Plans to replace a former library with a four-storey block of flats have been approved by councillors.
The £3 million scheme is expected to provide nine homes, all of which should be classed as “affordable” or available for a “social” rent for people on the housing waiting list.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s housing department submitted a planning application for the proposed flats to the council’s planning department.
And yesterday (Wednesday 6 March) at Hove Town Hall, the council’s Planning Committee voted to grant planning permission for the scheme on the corner of Carden Hill and County Oak Avenue.
The old prefabricated building on the site was opened as the County Oak pub in 1950 to serve the new Hollingbury estate as part of the post-war reconstruction of Brighton.
The pub moved to a neighbouring plot in 1962 and the prefab was turned into a library.
The library closed in 2017 and a small library was set up in the nearby Old Boat Corner Community Centre.
Labour councillor Jacob Allen said that the building was locally listed but was told that the need for nine new affordable homes outweighed any loss of a prefab.
Councillor Allen said: “In 2012 a prefab library in Woodingdean was demolished and replaced with a shiny new medical centre and library building. I don’t think that was locally listed.
“It’s a shame to lose something that’s locally listed but some kind of foundation stone or something like a plaque would be good.
“Perhaps that’s a campaign for Councillor (Carol) Theobald and her colleagues to take forward in Patcham and Hollingbury.”
Councillor Theobald, a Conservative who represents Patcham and Hollingbury, said that she would take up the idea of some form of commemoration.
She said: “Being on the Blue Plaque Panel, I will put a word in as it would be nice to have something there.
“When that library closed, we managed to get a little library put in the Old Boat Corner Community Centre.
“The children’s books went to Carden School so we got the books out of there and did something good with them.”
Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Mark Earthey voted in favour of the scheme but said that the prefab was “hardly a Wren cathedral”.
Hope they don’t allow Hyde or PMC anywhere near. Blocked gullies and a load of bullshit and overrun of nearly a year on the Coldean communist blocks.
It’s affordable housing for the council waiting list. Not a comment on how much it costs to build.
RRB will be of interest to you, Russell.
How can a property that cost in excess of £330,000 be classified as affordable?
The term “affordable” typically refers to housing that is available at below-market rates for individuals or families with low to moderate incomes.
Although, and I’m in agreement with you, when we think what is actually affordable, most of us would be thinking social housing, which typically offers a much better ratio of income to rent/mortgage.
If this housing is for the community, a community centre should have been included under 106 agreement, since one was taken away to build it.