Labour Councillor for Westbourne, Councillor Carmen Appich, on your opportunity to contribute to future development plans around Hove station:

The council is preparing a masterplan in the form of a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) to guide future development within and around the Conway Street Industrial Area (near Hove Station) and help better connect neighbourhoods on both sides of the railway.

Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) are intended to provide detailed guidance on how planning policy will be implemented. 

The draft SPD focusses on the area shown within the broken yellow line (Master Plan Core Area) on the above image, while having regard to ‘emerging’ developments and opportunities in the wider area within the blue line (the Brighton & Hove City Plan Part One DA6 ‘Hove Station Development Area). 

The Conway Street Industrial Area referenced above forms a ‘strategic allocation’ in the Brighton & Hove City Plan Part One – and is shown in the red area on the below image.

This SPD has been prepared with substantial input from the local community, particularly those involved with the development of the Hove Station Neighbourhood plan, and this process has resulted in a detailed, and very interesting document.

We attended two of the online consultation sessions, and were impressed by the presentations, and the quality of questions asked. I have summarised a few key questions below, though of course you will want to ask your own:

• How can we ensure we can achieve maximum build of social housing on the Council land within the SPD (Industrial House)?
• How can we achieve maximum affordable housing elsewhere in the SPD area?
• What progress has been made with the development of the new pedestrian / cycle bridge over the railway?
• What is happening with the existing bridge?
• How can we ensure disabled access across the railway?
• How can we deliver a new transport hub with better buildings at the front of Hove Station?
• What is the future of Conway St Bus garage?
• What are the plans for redevelopment  / refurbishment options of  the existing Honeycroft community centre?
• What community / green spaces will there be in this very dense development?
• Where / how will the station car park be reprovided?
• What impact will the SPD have on other heritage sites (for example Ralli Hall)?
• How / when will the Clarendon and Ellen estates be redeveloped and what input will residents have?
• How were the proposed building height limits determined? Had consideration been given to potential wind tunnelling?
• Can we have a complete review of parking and traffic flows across this area?
• What impact will this SPD with its high population density have on traffic flows in this and neighbouring areas?

Public consultation

The public consultation runs for 8 weeks, from 14 December 2020 to 7 February 2021.  You can: View or download the draft Hove station area SPD.

You can comment on the draft Hove station area SPD through the Council’s consultation portal.

Or you can:

• send an email to HoveStationSPD@brighton-hove.gov.uk
• write to Hove Station Area SPD Consultation, Brighton & Hove City Council, Town Hall, Norton Road, Hove, BN3 4BQ