A massive industrial building which has been empty since it was built three years ago may be turned into offices.

The 28,000sqft Exion 27 building in Crowhurst Road, Hollingbury, was built to house light manufacturing.

There was office space on the upper floors but planners said it had to be linked to the industries operating below.

Now the managing agent is submitting a change-of-use planning application to free-up the ground floor for office space.

Last year, the Brighton & Hove Economic Partnership met in the building to highlight the problems of inflexibility in the planning system and the group hopes the application will be viewed sympathetically.

Friday July 23, 2004