Demolition plan for Brighton homes (From The Argus)

Demolition plan for Brighton homes

10:49am Thursday 1st May 2008 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

Developers are planning to tear down six family houses and build a luxury care home.

Sunrise Senior Living has submitted a planning application for the plot on the corner of Carden Avenue and London Road, Brighton and backing onto Withdean Park.

The large homes will be replaced by a three to fourstorey building with 82 luxury retirement rooms.

The properties have yet to be bought by Sunrise but a neighbouring house sold last year for £860,000.

One of the homes which could be redeveloped is owned by former Brighton Kemptown MP Sir Andrew Bowden.

Councillor Geoffrey Theobald said: "The view of Councillor Pigeon and myself is that there is a concern about the loss of family homes and that the development will be out of character.

"We have already given our views to the developers, telling them that we think it is inappropriate."

Sunrise said the plans had been submitted following public consultation and will "bring an innovative model of care and a greater choice of accommodation to Brighton's frail older people".

The developers added the building has been designed by "award-winning architects"

and that it "draws on the local traditional architectural style".

Of the 82 rooms, 39 will be devoted to those suffering with Alzheimer's and other forms of age-related memory impairment.

A sensory garden is also in the plan.

Garrett Peters, regional development director at Sunrise, said: "There is a significant and widely acknowledged need in Brighton for the kind of highquality care we provide and we believe that a Sunrise care home in the area would bring great benefits and a wider choice of care and accommodation to frail older people.

"We were delighted by the welcome we received from the community at our public exhibition held last month.

"Each of our homes is designed bespoke to respond to the character of the area.

"Our award-winning architects have worked hard to produce an attractive scheme for Brighton that draws on local traditional architecture and feedback on the home's design received during public consultation was very positive."

In response to concerns about the loss of family homes, he said: "When older people move into our homes, they generally come from large houses that no longer meet their needs so a considerable number of family homes are therefore released back onto the local housing market, freeing them for families who need them."

If Brighton and Hove City Council approves the plans in July, the home would be ready in 2010.

Sunrise already operates dozens of residential care homes across the country.

It is also developing a care home in Eastbourne.

Do you support the application or will it blight the area? Tell us what you think below.