Brighton & Hove Councillor Voices Fears Over Extra 300 Homes Plan

A ward councillor has criticised the lack of detail in a council proposal to buy land to build 300 homes in Hove.

Independent councillor Samer Bagaeen said that the council was proposing to spend a minimum of £1 million buying the site where the developer Moda had planned 260 “extra care” flats.

Moda is near to completing a £160 million scheme to build almost 600 flats on part of the old Sackville Trading Estate, in Sackville Road, Hove.

When the initial scheme was granted planning permission by Brighton and Hove City Council in July 2019, it included approval for the extra care flats at the northern end of the site.

But instead of extra care flats, the first edition of the council’s “forward plan” gave the first indication of a different future for the site.

The forward plan included an item headed: “Homes for Brighton and Hove – Sackville Trading Estate.”

The full wording of the item said: “This report recommends the purchase and development for affordable housing of part of the Sackville Trading Estate by the Homes for Brighton and Hove joint venture.”

Homes for Brighton and Hove is a joint venture with the Hyde Group, one of Britain’s leading housing associations, to build 1,000 low-cost homes for working families.

Councillor Bagaeen said that no further details were being made available until the release of a report five working days before the first meeting of the new Labour cabinet.

Having followed Moda’s progress for more than five years, he was critical of the lack of detail before such a key decision about a site bordering his Westdene and Hove Park ward.

Moda Development June 2024

He has been a member of the community liaison group for the Moda scheme but the group had had no hint or warning of the change of plan although he understood that something was in the pipeline.

His concerns were not just the purchase price of the land, which is expected to be more than £1 million.

The council’s cabinet is also expected to commit to a £70 million programme to build 300 “affordable” flats with minimal scrutiny.

If the cabinet agrees that the council should buy the plot, a new planning application will be required. The existing plan was for 260 retirement homes with communal spaces, a restaurant and gym.

Councillor Bagaeen said:

“It’s going to cost more than £1 million and it will be interesting to see what that report (to cabinet) says about that money and where it’s coming from.

“It could be coming from housing contributions from developers or many other things.”

Councillor Bagaeen was concerned about the effect of even more homes on local infrastructure, with more than 1,000 people expected to live in the Moda flats adding to pressure on doctors’ surgeries and buses.

Moda said:

“Moda is committed to completing the neighbourhood in a way that continues to benefit the Brighton and Hove community and is in ongoing talks with a housing association provider and the city council around the delivery of more than 300 affordable homes to the remainder of the site.

“Subject to planning, we look forward to sharing more details on this exciting project in the coming months.”

The cabinet is due to meet for the first time at 2pm on Thursday, June 27 at Hove Town Hall. The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.