Brighton college given permission for £73m rebuilding scheme

City College Brighton and Hove has been given planning permission for a £73 million modernisation scheme.

Brighton and Hove City Council approved the plans at Hove Town Hall this morning (Wednesday 11 December).

Six councillors voted for and six voted against the scheme. It went through on the casting vote of the Planning Committee chairman Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty.

The planning permission is subject to a number of details being agreed with planning officials over the coming months and years.

He described the scheme as being about the young people who will make up the future workforce of Brighton and Hove.

City College Lynn Thackway was in tears at the result. She said: “I’m absolutely delighted for the staff and students of the college.

Lynn Thackway

“It’s a vote of confidence in future generations in Brighton and Hove.”

She said that it would have a positive impact not just on the future workforce of the area but on the economy of Brighton and Hove too.

Students are expected to move into the first new classrooms in 2016.

The chairman of governors at City College Peter Hofman said: “We’re delighted naturally for the future of further education in the city that the decision is a positive one in favour of the development of new facilities for students in the city.

“We know it will have a major impact on regeneration and lots of other positive economic advantages.

“We also recognise some of the legitimate concerns of local residents and we’re committed to working with them through the construction process and the ongoing management of the public spaces to make sure all their concerns are addressed.”

Economic adviser Scott Marshall, of This is Regeneration, helped to make the social and economic benefits for the scheme.

He said: “It will revitalise investment and footfall, particularly in London Road, and spread confidence among the development community that major regeneration schemes can be delivered.”

The scheme involves building an eight-storey teaching block on the site of the current car park.

A ten-storey block of student flats will be built on the site of the current tower block, Pelham Tower, with Sussex University having signed up to lease all 442 flats.

Outline permission has been granted to knock down the York, Trafalgar and Cheapside buildings and build up to 125 homes on the site.

The Planning Committee was told that 155 letters of objections were received and 30 individual letters of support as well as 341 standard letters of support.

The North Laine Community Association, the Brighton Society and the Conservation Advisory Group opposed the plans.

The Economic Partnership and Business Forum supported the scheme.

The sale and rent of housing, including the student flats, will fund the overall scheme.