Cllr. Ollie Sykes

BH2025/00264 – Brighton College

I have been contacted by Kemptown residents about the planned development by Brighton College of a new prep school and conversion of the current prep school into a boarding house. Powerful arguments are made against the proposed development in terms of citywide planning policy, planning history and ongoing B&HCC and others’ decisions to reduce school places across the city. Further to this and the fact that this is a citywide issue, I wish to add my name to those objecting to this proposal and the reasoning is summarised below.

Planning application BH2025/00264 claims to be compliant with national and local planning policies on the basis that it will create new community facilities (defined to include learning and non-residential institutions) by increasing educational floorspace. It will thereby increase the number of school places; consistent and compliant with the NPPF, CPP1 and CPP2. This is the principle of

development that has been applied in this application.

However, there are four objections to the application of this principle of development in the case of application BH2025/00264. Each of the objections is sufficient to undermine the application of this principle of development to application BH2025/00264:

1.         This principle of development supports an increase in teaching floorspace and, hence, the number of school places at primary (and secondary) level which is contrary to current high-profile decisions of B&HCC to reduce school places by closing schools and reducing primary (and secondary) school places in the public sector of education.

2.         This principle of development is now out of date and no longer fit for purpose. B&HCC has recognised this as it is in the process of replacing planning policy by City Plan 2041 which has already passed at least one stage of public consultation.

3.         This principle of development is contrary to very recent planning decisions of B&HCC and the Planning Inspectorate. In September 2023 Brighton Planning Committee rejected an application to increase the number of boarding pupils at 8-12 Walpole Road by 11 pupils and this new application proposes to increase the number at 2 Walpole Road by 150+ boarders. The applicant (Brighton College) appealed against the decision of B&HCC and on 30 December 2024 the Secretary of State’s Planning Inspectorate issued its decision which dismissed the appeal by Brighton College.

4.         This principle of development conflicts with other principles of development, including the principles of developing community cohesion, developing balanced communities and reducing inequality.

The foundation of this application is the principle of development that enlarging school facilities at primary and secondary school levels is supported by national and local planning policies. Each one of the four objections outlined above is sufficient to undermine the application of the principle of development on which planning application BH2025/00264 depends.