Sainsbury’s is set to open its fourth city centre convenience store on Queen’s Road, bringing the total number of its stores across the city to eleven.
The supermarket giant is applying for permission to install advertising signs at Lyndean House, the ground floor of which has been vacant since 2010.
Brighton and Hove City Council last month approved a change of use from offices to retail, and a couple of weeks later Sainsbury’s submitted their application.
The signage suggests it will be applying to open seven days a week from 7am to 11pm.
The application says: “This particular part of the West Hill Conservation Area is noted in the Conservation Area Character Statement to contain a number of large, commercial properties, almost all of which have ground floor shops.
“This advertisement consent application therefore seeks to build on the previously approved change of use application (ref no. BH2015/00580), ensuring a package of signs that complete the shopfront in a manner that secures its positive contribution to the character and appearance of the West Hill Conservation Area.”
Queen’s Road already has a Budgens and a Tesco Express and an M&S Simply Food on the Brighton Station concourse. A Morrison’s M Store in the same road closed in April this year as part of a UK-wide series of closures.
Sainsbury’s other Local branded stores are on Western Road, North Street and the former Taj store on the Old Steine.
Its other Brighton and Hove stores are at New England Street, the Vogue Gyratory, Preston Road, Carden Avenue in Brighton and Western Road, Portland Road, and the Old Shoreham Road in Hove.
Last summer, Brighton and Hove was one of 19 councils to call on the Government to impose a so-called “Tesco tax” on supermarkets and big retailers, with the proceeds circulated amongst the local community.
But the idea was rejected by local government minister Eric Pickles last October, who called it a “lazy” solution to the problem of boarded up shops.
We live right behind this new proposed Sainsbury’s. Their air conditioners etc etc will blight our rear courtyard.
How nice of the council not to consult us at all in the planning process. Apparently the letters they were supposed to send us were ‘mislaid’.
Planning in this city is one rule for some and another rule for others. We can’t even get to see a planner for six months as they’ve all resigned and gone to horsham.
JW when you bought/rented your property on a street directly behind one of Brighton’s more important commercial streets, what did you expect to happen? Quite obviously the ground floors of these buildings would likely be filled somehow (retail if not office). Planning in Brighton is famously strict so suggesting they don’t consult is ridiculous. Local people have stopped many a project in this very conservative city.