Plans for holiday flats next to one of Brighton’s best-known live music venues have been dropped after hundreds of people protested.
Live music fans were afraid the holiday lets in Trafalgar Street could later be turned into flats whose residents could complain about noise coming from the Prince Albert next door.
After more than a thousand people objected, site owner Patricia Campings had the plans redrawn to replace the flats with more commercial space, which could either be used as offices or shops.
In a summary of amendments, planning agent Luke Austin from Whaleback Planning and Design said: “The holiday let units have been removed from the scheme.
“The entire building will now be commercial with commercial units on the top floor in replacement of the removed holiday lets. All units will be Class E commercial and the end user has not been confirmed yet.
“The overall development provides a range of sizes and layouts to cater for a number of potential occupants falling under the Class E use class.
“A commercial building located alongside a live music venue is an acceptable arrangement and would accord with the mixed character of uses within this central area of the city.
“The scale and bulk of the building has been reduced to the second and third stories to the rear, including removal of two sections of the building at second floor level, narrowing of the third storey and a reduction in the ridge height, thereby reducing the overall scale and shifting the bulk away from neighbouring windows.”
The plot of land, at 47 Trafalgar Street, is on sale for £2.25 million.
After other Brighton music venues closed following noise complaints from new neighbours in the past, campaigners successfully fought for the council to introduce planning rules to prevent this happening again.
The newly-adopted rule, known as “agent of change” principle, says that any developments next to live music venues must include appropriate measures to prevent noise complaints being made.
However campaigners fear that new national planning rules which make it easier for commercial buildings to get a change of use to residential could allow the building to become flats by the back door after permission for this scheme is granted.
The plans, originally submitted in August last year, were amended in February, after 1,237 people had objected, including Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas.
They were amended in February to remove the holiday lets.
The plans were readvertised this week with the amendments after more drawings were submitted.
Can common sense prevail? Obviously not including the mind boggling price of the site.
Fantastic news but they’re now looking just round the corner next to some other amazing venues – same problem, different street. Brighton, we need a better plan than this!
Sarah please read my post against the article. The Albert is still very very vulnerable.
This does not remove that option to change these Class E commercial units into residential units.
Under new government planning laws the “commercial unit” owners will not need planning permission from the council to “convert” them once planning permission is granted. As I understand it, this can be done even before they start to build the commercial units.
Without a planning permission requirement there will be no need soundproof the “commercial units” nor the residential homes they become.
Due to (what I consider a loophole in) the Environment Act, any new residents will then be able make a noise complaint to the council and the council then legally bound to serve a noise abatement notices on The Prince Albert. That will result in its closure.
Let’s be honest here, the retail lease market is not in a healthy state. The location is 30 seconds from the train station. They wont be able to resist “converting” them into residential flats for London commuters (and make a killing in the process).