New Homes for Neighbourhoods - Land off Mile Oak Road Development

Development of Land off Mile Oak Road

Frequently Asked Questions

These Frequently Asked Questions aim to provide you with further information about the proposed development at Land off Mile Oak Road and the council’s New Homes for Neighbourhoods Programme.

Why does the council want to build new homes?                                                          

There are around 5,000 households on the council’s housing register who have applied to rent a council or housing association home in Brighton & Hove. The number of households on the register is rising, while few council homes become empty.

The list is made of people with a local connection by virtue of having lived in the city for at least the last five years, and existing council tenants in overcrowded accommodation or wanting to downsize, freeing up larger family homes.

There is a great shortage of homes in the city and little available land to build the homes local people need, so we have to make the best use of our land to build new homes for local residents where we can.

We do not have big sites of unused council housing land available to build new estates, so we are developing urban fringe sites with housing allocation from City Plan on council land. We have built 269 homes on 14 sites across Brighton and Hove, we have planning approval for 264 more.

Why not repurpose empty properties in the city rather than building new?

BHCC already have a project to repurpose empty spaces and other small sites which are in council ownership to develop affordable homes, and an active programme of purchasing ex council properties and larger acquisitions. There is also an Empty Property Team who identify private owners of long term empty homes and work with them to bring the homes back into use and ensure they don't cause issues to neighbours and the wider community, but even then those homes would not then necessarily be available as social housing.

Why consider building new homes on the land off Mile Oak Road?                        

The council is considering the development potential of all land owned by the council as part of a programme to deliver 800 new homes across Brighton and Hove.

Proposals for the land off Mile Oak Road are for a highly sustainable family housing scheme. The proposals reflect the existing character of the local neighbourhood by providing family homes together with shared public spaces which respect its greenfield location, making it a pleasant and desirable area in which to live.

Why has this site been identified for housing development?                                      

When the council developed its City Plan Part One, the Planning Inspectorate asked it to identify additional sites in the city for residential development to help ensure that more of the city’s need for additional housing could be met. To respond to this the council undertook an initial assessment of ‘Urban Fringe’ sites in 2014 to identify potential sites for new homes. Following further detailed ecological, landscape and heritage studies in 2015, this site (along with others around the city) was identified as suitable for residential development and has now been allocated for residential development in Part Two of the City Plan.  

Any proposal is subject to planning approval by BHCC planning department.

When was the field allocated for housing?          

City Plan Part 2 was adopted in 20 October 2022, this site is included within Appendix 4 - Policy H2 Urban Fringe Housing Site Maps.

Full details of each consultation held during the preparation of the City Plan Part Two, including the processes undertaken (i.e. how the consultation was publicised and where the consultation documents were made available), together with summaries of responses received, are set out in the relevant Statement of Consultation. These are available to view on the council website through the following links:

·      Scoping Consultation 2016 - Statement of Consultation

·      Draft Plan 2018 - Statement of Consultation

·      Proposed Submission Plan 2021 - Statement of Consultation

Why did the site boundary change from the original 2014 Urban Fringe Assessment?

The 2015 Further Assessment of Urban Fringe sites was undertaken to help inform site allocations for City Plan Part Two. More detailed assessments of landscape, ecology and heritage considerations were undertaken for a number of urban fringe sites and these assessments indicated the ‘developable’ area boundaries for some sites, including those at Mile Oak Road, should be amended. City Plan Part Two reflects these further assessments and this accounts for the differences from the earlier 2014 Urban Fringe Assessment.

Why are we building outside housing allocation area? 

The H2 policy area is also largely covered by a Local Wildlife Site (LWS) designation. Following a second ecology and biodiversity survey red star thistle was found on the proposed site, which is a rare protected species. The proposed site parcel E is also classified as lowland meadow which has high biodiversity value, so development of the field would be harmful. The new proposed site is parcel D1 which is modified grassland with low biodiversity value. 

What about existing Rights of Way and other restrictions?                                       

The proposal will take into account Rights of Way and other potential constraints to development. We aim to improve links through the site to the fields beyond and create public outdoor space use by the surrounding community.

What about the impact on drainage?                                                                              

The impact of the new homes on existing drainage would need to be considered as the designs are developed. We are aware of several concerns regarding potential of flooding, hence we are commissioning a flood risk analysis and will work with the appointed civil engineers to make sure efficient drainage proposal are adopted.

What principles will the council apply to developing this area?                                   

Proposals for the site would look to create public open space which may be used for play, community gardens or other public use to provide health and recreation benefits to the residents and people living nearby.

The council’s recently declared climate and biodiversity emergencies and pledge to become a carbon neutral city by 2030 will be addressed in the design and construction of the new homes. We will work towards delivering this target by protecting species found on site and improving natural habitats.

The proposal for this site will create a low-density development of family homes. We feel this will provide the best opportunity for meeting the council’s aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve access to public spaces and protect the local natural environment.

