Wednesday 17 September 2014

Circus Street scheme approved

The planning committee today approved the Public-Private Partnership scheme by Cathedral (Brighton) Ltd, the University of Brighton and the city council, to transform the one–hectare site off Circus Street.

The former municipal fruit and veg market would become a mixed-use scheme and innovation quarter, expected to create 400 jobs and inject £200m into the city’s economy over the next 10 years.

Permission includes 142 new homes, 20 per cent affordable.

New teaching and research facilities would be created for the University of Brighton, including a new library. Pressure would be taken off the city’s family homes by the inclusion of 450 units of student accommodation.

Alongside will be a new dance studio for South East Dance, expected to attract 70,000 visitors and users a year.

Workspaces would be aimed at start-up businesses, artists and larger companies. A modern office building, including over 3,000 sqm of flexible space would help growing creative and digital businesses remain and flourish in the city.

The scheme includes restaurants or shops at ground floor level, around a new public square. Cathedral are promising 'green' walls, 'green' roofs, 78 new trees and allotments for food growing - producing over 200kg of food per year for residents.

Developers have also agreed to pay £250,000 to improve local transport and recreation provision and to use at least 20 per cent local labour for construction.

The downside is that, by granting approval, the council appears to have downgraded their tall-buildings policy.

1 comment:

  1. Also, once again Kaplan are finding our historic buildings to create something for Brighton University, which could be built in a wasted area instead.

    ReplyDelete

In event of difficulty in adding comment, email:- quedula@gmail.com