Prince Albert in Brighton could be lost if development approved

Mark Stack, spokesman for Music Venues Alliance Brighton, said if plans to build nine shops and two holiday lets next to The Prince Albert are approved, the pub’s future could be put in doubt.

Mr Stack, who has been involved with protecting grassroot venues for eight years, said the holiday lets being built right next to the pub would lead to noise complaints, which could force its closure.

The Trafalgar Street pub, a Grade II listed building, is well known for its live music performances as well as its mural of music stars.

The Prince Albert is a Grade II listed building (Image: The Argus)

“It’s just not suitable to put a bedroom so close to a venue,” Mr Stack said.

“Having Airbnb venues on the side of the actual venue where the drums are played on the stage isn’t right.

“It’s just common sense.

“And with it being a listed building this could affect the upkeep of the pub.”

• Read more: Car rental site next to Grade II listed pub to be demolished

After a last-minute plea from the local music promoter six hours before the deadline for people to register their views, a thousand objections were racked up on the planning application’s documents.

“If you look at the comments on the planning document you can see there’s so much love for the pub,” said Mr Stack.

“There is a lot of passion from people about it. Everybody knows there’s going to be noise complaints one way or another if the plan goes ahead. It’s like a slow-motion car crash, people can see what’s going to happen.

“And, once that planning is granted, the developer could turn around and turn it into permanent homes.

“You will lose the Albert in the long term if it’s approved.”

Mark Stack has spoken of his fears for the venue (Image: Mark Stack)

Will Moore, venue manager of The Prince Albert, said the application’s approval would make things “difficult”.

“Live music is what we’re known for,” he said.

“It will make it very difficult to carry on as we do now.

“The proposed build goes right up against the side of the pub and there are concerns around noise.

“They’ve applied for commercial units but there’s nothing to stop them turning them into flats which would cause problems.

“It’s a huge concern.”

Applicant Patricia Camping, of Camping’s Luxury Coaches, who owns the land at 47 Trafalgar Street, wants to demolish the dilapidated garage and put a four-storey building comprising commercial space and two holiday lets in its place.

The garage was formerly home to car and van rental company Thrifty (Image: Beak Social Club Ltd)

The application’s planning statement said the proposed development would replace the “unattractive” building that is “harmful” to the area with a contemporary building that would generate employment.

It said the proposed commercial and holiday let uses would be “entirely in keeping with the character of the surrounding area” and the introduction of a commercial premises and residential and holiday lets would also “reduce noise and disturbance associated with the existing operations associated with the previous use”.

The planning statement said: “The building is of no architectural merit and is harmful to the setting of the conservation area.

“Overall, the proposed redevelopment would inject significant investment into the site, would remove an existing harmful building which has been identified for redevelopment for a number of years and would deliver a sympathetically designed replacement building.”