A popular children’s play centre is to close as 104 new homes are built in School Road, Hove.
Although no date has been set, Westows is expected to be operating until well into next year.
The news comes as outline planning permission was granted this afternoon (Wednesday 12 July) for the housing scheme which includes 41 homes for local people in need.
The revamped site, currently known as the Westerman Complex, will also include almost 600 square metres of office space.
The current two-storey brick buildings date from the 1950s and were described as unremarkable when the plans were discussed by members of Brighton and Hove City Council.
They were originally industrial and light industrial units and, as well as Westows, are currently home to a church, tool hire business and MoT test centre.
More than 180 people objected to the plans, submitted by Cross Stone Securities, a Crowborough company.
Councillor Robert Nemeth told the council’s Planning Committee at Hove Town Hall that the neighbours deserved praise for staying focused during the long gestation of the plans.
He also thanked the developer and his architect for the way that they had engaged with people living near the scheme despite the differences of opinion about it.
Councillor Nemeth said: “Many concerns remain. Bulk, scale and mass are principle concerns but overlooking is the real issue.”
He was concerned about the loss of business space – down from 5,000 square metres to 572 square metres.
And he also spoke about the loss of community space “hot on the heels of the YMCA going”.
Parking was also a concern. The Conservative ward councillor said that the proposed 93 spaces would not be enough, especially if the scheme managed to create the number of jobs promised.
His fellow Wish Ward councillor, Garry Peltzer Dunn, spoke about neighbours’ fears of a loss of privacy.
Planning agent Simon Bareham, from Lewis and Co, reminded the Planning Committee that it was only an outline planning application.
Mr Bareham said: The matter before you is the number of units and the layout.”
The detailed design and landscaping would be decided at a future date on a scheme which had been seven years in the making after a great deal of consultation.
He said that, as a mixed use scheme, with offices and housing, the parking would not all be needed at the same time and should be enough.
He added: “This could be available for everyone in about 2020.”
The Planning Committee was told that, under an agreement between the council and developers, 40 per cent of the homes would be for affordable shared ownership or rent, aimed at local people in housing need.
Approval permits up to 83 flats and 21 houses, comprising 48 one-bed units, 34 two-bed, and 22 three-bed. Permitted heights will be between three and five stories, depending on location within the site.
Developers will also pay £210,000 towards education in the area, £250,000 towards open spaces and indoor recreation, £74,000 towards sustainable transport and £45,000 towards improving public spaces, making £579,000 in total.
A residential travel plan includes two years’ free membership of a car club plus £250 to buy a bike or equipment. Ninety three parking spaces are proposed.
Twenty per cent of the workforce during demolition and construction should be local and the developers will also pay £35,000 to the council’s employment scheme.
Councillor Julie Cattell, who chairs the Planning Committee, said: “Again this application has seen us securing our top target figure of 40 per cent affordable housing for local people. It’s the right thing to do wherever possible.
“I also very much welcome the fact we’re able to retain jobs on this site in modern premises of a kind that businesses want.”
More homes, nowhere for kids to play!! Nice one 👍🏽
Wish Park is nearby.
It’s alright wish park being close by but it doesn’t have soft play for younger children does it?
Perhaps you should ask your Councillors if some of the 106 money could be used for that purpose?
Yes let’s build more homes and office space ,that never gets used and well needed play areas for when weather is bad! Congratulations Brighton and Hove
what about cliffords
When you all have nice warm comfortable homes to live in, and a reliable roof over your head it’s easy to forget those not so fortunate as yourselves!
There is a massively SERIOUS housing crisis down here people- and for sure MORE homes are desperately needed for desperate families…….I’m
Sure we can all survive if Weston’s closes and we just have to look for another soft play venue for the kids!!
Okay more family homes are needed that’s accepted by many but the homes that are being built are 9 times out of 10 flats and let’s face flats are no good for family’s with young children that need a garden to burn off energy and safely play securely flats really only benefit couples of profession with no children or elderly not families, a park is no good for children during bad weather but you say find another soft play there isn’t one nearby in the area so toddlers are unable to safely develope fine motor skills in a safe and warm surrounding its ludicrous soon Brighton and hove with start looking like New York and other rundown parts of America with nothing but high rise buildings and we also need to look at the futures of these children is they never have a place to go to burn energy safely and grow up without these small blessings then eventually they will find there own entertainment by means of possible vandalism and crime the councils do not look at the distant future and the effects this is going to have such a small thing like Westow’s being taken away which was a perfect location for parents wanting to take there toddlers nearby by the school before picking up there children from West hove infants but now this isn’t an option, Westow’s should not have been closed down without the council offering alternative premises, it’s an absolute outrage, well done Brighton and hove city council you’ve naffed up again, when will you open your eyes, because let’s face it all these properties being built are not reducing the housing waiting list nor are they taking people of the streets !!!!!