An innovative proposal to provide 21 new homes for local young people will be considered by the council’s Housing & New Homes Committee on 14 June.
Factory built apartments, known as Y:Cubes, could be put up in Eastergate Road, Moulsecoomb in a joint initiative between Brighton & Hove City Council and the YMCA DownsLink Group charity.
The aim is to make good use of a small council owned garage site, which has already largely been cleared, to provide much needed affordable housing for young people. This land, adjacent to a trading estate, would be unsuitable for family housing and difficult to develop by conventional methods.
It is still early days – at this stage councillors on the Housing and New Homes Committee are considering whether to lease the land to the YMCA. A final decision on the lease is due to be made by the Policy, Resources and Growth Committee in July and, if a lease is granted, the YMCA will then have to apply for planning permission.
Thirty-six Y:Cube apartments have already been completed by YMCA South West London in Mitcham, and more schemes are in development in the London area. The homes - which are delivered to their location by lorry and craned into place - are designed to provide high quality accommodation and last as long as traditionally built homes.
In a separate proposal, members of the Housing & New Homes Committee will also consider plans to build eight new council homes for rent in Lynchet Close, Hollingdean. This scheme consists of six large family houses and two flats. They would be of timber frame construction to achieve cost efficient and speedy development.
Both projects are part of the council’s New Homes for Neighbourhoods building programme, which is working to develop at least 500 affordable new homes across the city on council land. For more information, visit www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/nhfn.
Councillor Anne Meadows, chair of the Housing & New Homes Committee, said: “There is huge demand for housing in the city and we are looking at creative and innovative ways of putting small pockets of underused land to best use, to improve neighbourhoods for existing residents and provide more homes for local people to rent.”
The full report is available in the agenda for the 14 June 2017 Housing & New Homes Committee.
The Y:Cube was developed by YMCA South West London in response to the housing crisis and lack of affordable accommodation for young people, and designed by architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. The apartments are used to help young people who are ready to move on from hostels and supported accommodation.