How will the council involve residents in the process of design and construction?  

The council would like to hear resident’s views and make sure they are considered. We aim to engage local residents and community groups in the design process to help shape the design of the homes and the public spaces.

A report on the consultation feedback and our response to it will be made available on the council’s website.

We will hold a co-design workshop in October (date and time TBC) focusing on the landscape and community spaces where local residents can contribute to what they would like to see as part of the project.

If considerable changes are made to the design, we will consult further with residents on the changes.

For all of the council’s housing projects, consultation feedback and our response to it, forms part of a report to Housing Committee, who decide whether the project progresses through the council’s formal approval process.

Residents will also be notified of a Planning application, if it is made, so responses can be given to the Planning Authority through the statutory planning process.  

How many new homes would be built?                                                                           

This site allows for the development of larger homes which is not possible on many other council owned potential development sites. The proposal is expected to deliver between 20 and 25 homes including some homes adapted for wheelchair users. The housing mix will be split between 1, 2, 3, 4 bed homes.

What about wildlife on the site?                                                                                      

We have commissioned some further Ecological surveys to assess the impact of the project. The surveys will also inform design decisions with regards to its location and density. 

We will adopt Ecological mitigation, avoidance, compensation, and enhancement measures set out in the report and implement them where possible, such as any street light directed to ground and light spill minimised by using hoods.

The design and landscaping proposals for the site will incorporate ecological mitigation and habitat enhancement measures to benefit biodiversity on site during construction stage of development.

What about the impact on the countryside and AONB be?       

We are working with Ecologists and the design team on how best to avoid, mitigate and compensate for the impact of new buildings on the site. We are maximising the amount of space for green roofs and planting natural species and hedgerows in the landscaping design. We may need to relocate some species to a suitable site. Because we are likely not to achieve the biodiversity we need on site, we would have to look at providing it off-site, ideally as close to the site as possible.

Who was written to about these proposals?                                                                  

The council has written to 230 homes that are near to the proposed site.

What about existing users?                                                                                           

The council’s Estates Team will liaise with the existing licensees through the council’s property agents.

If new homes are built, who will move in to them?                                                      

New homes for rent to people on the Local Housing Register are advertised and let through Homemove, in the same way as other affordable rented properties in the city. To find out more about Homemove and the council’s housing allocations policy, visit:

https://new.brighton-hove.gov.uk/housing/council-housing/apply-join-housing-register

The scheme would not be appropriate for people with special requirements such as sheltered housing, emergency accommodation, or homeless move on accommodation.

When would these homes be developed?                                                                       

As the project is at an early stage, it is too early to provide a timescale for the development of this site. Residents will be kept informed of any timescales as the project develops and the FAQs will be regularly updated as part of the process.

How will the site be accessed?                                                                                        

Site will be accessed and exited via Hillcroft, there will be pedestrian access to the site and further to the south downs. The proposals will be reviewed in consultation with the council’s transport and planning teams.

What about the impact on local infrastructure, schools and medical centres?    

Any development would be for people already connected to city so there will be less impact than a traditional new build approach which could mean people relocating to the city. Should plans progress, we will also be discussing the proposed development with local schools, medical establishments, etc. in the local area in advance of construction.

The impact of the development on local roads would also be assessed by the council’s transport team, this will include road safety for pedestrians and drivers, a travel plan will also be proposed with options to alleviate possible impact.

What about parking?   

The parking proposal will include 1.5 spaces per unit where 1 space will be allocated per unit and 0.5 for visitors, i.e. if the total proposed units is 20 a total of 30 parking spaces will be provided.

Who will build this project?                                                                                              

It is too early to say, as the project is still at the pre-Planning stage. If Planning Approval is given, we will carry out a full tender process to appoint a contractor. We will ask contractors to tell us how they would build this project, how they would minimise disruption to the local community, and what added or social value they can offer to the local community. We will ask them to show that they can deliver this project. We will ask them to give us examples of similar projects they have done in sites with similar access and constraints.

How will this project affect me?                                                                                             

We understand that development is disruptive but will work proactively with our appointed contractors to minimise disruption. We will ask contractors to explain how they will reduce the impact of development as part of our tender process, including specific proposals for traffic management, hours of work, communications plan, and the security and management of the site. We expect the appointed contractor to be registered with the Considerate Constructors scheme, and to keep to the Code of Considerate Construction Practice to “respect the community, to care for the environment and to value their workforce”.        

What about the risk of land subsidence?

The ground investigation has not identified the presence of significant solution features, low strength soils, voided deposits or a convoluted chalk surface. Collectively the data obtained from the ground investigation indicates there is not an abnormal risk posed to the proposed development or surrounding areas by dissolution of chalk deposits. Nonetheless normal precautions such as inspection of foundations formations and appropriate location of soakaways etc should still be adopted.