Circus Street Municipal Market site
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Circus Street Municipal Market site
The city council and the University of Brighton have been working in partnership towards the regeneration of the former Circus Street Municipal Market site. The city council is looking to achieve its economic development objectives of providing more employment floorspace, and housing objectives of increasing the supply of affordable units, as well as ensuring that the site is developed to the very highest standards of urban design and sustainability. The site benefits from a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)[PDF 2,631kb] that was adopted by the Environment Committee in March 2006.
The Cathedral Group were the successful bidders. Cathedral's bid scheme, dubbed 'Grow Brighton' will deliver the following uses:
- New Library and teaching space for the University of Brighton and Student Accommodation (c.400 bed residences) as part of an improved educational quarter
- Dance Studio and Creative Space for the city
- Corporate Offices
- Strata Offices
- Retail
- Residential: c.160-200 units (depending upon final mix)
- Creative Industries Market
The headline economic benefits include 140 FTE (full time equivalent) construction jobs and 170 FTE jobs generated by the completed development and an economic impact in the city economy of £153m over ten years. The qualitative benefits include the fact that student housing will relieve pressure on the private rented sector; there will be more, affordable, homes; the dance studio provides a focus for dance in the city; it will further integrate the university into the heart of the city and will bring enterprise to creativity through, for example, the creative industries market. There are also physical and townscape improvements linked to the public event square and permeability of the site, replacing the existing derelict market building.
The inclusion of the creative space and dance studio within the scheme will contribute to its long term success in terms of the vibrancy of the area. It will diversify the usage of the site in terms of the range of users and the timings of usage. This will help stop the site becoming an island site and connect it into the other sites with cultural facilities in the city, close to the cultural quarter.
Current Project Status
Because the Circus Street scheme has always been expected to deliver significant community benefits and high environmental standards, its financial viability was badly hit by the downturn in the development market.
The city council has now signed a refreshed development agreement with the developers, the Cathedral Group, and the University of Brighton. This development agreement is in line with the Heads of Terms agreed at Cabinet earlier in 2012 and should now unlock the development potential of the site.
Cathedral Group are close to announcing new architects to realise their vision for the site. This follows a design competition involving the partners.
Interim Uses
Cathedral are exploring interim uses for the existing building while the development goes through the planning process. Expect more information on this soon.
If you have any queries please contact:
Major Projects & Regeneration
Tel: (01273) 29-3451
E-mail: mpt@brighton-hove.gov.uk