New homes for locals approved in historic North Laine terraces

Planning permission has just been granted for 12 new homes for rent in central Brighton, aimed at people on the housing waiting list.

The homes will be on three small separate plots in Kensington Street in the city’s North Laine area. The decision came at today’s planning committee at Hove Town Hall (November 9 2016).

The city council’s own regeneration department made the application.  Accommodation would be two one-bedroom houses, one two-bedroom house and nine one-bedroom flats.  One wheelchair- accessible flat is included. The authority felt the constrained sites were best suited to small units of accommodation rather than family homes.

Historically the sites were occupied by terraced housing, thought to have been demolished in the 1980s.  Since then they have been used for car parking. They have also become well-known for large-scale graffiti.

The two and three-storey buildings would be of contemporary design, but with an appearance reflecting the surrounding North Laine Conservation Area.  Each would have high levels of energy-efficiency with triple glazing and ‘heat recovery’ technology, which re-uses warmth otherwise lost through ventilation.

Chair of the planning committee Cllr Julie Cattell said:  “In approving this application we will be able to create vital new homes for local people, on brownfield sites, in a central, sustainable location.  It also means the holes in these traditional terraces will be filled, improving the look of the street, bringing new life and enhancing the conservation area.”

The Kensington Street scheme is part of the council’s New Homes for Neighbourhoods programme . This aims to build at least 500 new affordable homes on council-owned land.

One of three plots in Kensington Street earmarked for new council housing

How the new homes would look