The council is weighing up the potential to purchase 21 homes built on a former school site.

Brighton and Hove City council will be considering a proposal on the potential purchase of 21 homes in Rottingdean which would provide more council housing.

This comes after the council announced that they will continue their current plans to buy homes back that were previously sold through the Right to Buy scheme.

If a purchase goes ahead, the homes will be used for people on the city’s housing register.  They include four fully adapted wheelchair accessible flats.

The recommendation for the cabinet meeting on Thursday is for councillors to authorise an offer to buy the homes – a mix of flats and family houses on part of the former St Aubyn’s School site.

They were built by a private developer as part of the affordable housing element of a development on the school site but have not been occupied since their inception.

A report to the cabinet meeting has stated that the developer approached the council about a possible purchase of the properties in Nicholson Place and Vaughan Williams Way.

Councillor Gill Williams, cabinet member for housing and new homes, said: “We are facing a housing crisis in the city and we are being proactive in our approach to secure more council housing.

“The proposed purchase of the homes in Rottingdean could provide a significant boost of 21 good quality properties, meeting a range of needs from 3 bedroom family houses to one bedroom flats.”

Plans for 28 flats at Portslade Village Centre in Windlesham Close Plans for 28 flats at Portslade Village Centre in Windlesham Close (Image: Brighton and Hove City Council)

A separate report to the cabinet meeting will provide an update on the New Homes for Neighbourhoods programme being delivered by the council which plans to build new council-rented homes.

If agreed, three schemes providing a total of 67 extra council homes in Hollingbury, Portslade and Moulsecoomb will move ahead.

The schemes already have planning permission and are as follows: 

  • 9 flats on the former Hollingbury Library site in Carden Hill.
  • 28 flats at Portslade Village Centre in Windlesham Close. 
  • 30 studios to be used as short-term supported accommodation for young people in Eastergate Road, Moulsecoomb.