Protect our seafront
The gas works in Kemp Town is ripe for development , but as what ? Rupert Radcliffe-Genge looks at the plans for the redevelopment of this historic site and asks “ Do we really want tower blocks on our seafront ?
You ’ ve probably heard that plans by Berkeley Homes to erect tower blocks on the Kemp Town gasworks site were rejected by the council ’ s planning committee .
You might have thought that was that , that the seafront wouldn ’ t be despoiled by buildings between seven and 12 storeys high ; the Grade 1 Kemp Town Estate wouldn ’ t be dominated by identikit colossi ; the coalition of 14 heritage , residents ’ and community organisations opposing the scheme could rest easy ; and more than 1,700 individual objectors could feel their points had been successfully made . And you ’ d be wrong . Berkeley , whose plans do not include a single affordable home or any social housing , has appealed against the refusal and hired a specialist planning barrister to speak for them at an inquiry next month . They ’ re throwing money at it despite claiming that they ’ ll make next to nothing in profit . Oh , and the developer wants to sell the lot , mainly flats , to investors .
So the coalition is back up and running and supporting the council in fending off the multibillion pound behemoth that is Berkeley . The coalition has been granted what ’ s called Rule 6 status , which means it can present its own case at the appeal and cross-examine witnesses .
But opposing Berkeley takes money . The coalition needs targeted legal advice for its volunteer planning consultant and needs funds to pay for expert witnesses and publicise the truth about this David and Goliath battle .
The coalition has launched a crowdfunder for like-minded members of the public to chip in whatever they can afford . So far , it ’ s doing well , raising several thousands in donations , ranging from £ 8.00 from a senior citizen out of her weekly pension to a few hundred from a better-off member of the community . But a lot more is needed . The council is up against it financially and Berkeley know it . They ’ re putting a blizzard of paperwork into the inquiry and all of it should be challenged . The coalition is going to help the council do that .
Neither the coalition nor the council is against development of the site – quite the reverse . They ’ re simply against tower blocks , in the council ’ s case by a thumping 7-3 vote of the planning committee . The coalition wants to see typically Brightonian squares and crescents of no more than six storeys , which are in keeping with the area and would provide much the same amount of housing .
As well as the council ’ s rejection of the scheme , the coalition has already had other successes . Berkeley has been forced to revise its plans three times – many of the towers were
even taller in their previous proposals – and their financial viability assessment has been proved to be fiction .
A professor of forensic accounting , hired by the coalition , showed the figures to be nonsense . For example , Berkeley says that the costs of getting rid of contamination on the site are unknown , so they have to plan for the worst financial case . In fact , all decontamination costs are paid for by the government , which gives a tax break of 150 %. Contamination costs , in fact , are irrelevant – the government would actually give Berkeley a profit on remediation . Berkeley doesn ’ t mention that .
The inquiry next month will last two weeks . The coalition needs your support to have a chance of persuading the inspector to recommend supporting the council ’ s rejection – Angela Rayner , the Deputy Prime Minister has decided to take the decision herself . At the very least , the coalition would like the inspector to recommend that the towers should be reduced in height and redesigned to echo the surrounding area .
If you want to help protect our iconic seafront from tower blocks , scan the QR code .
Coalition members comprise community group AGHAST , the Amex Area Neighbourhood Action Forum , Black Rock Residents Association ( BRRA ), Brighton & Hove Heritage Commission , Brighton Society , Kemp Town Society , Kingscliffe Society , Marine Gate Holdings Ltd , Montpelier & Clifton Hill Association , North Laine Community Association , The Regency Society , Regency Square Community , Rottingdean Heritage , and the West Hill Community Association .
l Rupert Radcliffe-Genge is Regency Society rep on the Gasworks Coalition