The owner of "the worst eyesore in Brighton" should be made to knock it down, the incoming mayor has said. David Smith called for the city council to force a compulsory purchase of Anston House, pictured above.

The office block in Preston Road, the gateway to the city, has been derelict for almost 20 years despite numerous applications by Anston Properties to build offices or a hotel.

Councillor Smith accused the firm of seeking planning permission with no intention of redeveloping and urged the council to force the compulsory purchase to warn landowners they must not let prime sites stagnate.

He said: "That is the worst eyesore in the whole of Brighton. What impression does that give of the city if people come to spend money here?

"This property has been empty for over 20 years and during those years Brighton council and now the city council have given the owner planning permission on at least ten occasions for redevelopment.

"The owner has on each occasion let most of these planning permissions lapse and in my opinion has never had any intention of redeveloping."

Coun Smith is a former planning committee member who will become mayor of Brighton and Hove in May.

The Argus has revealed the building's owner, who lives in Monaco, claims to have £140 million plans for a mixed development but refuses to take them further because he believes the planning committee is prejudiced against major projects.

Simon Burgess, city council leader, said: "I am keen to see Anston House brought back into use. We are obviously quite dependent on what a private developer wants to put forward.

"It is always a difficult decision whether to allow a change of use. Before you know it, you can end up just with residential. We need employment space."

Anston Properties declined to comment.

Monday, March 27, 2006