Move clears the way for new Brighton office development

9:39am Monday 17th December 2012 in News By John Keenan, business editor

An artst's impression of the Blackman Street development by BPL Group An artst's impression of the Blackman Street development by BPL Group

A removal firm is on the move, clearing the way for a major office development in a city centre.

GB Liners has been granted planning permission to switch its current North Laine site for a new home in the Woodingdean Business Park.

Brighton and Hove City Council approved the 1,197 square metre warehouse and offices in Seaview Way.

GB Liners, which specialises in removal and storage, is set to employ an extra 27 people as a result of the move.

And the move means that the way is now clear for a major office development at the GB Liners warehouse in Blackman Street in the North Laine.

Planning permission has already been granted at the site for a 3,327 square metre office development.

The Blackman Street scheme is handled by Flude Commercial in Brighton on behalf of the architects BPL Group.

The plan includes the demolition of the current warehouse in Blackman Street.

Years of planning

GB Liners managing director Roy Bartup said the firm hoped to move into the new facility by this time next year.

He said: “We have been planning this for around ten years but there are not many suitable places in Brighton. We are pleased to have found this site.”

Andrew Halfacree, director at Flude, said the planning consent for the new GB Liners warehouse in Woodingdean will clear the way for a much-needed office development in the heart of the city.

He said: “We needed GB Liners to get permission in order for us to realise our project. Now we need the council to play ball as the landlord at the site.”

Tony Mernagh, executive director at the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, said the move is long overdue.

He said: “This is great news because the narrow streets of the North Laine aren’t made for pantechnicons and the existing site has planning consent for conversion into offices exactly where people want to work close to the city centre.”

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Comments(18)

Jimmy Stewart's Imaginary Rabbit says...
9:59am Mon 17 Dec 12

Good. Now wait for the usual Luddites to come out and say it's wrong, inappropriate, poorly thought-out, etc. Then we can leave the site derelict for decades whilst we argue over different schemes.

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Phani Tikkala says...
10:02am Mon 17 Dec 12

Yay, more empty office space as if there isn't enough already!

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Hove Actually says...
10:03am Mon 17 Dec 12

Finally a forward thinking development than doesn't have a PC or hidden agenda. Cant think of anything that would cause someone to object to here........

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charlie smirke says...
10:36am Mon 17 Dec 12

"much needed office development" Is this really true? It seems to me that there is already many vacant office buildings around, that nobody seems to want.

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Nick Brighton says...
10:39am Mon 17 Dec 12

Hove Actually wrote:
Finally a forward thinking development than doesn't have a PC or hidden agenda. Cant think of anything that would cause someone to object to here........
No real objections. The new building will 'do', but it is a bit dull. It could just as well be Slough as Brighton. If we're going to have new buildings, can we have ones that are distinctive.

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fascinator says...
11:21am Mon 17 Dec 12

But in Slough, they would't put an outline of a lady in white carrying a bag

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bluemonday says...
11:59am Mon 17 Dec 12

fascinator wrote:
But in Slough, they would't put an outline of a lady in white carrying a bag
i thought that was a ghost,and could you tell me what "pantechnicons" are please.

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Crystal Ball says...
12:06pm Mon 17 Dec 12

fascinator wrote:
But in Slough, they would't put an outline of a lady in white carrying a bag
It's a "Banksy" jobbie.

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mustaphaLeeko says...
12:11pm Mon 17 Dec 12

charlie smirke wrote:
"much needed office development" Is this really true? It seems to me that there is already many vacant office buildings around, that nobody seems to want.
I'd say it was given that the big office block slap bang next door is full!

It's been a bad place for that company for donkeys years, they block the road getting their huge pantechnicons out (or removals vans to you and I, yes I looked it up, obviously The Argus are running a competition amongst their staff for the most obscure ridiculous words they can find to put in a story), and seeing it at night chock a block with vans on the forecourt.

Well done to them, hope the move goes well!

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Bob_The_Ferret says...
1:10pm Mon 17 Dec 12

Whether the site houses a removals firm or an office block, road access is going to be increasingly difficult once the council implement their North Laine traffic restrictions associated with the 'let's move the taxi rank as far away from the station as possible because we hate taxi drivers nearly as much as we hate all other motorists' scheme.

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getThisCoalitionOut says...
1:26pm Mon 17 Dec 12

They should build an enormous car park there, not an office block, as a car park would be useful - but I doubt the Greens would allow that.

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Surely not! says...
1:30pm Mon 17 Dec 12

getThisCoalitionOut wrote:
They should build an enormous car park there, not an office block, as a car park would be useful - but I doubt the Greens would allow that.
no they shouldn't eejit.

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Crystal Ball says...
3:09pm Mon 17 Dec 12

What about a water park?

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Skidrow says...
3:44pm Mon 17 Dec 12

Whatever will they come up with next? Charabanc? Articulated? Anything over two syllables too com pli ca ted?

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John Fallon says...
5:24pm Mon 17 Dec 12

Good that GB Liners is moving. They've blocked up the road (through no fault of theirs) for years. Good that they will be expanding. Good that the site will be developed. But the proposed design is total rubbish. Why can't they build offices that look good, as well as be functional. If this is the best the architects can come up with, then get better architects.

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The Gnome says...
10:10pm Mon 17 Dec 12

Off the point slightly, but I have often marvelled at the way they manage to park their lorries in such a small space. A few inches between them in an area where there is little room for manouvre. Worth a look - it's quite impressive.

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hannover seagull says...
7:45am Tue 18 Dec 12

Looks like Tescos missed the boat.

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toldsloth says...
12:06pm Tue 18 Dec 12

Good luck to GB Liners but for crying out loud I realise it's not the prettiest location but can we PLEASE have something a bit more imaginative from the architects?

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