Council 'changed policy' to aid gasworks development, campaigners say

Jeremy Mustoe is among representatives from 13 groups in the city who oppose the Brighton Gasworks development.

St William, part of the Berkeley Group, wants to build several high-rise blocks of flats at the site between Marina Way, Roedean Road and Boundary Road.

READ MORE: Heritage groups unite against Brighton Gasworks development

The developer intends to transform the area, building between 600 and 700 apartments, 2,000sqm of office space and a public square - and has launched a second public consultation, which runs until March 5.

Heritage societies and campaign groups have written an open letter to St William urging the developer to reconsider its plans.

They say the area is unsuitable for tall buildings because of its situation on a cliff, its proximity to heritage assets - such as the Grade 1 listed Kemp Town Estate - and the relative height of other buildings.

A poster against the development, by Charles Harrison

Mr Mustoe, chairman of the Brighton Society, said he suspects the city council of adapting its policy on areas deemed suitable for tall buildings, to bolster the developer's interests at the gasworks site.

While Brighton Marina was identified as suitable area for high-rise buildings in the council's 2004 Tall Buildings Study, the gasworks site was not mentioned.

SEE ALSO: Campaigners' fears over Brighton gasworks development

In 2016, the council's City Plan marked the gasworks site as suitable for a "minimum of 85 residential units" with no mention of the height of buildings.

Another Urban Design Framework document in 2018 defined the Tall Buildings Area at Brighton Marina as "limited to the boundaries formed by the eastern and western breakwaters and the undercliff walk to the north".

But last October a draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) was issued for public consultation, which included the gasworks site in an area "with potential for tall buildings”.

A map of the site for the planned development. Photo: St William/Berkeley Group

Mr Mustoe said: "The implication is that something happened between July 2018 and October last year which moved the area from the initial draft document and included it as suitable for tall buildings on the gasworks site.

"We know Berkeley came on the scene with a proposal for some really tall buildings on that site last June.

"The council is putting its head in the sand at the moment."

#RethinkTheGasworks @BerkeleyGroupUK promise ‘Publicly accessible open space’ but we fear this will be unattractive dark shaded space dominated by tall buildings @brightonargus @bhcitynews @latestbrighton pic.twitter.com/jBKdilGOJW

— Brighton Society (@brightonsociety) February 19, 2021

In their open letter, the 13 heritage societies and campaign groups said: “The council wants effectively to create a new Tall Buildings Area specifically for the gasworks site through new Supplementary Planning Guidance and, we suspect, specifically to give this proposal some form of justification.

“If approved it would set a terrible precedent for other areas of the city, where policy could be overturned to fit with a developer's needs.”

Mr Mustoe said he had never known so many societies to come together against one particular development - but he said the groups are not opposed to any new buildings at the gasworks site.

He said: "This site must be developed as it's a mess, but we want a low-rise development.

An artist's impression of plans for part of the Brighton Gasworks development, at the site's northern entrance. Credit: St William

"It's going to be visible from all over and the last thing we need is a conglomeration of tall buildings by the chalk cliffs. That would be more suitable for a city centre location.

"We're insisting that Berkeley go away and rethink their plans - this solution is completely wrong."

A council spokesman said: “The principle of allocating the site for intensified use was agreed back in 2016 when our City Plan Part 1 was adopted. This followed exhaustive city-wide consultation.

“The site was identified as suitable for tall buildings in the draft Urban Design Framework Supplementary Guidance published last year. This was not in response to the emerging proposals for the gasworks.

“This draft guidance has recently been subject to consultation, and we will be reviewing the status of the site in the light of comments made during the consultation.

“We have not so far received a planning application for this development.

“If and when we do we will be consulting local residents, and our planning committee has a legal duty to consider all planning applications on their individual merits.”