Portslade councillors raise concerns about plan for Old Brewery

South Portslade councillors Alan Robins and Les Hamilton, as well as North Portslade councillor Peter Atkinson, are calling on Brighton and Hove City Council and local NHS commissioners to pause plans to open around 50 beds at the old Le Carbone factory and brewery building for people with “medium to long term mental health problems”.

Cllr Robins and Cllr Hamilton are concerned that there has been “no proper discussion” around how the facility might impact on the community or whether the needs of the residents of the facility can be properly met in the building setting.

“We had very little warning around this” said Cllr Robins. “We were told just seven days before they were going to move the first clients in.”

A spokesman from Brighton and Hove City Council said a meeting is now taking place today to “decide a way forward”.

“This will include how the organisations communicate with local residents and how they’ll be involved going forward,” he said.

The scheme will be funded by a joint working group from Brighton and Hove City Council and NHS commissioners.

It will be run by Darlington based charity St John of God Hospitaller Services (SJOG) and residents will come from two existing homes run by Sanctuary Housing and Brighton Housing Trust.

The building, also previously known as the Old Brewery, in South Street, Portslade, will be staffed on a 24-hour basis.

SJOG has advertised for several roles for the facility, including a substance misuse coordinator.

The advert said: “The service specialises in providing accommodation and support to people who have a mental health diagnosis and / or other disabilities.

“The people we support may also have a history of, or ongoing issues with substance misuse and alcohol abuse and experience of trauma.”

Cllr Robins said plans to move residents in have now moved to the beginning of November, but the councillors are worried that residents have had no chance to look at plans and discuss them with councillors, council officers or the NHS commissioning team.

Councillors in Portslade have raised concerns about plans for the Old Brewery (Image: Newsquest)

The councillors have also been contacted by staff from the existing services who are worried that clients “will not cope” in the proposed setting.

It is believed these members of staff will be transferred from the existing services to the new building.

Cllr Atkinson said the councillors were “mystified” that Sanctuary Housing and Brighton Housing Trust were not chosen to run the facility and hit out at the council for not launching a consultation.

“We need a full and thorough consultation,” he said.

“It may be that any fears we have will be unfounded and that the council and NHS commissioners can reassure us all. But we need to give local people the chance to know what the proposals are, meet the organisation who will be running it and explore any issues that they might have.”