Hove Park depot buildings to be demolished

Three buildings are to be demolished on the depot site at the edge of Hove Park.

Two stores and a workshop are to be pulled down on the site where the Bilingual Primary School – temporarily based in Falmer – wants to build new premises.

A separate application to put up a primary school building was withdrawn before the meeting of the Brighton and Hove City Council Planning Committee at Hove Town Hall this afternoon (Wednesday 18 September).

Councillors were told that the loss of the depot buildings would not adversely affect the Engineerium Conservation Area.

And in response to questions from Councillor Ben Duncan, Councillor Bob Carden and Councillor Les Hamilton, the committee was told that badger setts in the area were protected by law.

Councillor Duncan said: “This seems to be part of a bigger application that has actually been withdrawn. This seems to be part one of a two-stage process.

“What we’re looking at is demolishing buildings that have no conservation merit but what we’ll be left with is an empty site that has no conservation merit either.

“It seems to me that this is premature. We should consider this later when there’s a full application for the site.”

The committee was told that the parks depot was still being used but that most of the staff working there had been transferred to the Stanmer nursery.

They were also told that they were required to make a decision about the site, which is owned by the council, even though another application may follow later.

The committee voted to allow the three buildings to be demolished.