Brighton and Hove's new Royal Mail sorting office plans

The Royal Mail has submitted a planning application to build a new delivery office at Patcham Court Farm, in Vale Avenue, Brighton.

The plans went live on Brighton and Hove City Council’s website last week but opposition to the move appears to have grown over the past six months.

The Royal Mail held two public consultation events – both webinars – and Conservative councillors representing Patcham on the council started a petition against the plans.

The application is to demolish the existing disused farm buildings and construct a storage and distribution centre with parking and landscaping.

Two sub-stations and a “vehicle maintenance facility” are also included in the application.

Artist\'S Impression Royal Mail Patcham Court Farm 3

The Royal Mail currently has two sorting offices – one in North Road, Brighton, the other in Denmark Villas, Hove. These would merge into one in Patcham should the plans be approved.

But there would be no customer pick-up point at the Patcham site so Royal Mail is expected to look for a site in Brighton and Hove where people can collect missed deliveries.

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The Royal Mail said: “The proposed development at Patcham Court Farm is a highly sensitively designed scheme which will bring considerable employment opportunities to this site and deliver an operationally fit-for-purpose building to enable Royal Mail’s future growth and adaptation to a changing business model.

“The design is highly cognisant of the sensitive location in which it is situated and goes to significant lengths to mitigate the impact of the development on both the conservation area and the residents of Patcham.

Artist\'S Impression Royal Mail Patcham Court Farm

“Feedback from both the pre-application meeting and the public consultation have been taken into account and addressed in this design proposal while ensuring that the site remains operationally suitable.”

Less than a week after the application went live on the council’s planning website, 118 letters of objection were submitted by residents and two letters supporting the scheme.

One objector, whose details were redacted by the council, said: “This is a ridiculous site proposal due to limited space and parking in an already overparked area.

“I will be sorry for the residents in Vale Avenue for the stress it would cause, the noise pollution and heavy traffic flow to an already busy road in and out of Patcham.

“Green space should be preserved in areas so as not to feel overcrowded and a place where people can walk, dog-walk, play and enjoy some fresh air and space.”

One of the anonymous supportive comments said: “I support these plans. They are of good design, will create additional jobs in the area, support use of local amenities and are environmentally conscious.

“This is in a derelict and neglected site that coupled with the road noise of the A27 make this an ideal area for development and (will) improve the local area.”

Councillors are due to discuss a proposed lease of the site to the Royal Mail at a special meeting of the council’s Policy and Resources Committee at 2pm on Friday (29 July).

Should councillors agree, the Royal Mail will give the council’s joint venture with Hyde Housing – known as Homes for Brighton and Hove – four months to put forward proposals to turn one or both of the existing sorting offices into housing.

To see the plans and to comment, visit the council’s website and search for BH2022/02232.