MORE than 200 residents have opposed plans to build 100 flats on an industrial estate.

Crowborough-based Cross Stone Urban Regeneration is hoping for a successful conclusion to a four-year bid to develop the site in School Road, Hove.

There has been strong local opposition to the £10 million scheme with residents objecting to the height of the new development, the loss of jobs at businesses forced to move out and the loss of community facilities.

But the plans have the backing of council officials who have welcomed the regeneration of an “ageing complex” of buildings and townscape.

The site was originally designed for light industrial manufacturing but is now home to a children’s play centre, car wash, church, tool hire and tyre repair/MOT centre.

The plans would mean 104 one, two and three-bed flats built as well as 572 square metres of office space in blocks three and four storeys high.

The scheme meets the council’s target for 40 per cent affordable housing with 24 shared ownership flats and 17 affordable rent properties.

The level of affordable housing has not pleased all with some objectors complaining about the “impact of social housing” on the area while council officers have criticised a failure to make the larger three-bed properties available for affordable housing.

The project would also deliver more than £600,000 of public improvements to schooling, transport, indoor sport and employment.

A total of 89 parking spaces, including four disabled bays and a car club bay along with four motorcycle spaces and bicycle parking spaces, have been included with the scheme.

City regeneration officers, while supportive of the scheme, have raised concerns about the reduction of employment space to around a tenth of its current size and proposed a change in the ratio of residential to commercial to ensure a better use of the space.

Latest plans for the scheme were first submitted in July last year with an original decision date of November which developers had hoped would allow them to have started demolition work by now.

Revised plans were submitted in March and further consultations held which have delayed the decision further.

Initial plans for the site were unveiled at a public consultation at the start of 2013 and proposed 62 two and three bedroom homes, four flats and almost three times as much commercial space as now being put forward.

The outline application has been deemed “minded to grant” by planning officers and will be determined on Wednesday.