With mandatory housing targets coming down the line, the pressure is on local authorities across the country to approve housing developments to meet their targets. The same is true for Brighton & Hove.
The Planning Committee at Brighton & Hove City Council are yet to approve any housing development over 28 units since the Labour administration took over in May 2023. The Planning Committee has denied planning permission for large scale developments, such as the controversial application for the Brighton gasworks site to be transformed into 495 new homes which was rejected by seven votes to three in May 2024.
Last week, Angela Rayner, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government stated that mandatory housing targets will be arriving, and the figures for each area are now available. Areas such as London, Birmingham and Coventry will all see their housing targets lowered, whereas many other areas have had targets doubled. Brighton and Hove have seen their housing target rise by 5% under the new method which is not especially significant,since the target has only increased from 2319 to 2435, however the average annual housebuilding rate currently stands at only 1018.
The test will come soon for Brighton & Hove as large-scale developers will hope to benefit from the new government’s targets, and BHCC will have to manage planning considerations, the wants and needs of local people and the pressure from central government. The first test will be an application from the city council itself to build 15 flats on the site of the former Windlesham House Community Centre, Portslade. This application is due to be discussed at the Planning Committee meeting on 7th August and isn’t particularly controversial. Another application recently submitted are plans for 101 new homes in Benfield Valley. Benfield Property Ltd, who are the applicants, are looking to build houses on 10% of the site and leave the rest as community parkland, however the large scale development if approved will be the largest that has received planning permission by the Labour administration.
The question remains on what the impact will be of the national mandatory housing targets to local authorities and their planning approval rates, specifically Brighton & Hove. Whilst this happens, developers should continue to use the mandatory housing targets to their benefit, but with caution, as planning considerations will still come into play. Developer contributions will still be vitally important to mitigate the scale of development, and assist in building and maintaining infrastructure in areas of large scale development.
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