The West Hill Community Association was one of the14 community groups which formed the coalition “AGHAST” (Action on Gasworks Housing, Safety, Affordability and Transparency) to oppose the proposed development of high-rise blocks on the former gasworks site near the Grade 1 Listed Kemp Town Estate. To the dismay of local councillors, residents and amenity associations a planning inspector representing the then secretary of state Angela Rayner (yes, she) has now overturned the decision of our City’s Planning Committee to refuse the scheme. Our councillors gave three reasons for refusal: 

The scheme would represent an overdevelopment of the site with excessive scale, massing, density and heights that are not in keeping with the area, which along with the design and material palette would cumulatively harm the townscape, landscape and seascape of the area and its heritage assets. (It should be noted that the site is not in a “Tall Buildings Zone”).

The under-provision of larger units would fail to meet the identified housing need of the city. (It offers an) unacceptable standard of accommodation for future residents by reason of poor levels of amenity and light to some dwellings.

To rub salt into the wound the Inspector has directed that our City Council pay the costs of developers St William, the nom de guerre of Berkeley Homes. These costs could run into hundreds of thousands of pounds. Berkeley Homes, incidentally, last published profits of £179 million. The Inspector justified his costs decision by describing the Council’s behaviour in opposing the scheme as unreasonable!

A retired professor of architecture at Brighton University has questioned the impartiality of the Planning Inspector, citing the Inspector’s previous support for the suggestion by a “think tank” that “councillors should have no say over deciding applications for new developments”.

The professor further called the scheme a “ghastly overdevelopment”; no wonder Angela Rayner bought her £800,000 seaside flat on the other side of the city in Hove!