Developer defends Anston House site plans (From The Argus)

Yes, I do want Anson House redeveloped. Yes, I know it will be a multi-storey building. But that's about as far as I agree with the proposed scheme, having seen the designs on show at the Rotunda Cafe.
The designs as proposed have the following flaws:
1. The building will be 4 storeys higher than the existing buildings, rising higher than the Preston Road tree line at the front and the railway at the back. The building is out of scale with the environment.
2. All the existing buildings on Preston Road are set back from the road itself. This new building will come forward to the pavement, and will obscure light over Preston Park. If allowed, this development would set a precedent for other developments along Preston Road.
3. The design is very boring. It is just a set of shoe boxes piled up. It lacks any individuality. Brighton is a unique place. We should expect our modern architecture to be unique too.
4. The architect at the Rotunda told me that unless the building was at the designed density, the investors wouldn't make back the money they'd invested in buying the site. Well tough luck! They overpaid.

Oh for pitys sake have this pulled down. It's derelict, a former drug den, and a complete eyesore. Get rid of it. I bet its those bloody NIMBYs near Preston park again, they are a real irritant. I cannot see any reason why they would keep this as it is. Awful, ugly building.

Hoarder12345444 wrote:
Oh for pitys sake have this pulled down. It's derelict, a former drug den, and a complete eyesore. Get rid of it. I bet its those bloody NIMBYs near Preston park again, they are a real irritant. I cannot see any reason why they would keep this as it is. Awful, ugly building.

Naaa. Let's leave it derelict for decades and reject every plan because it fails to please everybody.

With the current rise in population we need to fully exploit all the brownfield sites available for housing in Sussex. Consequently unlike 'Nick' above I'm glad to see the developers of this one are aiming to maximise the number of people who can inhabit the space.

I think they should definitely go ahead with this. Pity it can't be kept further back from the road though, leaving some space at the front. We need the housing, probably don't need the office space though. Are there not already far too many empty commercial premises?
As far as I'm aware, the building that went up in Lewes Road, where the community garden was, has never been occupied.
It's better to do something with this space, and soon, rather than take green space from the outskirts of the town.

Nick Brighton wrote:
Yes, I do want Anson House redeveloped. Yes, I know it will be a multi-storey building. But that's about as far as I agree with the proposed scheme, having seen the designs on show at the Rotunda Cafe.
The designs as proposed have the following flaws:
1. The building will be 4 storeys higher than the existing buildings, rising higher than the Preston Road tree line at the front and the railway at the back. The building is out of scale with the environment.
2. All the existing buildings on Preston Road are set back from the road itself. This new building will come forward to the pavement, and will obscure light over Preston Park. If allowed, this development would set a precedent for other developments along Preston Road.
3. The design is very boring. It is just a set of shoe boxes piled up. It lacks any individuality. Brighton is a unique place. We should expect our modern architecture to be unique too.
4. The architect at the Rotunda told me that unless the building was at the designed density, the investors wouldn't make back the money they'd invested in buying the site. Well tough luck! They overpaid.

Are you serious? Worried about the light? The height? Anything is better than the monstrosity there now. I knew it was the Rotunda freaks doing their bit again. I hate that over priced little snobby place.

Hoarder12345444 wrote:

Nick Brighton wrote:
Yes, I do want Anson House redeveloped. Yes, I know it will be a multi-storey building. But that's about as far as I agree with the proposed scheme, having seen the designs on show at the Rotunda Cafe.
The designs as proposed have the following flaws:
1. The building will be 4 storeys higher than the existing buildings, rising higher than the Preston Road tree line at the front and the railway at the back. The building is out of scale with the environment.
2. All the existing buildings on Preston Road are set back from the road itself. This new building will come forward to the pavement, and will obscure light over Preston Park. If allowed, this development would set a precedent for other developments along Preston Road.
3. The design is very boring. It is just a set of shoe boxes piled up. It lacks any individuality. Brighton is a unique place. We should expect our modern architecture to be unique too.
4. The architect at the Rotunda told me that unless the building was at the designed density, the investors wouldn't make back the money they'd invested in buying the site. Well tough luck! They overpaid.

Are you serious? Worried about the light? The height? Anything is better than the monstrosity there now. I knew it was the Rotunda freaks doing their bit again. I hate that over priced little snobby place.

Er, I don't know who you mean by 'Rotunda Freaks'. It was just the location that the developers used to display their plans. That's all.

Jimmy Stewart's Imaginary Rabbit wrote:

Hoarder12345444 wrote:
Oh for pitys sake have this pulled down. It's derelict, a former drug den, and a complete eyesore. Get rid of it. I bet its those bloody NIMBYs near Preston park again, they are a real irritant. I cannot see any reason why they would keep this as it is. Awful, ugly building.

Naaa. Let's leave it derelict for decades and reject every plan because it fails to please everybody.

With the current rise in population we need to fully exploit all the brownfield sites available for housing in Sussex. Consequently unlike 'Nick' above I'm glad to see the developers of this one are aiming to maximise the number of people who can inhabit the space.

Do you mean that you're happy for the developers to make the flats as small as humanly possible, and cram in as many as possible in order to accommodate the greatest number of people? Let's just leave it to the developer's discretion shall we?

For those who are concerned with the development, can they advise upon the following:

1. In terms of feet and inches, how much taller will the new building be?
2. How much more of a shadow (and for how long) will there be over the park, and what issues would this cause?
3. How "small" are the apartments - studio apartments are popular so one assumes they will not be smaller than that?

Wiggsy wrote:
For those who are concerned with the development, can they advise upon the following:

1. In terms of feet and inches, how much taller will the new building be?
2. How much more of a shadow (and for how long) will there be over the park, and what issues would this cause?
3. How "small" are the apartments - studio apartments are popular so one assumes they will not be smaller than that?

Totally agree not everyone wants larger living accomodation a lot of people want something they can just lock up and be able to leave knowing that when they return they won't have endless chores to do to get back to scratch.Lifestyles are forever changing and so it follows that developers have to design something to fit it's called progress

Why cant they just put the hi-rise at the back – plus I hope the plan also allows for parking as many flats around Preston rd dote.

Nick Brighton wrote:

Jimmy Stewart's Imaginary Rabbit wrote:

Hoarder12345444 wrote:
Oh for pitys sake have this pulled down. It's derelict, a former drug den, and a complete eyesore. Get rid of it. I bet its those bloody NIMBYs near Preston park again, they are a real irritant. I cannot see any reason why they would keep this as it is. Awful, ugly building.

Naaa. Let's leave it derelict for decades and reject every plan because it fails to please everybody.

With the current rise in population we need to fully exploit all the brownfield sites available for housing in Sussex. Consequently unlike 'Nick' above I'm glad to see the developers of this one are aiming to maximise the number of people who can inhabit the space.

Do you mean that you're happy for the developers to make the flats as small as humanly possible, and cram in as many as possible in order to accommodate the greatest number of people? Let's just leave it to the developer's discretion shall we?

Not 'happy' as such, but definitely not opposed. South East England is VERY crowded and as I said brownfield housing sites in Sussex are as rare as hens teeth and a modern approach to fitting in as many dwellings as possible is necessary.

Wiggsy: it'll be higher than the hideous Holiday Inn on the seafront if that's any use. 50m = 164 feet high.

And not just high. It's mean. The smaller one bedroom flats will be 14% smaller than a developer would be allowed to get away with in London... basically no space to swing a cat.

Mark Latham is wrong. Height is only one concern. Massing and density are off the scale for this location.