Student flats approved for Moulsecoomb Place, Lewes Road, Brighton

The blocks, containing 566 student rooms, are due to be built at Moulsecoomb Place, next to Brighton University’s campus in Lewes Road.

One councillor, concerned about the height of the blocks, said that the scheme was crass – and she criticised the proposed loss of a listed flint wall.

The plans for Moulsecoomb Place have been approved (Image: Studio Egret West)

But Brighton and Hove City Council’s planning committee approved the plans which were submitted by the developer Cathedral and which involve demolishing the existing outdated student bedsits on the site.

Each of the proposed blocks would include a gym and wellbeing studio, with a public café planned for the ground floor of the tallest block.

Labour councillor Theresa Fowler, who represents Hollingdean and Stanmer ward, objected to the scheme.

The new development will be built on Lewes Road (Image: Cathedral)

She said that the proposed blocks would overshadow residents and criticised the destruction of the flint wall.

Cllr Fowler was concerned about the Grade II listed Georgian manor house and tithe barn which are expected to become a new “hub”, with a pub, 10 guest bedrooms and event space.

The tithe barn would continue to house the Moulsecoomb Social Club.

Some councillors opposed the development (Image: Cathedral)

Cllr Fowler said: “To surround this building with tower blocks, which would dominate and overshadow these buildings, is just a crass proposal.

“The people of Brighton and Hove and the surrounding area of Lewes Road have had enough of tower blocks.”

Cathedral founder Richard Upton told the council’s planning committee at Hove Town Hall that he had worked in the area for 17 years.

A series of designs were presented to councillors (Image: Cathedral)

Mr Upton said that his company – Cathedral’s owner U+I – was responsible for award-winning projects in Circus Street and at Preston Barracks.

He said: “We have listened carefully to ward councillors, the neighbours, members and to leaders of the local community over many years – and we know higher education is one of the principle economic drivers in the city.

“There is a significant shortfall of student bedrooms with Brighton which will continue to hurt both universities and the city by placing pressure on existing housing stock.”

Designs for the development include attractive gardens (Image: Cathedral)

Mr Upton, chief development officer at U&I, now part of Land Securities, said that student housing should be next to universities – not in areas that were next to or suitable for housing.

Conservative councillor Carol Theobald was unhappy about the height of the tallest buildings and abstained from voting on the application although she backed listed building consent.

Cllr Theobald said that the 15-storey block would be up the hill from Lewes Road and would appear to be even taller.

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She said: “I just think we’re going back to the ’60s and ’70s. To my mind, that’s too high. If only they’d just evened it and had three blocks of nine (storeys) – something lower.”

Labour councillor Clare Moonan said that the flats would be high density but added that student housing was needed close to the university.

Cllr Moonan said: “It is regrettable, the loss of the flint wall, but we have to offset that by bringing two listed buildings back into how they would have been more historically by removing later additions and making them open and accessible to the public which they haven’t been for a long time.

“Having a green space that would be open to the public in a dense area of the city is very positive.”

Green councillor Siriol Hugh-Jones said that the “massing” was concentrated in one area to protect the manor house and tithe barn.

Cllr Hugh-Jones said: “Unless we are prepared to build with some higher density, we’re not going to protect our greenfield sites.

“This is a completely brownfield site and I wish that we had more applications that are as sensitive as this one.”

The committee voted unanimously in favour of “listed building consent” and 6-0 in favour of the wider scheme, with one abstention.