NEIGHBOURS have objected to plans to knock down a house in Brighton and build two five-bedroom homes in its place.
The proposal by Neil Moffett, 40, director of Shoreham business On-Shore Developments, would replace an extended bungalow at 22 The Cliff, Brighton, with two Art Deco style four-storey houses.
Independent councillor Bridget Fishleigh, who represents Rottingdean Coastal ward, asked for the application to go before Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee after 16 neighbours objected to the scheme.
They criticised the height of the proposed buildings, saying that they would be “out of character” with the area.
A report to councillors, which backs the scheme, said that, after planning officials raised concerns, the proposed height of the four-storey properties would be 2ft or 600mm lower.
Mr Moffett’s application, prepared by ECE Architecture, said: “The existing building is uncharacteristically low for the street scene being a bungalow set within a street of predominantly two and three-storey dwellings.
“During the design process, the scale has been carefully considered to ensure no overbearing impact on the neighbouring properties.”
Mr Moffett said in his application that the existing building was “disjointed” as a result of several extensions.
One objector, whose details were redacted by the council, said: “The scale of the development is excessive. Two houses squeezed into the width of the existing single property requires an excessively dense layout with very little gap between buildings.
“To offset the narrow width, the two houses are excessively tall, the rooflines being significantly above nearby rooflines on the south side of The Cliff.”
Another objector, whose details were also redacted, said: “The proposed development does not have enough parking for the proposed size. It is conceivable that residents will have more than one car.
“This will lead to increased pressure on on-road parking, which in turn will lead to even worse parking including on verges and difficulty for bin collections and emergency vehicles. This is already an ongoing problem.”
The planning committee is due to meet at Hove Town Hall at 2pm on Wednesday. The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
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