PLAN FOR LARGER ASDA STORE AND 60s INNER CITY HOUSING ESTATE DISMISSED
But it is a hollow victory for Kemp Town, Marina and Brighton residents. The Secretary of State has dismissed the plan to build a larger Asda store, with a restaurant and 764 flats, refused planning permission in December ‘08. The developer, Explore Living, appealed against the refusal and a public inquiry was held before Christmas ‘09. The Secretary of State’s decision was given on 13 July ‘10.
Extraordinarily the Secretary of State agrees with the Inspector’s conclusion that “for the most part the development would be a high quality solution to the challenging site”. He is also “satisfied that the proposal would preserve the setting of the Kemp Town Conservation Area and listed buildings.” Factors weighing against the proposal include loss of views of the cliffs, the Downs and eastward glimpses of the sea.
The Secretary of State agrees with the Inspector that “the planning balance favours the planning permission, but concludes that the shortcomings of the section 106 obligation are potentially so serious that the proposal in its current form is unacceptable and that planning permission should therefore be refused”. There is nothing in the report which gives the Kemp Town Society, savebrighton or the Brighton Society any comfort. www.savebrighton.com
The plan includes demolition of the petrol filling station and its replacement with 148 flats, demolition of McDonalds to create an enlarged drive-thru restaurant and 233 flats above, demolition of the estates office to create 35 flats, demolition of the eastern end of the multi-storey car park, to create a petrol filling station; a total of 1,294 flats in addition to the Brunswick scheme for 800 odd flats which already have permission on the seaward end of the Marina.
Although the Society did not be appear at the inquiry, as the Kemp Town Society and Save Brighton presented a well researched case against the development, our chairman submitted written evidence opposing this ill planned scheme. The Brighton Society also considered that the development would be detrimental to the celebrated Kemp Town estate, considered to be one of the best examples of formal town planning in western Europe.
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