THIS is the exciting new look of a £15 million scheme which is set to create 1,000 jobs.

Banking and mortgage giant Alliance & Leicester wants to bulldoze its redundant headquarters in Hove and replace it with state-of-

the-art offices and new homes.

The modern business park would rise from the rubble of Alliance House, the former

concrete eyesore which has

stood empty for more than two years.

The three low-rise office buildings at its heart could be used as regional call centres or company headquarters employing up to 800 people.

Hidden

Another 200 jobs are expected to be created during the construction of the project which, if approved by Brighton and Hove Council, will take four years to complete.

It would be hidden behind 77 new homes to be built at the southern end of the eight-acre site, facing existing homes in Orchard Road, currently overlooked by the old Alliance House building.

Access to the site would

be from Nevill Road, via The Droveway, which would

be improved to take the extra traffic.

Hove MP Ivor Caplin gave his full backing to the scheme, which includes some studio apartments which will allow people to work from home.

At a meeting last night he was given assurances by Alliance & Leicester that tenants would be found for the project before the plan is implemented.

Mr Caplin said: "I am very excited about this proposal which could mean more jobs and homes for Hove.

"The dual-development of the site is both progressive and responsible, and the live-work units equipped with modern communications technology is truly innovative."

Employment

Alliance & Leicester says it has no plans to move back on to the site and had taken the

decision to redevelop it after a number of approaches to

buy the building had not

proceeded.

Chris Gladman, the company's head of estates, said: "We believe these plans strike the right

balance between the need to

generate new employment in Hove while taking into

account the existing resi-

dential areas and parkland

nearby.

"Any new office development would meet modern business needs but at the same time be sympathetic to the local environment given its proximity to Hove Park.

"The housing would be in

keeping with the residential use at the southern part of the

site and help to ensure that Orchard Road is not used

by commercial traffic in the future."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.