Plan for new Enterprise car rental site in Brighton angers residents

They say increased noise, light, and air pollution caused by a rental space for 25 vehicles on disused land backing on to their gardens will make their lives unbearable, should the application by Enterprise be approved.

The Beaconsfield Arches Community Action Group (BACAG) says plans for the former Travis Perkins yard in Beaconsfield Road, Brighton, would destroy wildlife habitats and pointed out there is already an Enterprise depot in New England Street, just seven minutes’ walk away.

“The proposed development will be unsustainable and will cause significant deleterious effects on the economic, social, and environmental considerations for the area,” said BACAG cofounder Lucy Baker.

“We see bats and foxes into the hedgerow next to the land, and putting a car rental site here would almost certainly drive them out.

The proposed site backs onto gardens and houses (Image: The Argus/Andrew Gardner)

“It’s also entirely unneeded as there’s already a site nearby, not to mention a rival rental business on land just behind the Beaconsfield Road yard.”

Lucy said she spoke with a staff member at the rival business, who told her they get complaints “all the time” from nearby residents as they have to test the horn as part of the return checks.

The mum-of-three also said the proposals could negatively impact the safety of residents living nearby.

“At the moment, the yard is gated and Alec, the owner of nearby bar BRZN has the key,” said Lucy.

“But if the lane is in constant use there will be unchecked people just wondering around, and the four-foot wall between the yard and our gardens isn’t going to stop anyone.”

Residents are not happy (Image: The Argus/Andrew Gardner)

BRZN owner Alec also opposes the plans by Enterprise, saying they could even cause his business to fold.

“The disabled access to our business is up the side line, so to have cars constantly tearing up and down is unsuitable,” he said.

“Our outside area backs on to the yard and we use it as an event space too. But no one is going to want to sit there if there’s cars flying about all day.”

The BACAG says it is ready to table plans for the sustainable development of the site, which sits beneath the Grade II* listed London Road Viaduct.

The site runs beneath the London Road Viaduct (Image: The Argus/Andrew Gardner)

“We would use the current small structure in the yard as a storage space for food banks,” said Lucy.

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“The large, sheltered unit we could use as an event space, and already have thoughts to offer classes in there.

“The yard is perfect to use as a market space for local businesses to come and sell from, and there’s actually a room inside the viaduct that was used to store coal for the trains, so there’s a lot of history here too.”

So far, there have been 51 objections made against the planning application. It has received no comments of support.