Planning boss reveals fears over Brighton and Hove’s housing shortage (From The Argus)
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Planning boss reveals fears over Brighton and Hove’s housing shortage
11:48am Tuesday 19th March 2013 in Business News By John Keenan, business editor
A planning expert is warning that Brighton and Hove is heading for a shortfall of 4,500 homes.
Paul Burgess, boss at planning company Lewis & Co, has branded Brighton and Hove City Council’s house-building plans for the next 20 years “topsy-turvy”.
He has also called on the Government to reject Brighton and Hove City Council’s attempt to sidestep changes in planning rules. The council says thousands of businesses could be forced out of the city if new planning rules allow developers to transform offices into homes.
Mr Burgess, director at the firm in Port Hall Road, said the council’s draft city plan, which will direct planners until 2030, will not provide enough homes for residents. He has urged the council to amend the plan or face rejection by Whitehall. The council says the city needs 15,800 new homes by 2030 but only has room for 11,300. Mr Burgess said the city’s neighbours will not help to plug the 4,500 shortfall.
He said: “The council’s logic is topsy-turvy – it has discovered how many homes it is able to provide and made that its target, rather than finding out how many are needed and striving to achieve that figure.
“It is crucial that the city plan is as robust as it can be before it is submitted to Government.”
Tony Mernagh, executive director at the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, said: “You can’t plan for the future if you have no control over how much employment space you will have. “The problem with the new rule is that it allows practically any and all office space to be converted on a whim, not just the old offices that no one wants.
“Checks and balances have to be applied to the equilibrium between space for homes and jobs.”
Deputy council leader Phelim Macafferty said: “The city plan is robust, practical and will bring forward sustainable development whilst providing homes, jobs, schools and other facilities that our residents and businesses need.
“The case the council has submitted to Government cautions against the prospect of the unmanaged loss of employment space when an up-to-date Employment Land Study highlights shortages across the city.”
wippasnapper says...
4:08pm Tue 19 Mar 13
Tony Mernagh, executive director at the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, said: “You can’t plan for the future if you have no control over how much employment space you will have.
I would have thought planning for the future duo to the fact that there are expanding businesses in this city witch will bring more employment witch incase you had not figured out “Tony Mernagh” means more people moving to B&H because of the employment opportunity’s therefore more homes will be needed BUT we all know what these topsy-turvy green council wants for B&H more cycle lanes and less traffic so yes less homes means less traffic witch intern means less businesses investing in B&H to create more employment opportunity’s for the people already living hear but lets not forget the students who you are willing to build new accommodation for because they a-count for more respect and consideration than the people burn and bred and who have moved her to work and lets not forget the traveling communities that this topsy-turvy green council allows to create illegal encampments at a whim where ever they like turning our once beautiful parks and woodlands into slums and rubbish tips.
“Tony Mernagh also stated: The problem with the new rule is that it allows practically any and all office space to be converted on a whim, not just the old offices that no one wants.
So why has this topsy-turvy green council stated in the past they want to build more office spaces if we already have to many we dote want, maybe it’s a good thing these old offices are converted into accommodation to alleviate the shortfall in accommodation instead of building even more unwanted offices… god sometimes you lot speak a lode of old hat wile on the other hand you support new build student accommodation and illegal encampments by the traveling communities… I FOR ONE WILL BE GLAD WHEN YOU TOPSY-TURVY GREENS ARE VOTED OUT OF B&H! then we can sort out the mess you have put use in.