMOs in established residential areas. The direction means that a planning application will be required to change the use of a house (defined as C3 use in planning legislation) to a small house in multiple occupation (C4 use class). Small HMOs are defined as properties lived in by between three and six people where facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom are shared.
The Article 4 direction removes existing rights to change the use of a family house into a small HMO without seeking planning permission. The change will not affect existing HMOs.
The measure takes into account recommendations in the Student Housing Strategy made in partnership by the council, the city’s Universities, letting agents and private sector landlords.
The council’s City Plan includes a policy that sets out how planning applications for new student lets and HMOs will be applied. Changes of use will not be allowed where more than 10 per cent of dwellings, within a 50m radius of the application site, are already in HMO use.
Liz Wakefield, Chair of Brighton & Hove City Council’s Housing Committee, says: “Our universities and student population are important elements of the city’s demographic and we need to ensure landlords are providing them with suitable accommodation. The new rules will help us to monitor HMOs and provide a balance of sustainable and inclusive communities across Brighton & Hove.”
Maps showing the concentration of existing licensed HMOs and properties occupied by students in the five wards on a street by street basis can be viewed online at: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1263354
For pre-application advice please visit the council website: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1199514 or call the Duty Planning Officer: 01273 292222
